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Huffington Post — I Remember Papa: Jonathan Winter’s Smurfy swan song

Published

11 years ago

on

When it came time to find just the right voice for Papa Smurf, Raja Gosnell and
Jordan Kerner were admittedly feeling a little blue. Why For? Because the
casting department at Sony Pictures Animation kept coming up short.


(L to R) Sony Pictures Digital Production president Bob Osher, director Raja
Gosnell  and producer Jordan Kerner at the Los Angeles premiere of "The
Smurfs 2." Photo by Michael Buckner / Getty Images North America

"This was back in early 2010 when we had just begun
casting the first film," Kerner — the producer of "The Smurfs
"
and "The Smurfs 2
" (which was released earlier this week on Blu-ray 3D,
Blu-ray, DVD and digital) recalled during a recent phone interview. "And
we were genuinely struggling when it came to finding just the right performer
to come voice Papa Smurf. The person we were looking for had to have a certain
amount of gravitas in their voice because, of course, Papa is the leader of the
Smurfs. But — at the same time — this voice also had to have a certain impish
quality because of that humorous glint you often see in Papa's eye."

"So we were listening to a lot of different
people," Gosnell — the director of both of SPA's "Smurfs" films
— continued. "And as we listened to all of these tapes that David Rubin
— our casting director — had put together, Jordan and I would stare at this
still image of Papa Smurf that we had taped up on the wall. And we'd then try
and imagine that voice coming out of Papa's mouth in our movie."

But then one day, David played Jordan & Raja a recording
that had everything that they had been looking for. Here finally was a voice
that had the sound of wisdom & life experience as well as a twinkle of fun.

[View:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwWDa1xPTPA]

"So I asked David who we were listening to. And he said
Jonathan Winters," Kerner remembered. "Which kind of shocked me
because — when I was growing up — Winters had been a family favorite.
Whenever Jonathan appeared on shows like Jack Paar, my parents and I would then
gather around the television and then laugh ourselves sick over his amazing
improv routines. So to have not been able to initially recognize his voice when
I'd been such a huge Winters fan for so long was kind of a surprise to me. But
then again, given that Jonathan had this seemingly magical ability to conjure
up new characters & voices out of thin air, I guess that it really
shouldn't have surprised me that a performer of his stature still had the
ability to surprise."

"Even so, it had been quite a while since Jonathan had
last worked. He was in his 80s at this point and we didn't know if he'd even be
willing or able to take on a new project at this point in his career. But even
so, Jordan and I had to try. Because if we could convince Jonathan Winters to
come voice Papa Smurf, that would be a huge casting coup for our
production," Gosnell said. "So Jordan and I did this Skype interview
with Jonathan. And he was so sweet and still so sharp. Right in the middle of
that call, Jonathan just sort of went off and did all of these fantastic
characters for us. And from that moment on, we knew that we had found our Papa
Smurf."

Which isn't to say that there weren't some challenges
involved when it came to working with a comedy legend like Jonathan Winters.
Kerner recalled with equal parts affection & frustration the many hours
that he spent in a recording booth trying to rein in this improvisational
genius.


Copyright Sony Pictures Animation.
All rights reserved

"This is a guy who could hear one word — it might have
been a comment that Raj made during a recording session — and then for the
next 20 minutes, Jonathan would just take off on some wild extemporaneous
comedic run. Right there in front of you, he'd improvise this bit where he was
playing every single character in a World War II movie. And he had the entire
room in hysterics," Jordan
said. "Now as the little kid who grew up watching Jonathan Winters on
television, I loved this. But as the producer of a motion picture who was
paying for this studio recording time on an hourly basis, all I could think was
that I was laughing my way through our production budget. So every so often, I
had to put on my producer's hat and then say 'Jonathan, I love this. I love
you. But could we please maybe save of this stuff for lunchtime? ' "

And given what a complete professional Winters was, Jonathan would then — of
course — get right back to work and then give Gosnell & Kerner everything
that they were looking for, and then some, when it came to voicing Papa Smurf.
But in the end, what mattered  more to
Raja & Jordan was how frank & open this comedy legend was with them
once these three got away from that recording booth.

"We'd always take Jonathan to lunch after our 'Smurfs'
recording sessions. And during those sorts of down times, it wasn't always him
putting up a character. He was very open about his personal life. Very open
about the darker times and some of the struggles that he'd had over the course
of his career," Raja said. "And especially when we were working on
the first film … Well, Jonathan never actually came out and said these words.
But it felt like — this is me analyzing here — he sort of felt forgotten.
Like the entertainment world had kind of passed him by. Which is why he was so thrilled
that we'd invited him to be part of our movie. And — of course — Jordan &
I were just as thrilled that Jonathan had agreed to come out of  semi-retirement and then come voice Papa
Smurf."


Copyright Sony Pictures Animation. All rights reserved

Now jump ahead to the Summer of 2011 when "The Smurfs" is this
worldwide smash hit, having grossed over a half a billion dollars worldwide. As
every good producer does, Kerner would send out regular e-mails to that film's
cast & crew to then keep them abreast of how well their movie was doing at
the office.

"And Jonathan would always e-mail me back. Which is when it quickly became
clear that he was getting this huge kick out of how successful 'The Smurfs'
was," Jordan
remembered. "In fact, when we first began working on the second 'Smurfs'
movie, Jonathan actually went out of his way to tell Raja and I what a grand
thing it was for a  person at this point
in their lives to now be part of this worldwide hit where you are the voice of
the most loved character in this movie. Of course, we then had to remind
Jonathan that the main reason that people loved Papa Smurf so much was the unique
way that he did the voice of this character."

Speaking of "The Smurfs 2" … As production began to gear up on this
live action / animated hybrid, Gosnell & Kerner began to hear from members
of Winters' family that this 87 year-old's health was fading.


Jordan Kerner with Jonathan Winters at this comedy legend's last recording
session on "The Smurfs 2." Image courtesy of Sony Pictures Animation

"So we'd sort of check in him regularly, ask how's he
doing. Not so much because we were worried about our movie. But — rather —
because Jordan and I now thought of Jonathan as a friend. More importantly,
because Jonathan had already told us that he was really looking forward to
working on 'Smurfs 2' and voicing Papa Smurf again," Raja said. "So
we eventually got started on that movie. And there were a couple of times that
Jonathan couldn't record. We'd hear that he was weak and that he wasn't doing
very well. So we hoped for the best. But from knowing him and reading the tea
leaves, we kind of sensed that the end was near."

But even so, given that Winters so obviously wanted to work on "The Smurfs
2," wanted to complete recording Papa Smurf's part, Raja & Jordan
journeyed to Santa Barbara and
recorded his character's last few lines of dialogue in a studio close to
Jonathan's home.

"He and I, we both drove out to Santa
Barbara. We were nervous that we wouldn't see him again.
There had been this weakness right towards the end. And we just wanted to spend
some time with Jonathan because he'd done so much for us. So we went up because
he really wanted to record. At that moment, we weren't really worried about
recording. I mean, there were only three, four, five lines that we needed to
record for the movie. But we sat with him for a long time. His daughter Lucinda
was there.  His caretaker was
there," Kerner recalled.


Raja Gosnell with Jonathan Winters. Image courtesy of Sony Pictures Animation

"Jonathan had the most beautific look on his face that
day. As if he already had a foot on the other side or that he'd seen the other
side. There was something so peaceful about him. His nature then. But there was
also this weakness," Gosnell said. "Even so, Jonathan wanted to work.
He wanted to complete recording Papa Smurf's dialogue for this movie. So he'd
say a line and then sort of go away for three minutes at a time. And then he'd
circle back and you'd know that he was ready to do another take. It was kind of
beautiful & kind of sad because Jordan and I both sensed that this was
going to be the very last time that we were going to see him."

"Now you have to understand Raj and I never take photographs during a
recording session with any of our actors. But that day, I took pictures of Raja
with his arms around Jonathan and Raj took some of me. It was just one of those
moments where you realize that here is someone who was such a gift and gave us
so much on these two films. A gift of humor and a gift of humanity. And I just
wanted something to remember that day by," Kerner concluded. "He was
as bright as he could have been in that moment. And he gave a fantastic
performance. And then we all just hugged and chatted. It was a beautiful day in
Santa Barbara. And I just sat there
thinking 'What a pro.' "

Jonathan Winters passed away on April 11, 2013 just a few weeks after this
off-the-lot recording session. To honor their friend and all that he'd done for
them personally & professionally, Gosnell & Kerner went to Sony
officials and asked them to dedicate "The Smurfs 2" to this comedy
legend. Which studio exes immediately agreed to.


Copyright Sony Pictures Animation. All rights reserved

And what with Sony Pictures Animation having already announced an August 15, 2015 release date for their next Smurfs movie, what are Raja & Jordan's
thoughts when it comes to recasting the voice of Papa Smurf.

"Look, there was only one Jonathan Winter. So we're not going to hire
someone to come try and do a Jonathan Winters impression. That would be a huge
mistake, sad for us personally and a discredit to his memory," Kerner
explained. "So I'm thinking that we'll probably go the James Bond route.
In that — just as it is when Sean Connery or Daniel Craig plays 007 — a
different performer can put an entirely different spin on a character. That's
what I think we'll now do with Papa Smurf. That way, in much the same way that
baby boomers like myself who wax nostalgically for Sean Connery, there'll be
this whole generation of Smurf fans who do the same thing for Jonathan Winter's
version of Papa Smurf. Which — given the great vocal performance he gave as
this character  — I completely
understand."

If you're still looking for that perfect gift for Grandma, Aunt Pat or Uncle Earle please
click on the banner below. If you do that … well, JimHillMedia.com then gets a teeny,
tiny chunk of whatever you spend at Amazon.com

Thanks and Happy Holidays!

Related Topics:

Jim Hill is an entertainment writer who has specialized in covering The Walt Disney Company for nearly 40 years now. Over that time, he has interviewed hundreds of animators, actors, and Imagineers -- many of whom have shared behind-the-scenes stories with Mr. Hill about how the Mouse House really works. In addition to the 4000+ articles Jim has written for the Web, he also co-hosts a trio of popular podcasts: “Disney Dish with Len Testa,” “Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor” and “Marvel US Disney with Aaron Adams.” Mr. Hill makes his home in Southern New Hampshire with his lovely wife Nancy and two obnoxious cats, Ginger & Betty.

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General

Seward Johnson bronzes add a surreal, artistic touch to NYC’s Garment District

Published

10 years ago

on

June 23, 2015

By

Greetings from NYC. Nancy and I drove down from New
Hampshire yesterday because we'll be checking out
Disney Consumer Products' annual Holiday Showcase later today.

Anyway … After checking into our hotel (i.e., The Paul.
Which is located down in NYC's NoMad district), we decided to grab some dinner.
Which is how we wound up at the Melt Shop.


Photo by Jim Hill

Which is this restaurant that only sells grilled cheese sandwiches.
This comfort food was delicious, but kind of on the heavy side.


Photo by Jim Hill

Which is why — given that it was a beautiful summer night
— we'd then try and walk off our meals. We started our stroll down by the Empire
State Building
…


Photo by Jim Hill

… and eventually wound up just below Times
Square (right behind where the Waterford Crystal Times Square New
Year's Eve Ball is kept).


Photo by Jim Hill

But you know what we discovered en route? Right in the heart
of Manhattan's Garment District
along Broadway between 36th and 41st? This incredibly cool series of life-like
and life-sized sculptures that Seward
Johnson has created.


Photo by Jim Hill

And — yes — that is Abraham Lincoln (who seems to have
slipped out of WDW's Hall of Presidents when no one was looking and is now
leading tourists around Times Square). These 18 painted
bronze pieces (which were just installed late this past Sunday night / early
Monday morning) range from the surreal to the all-too-real.


Photo by Jim Hill

Some of these pieces look like typical New Yorkers. Like the
business woman planning out her day …


Photo by Jim Hill

… the postman delivering the mail …


Photo by Jim Hill

… the hot dog vendor working at his cart …


Photo by Jim Hill


Photo by Jim Hill

… the street musician playing for tourists …


Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention the tourists themselves.


Photo by Jim Hill

But right alongside the bronze businessmen …


Photo by Jim Hill

… and the tired grandmother hauling her groceries home …


Photo by Jim Hill

… there were also statues representing people who were
from out-of-town …


Photo by Jim Hill

… or — for that matter — out-of-time.


Photo by Jim Hill

These were the Seward Johnson pieces that genuinely beguiled. Famous impressionist paintings brought to life in three dimensions.


Note the out-of-period water bottle that some tourist left
behind. Photo by Jim Hill 

Some of them so lifelike that you actually had to pause for
a moment (especially as day gave way to night in the city) and say to yourself
"Is that one of the bronzes? Or just someone pretending to be one of these
bronzes?"

Mind you, for those of you who aren't big fans of the
impressionists …


Photo by Jim Hill

… there's also an array of American icons. Among them
Marilyn Monroe …


Photo by Jim Hill

… and that farmer couple from Grant Wood's "American
Gothic."


Photo by Jim Hill

But for those of you who know your NYC history, it's hard to
beat that piece which recreates Alfred Eisenstaedt's famous photograph of V-J Day in Times Square.


Photo by Jim Hill

By the way, a 25-foot-tall version of this particular Seward
Johnson piece ( which — FYI — is entitled "Embracing Peace") will actually
be placed in Times Square for a few days on or around  August 14th to commemorate the 70th
anniversary of Victory Over Japan Day (V-J Day).


Photo by Jim Hill

By the way, if you'd like to check these Seward Johnson bronzes in
person (which — it should be noted — are part of the part of the Garment
District Alliance's new public art offering) — you'd best schedule a trip to
the City sometime over the next three months. For these pieces will only be on
display now through September 15th. 

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Wondering what you should “Boldly Go” see at the movies next year? The 2015 Licensing Expo offers you some clues

Published

10 years ago

on

June 10, 2015

By

Greeting from the 2015 Licensing Expo, which is being held
at the Mandalay Bay
Convention Center in Las
Vegas.


Photo by Jim Hill

I have to admit that I enjoy covering the Licensing Expo.
Mostly becomes it allows bloggers & entertainment writers like myself to
get a peek over the horizon. Scope out some of the major motion pictures &
TV shows that today's vertically integrated entertainment conglomerates
(Remember when these companies used to be called movie studios?) will be
sending our way over the next two years or so.


Photo by Jim Hill

Take — for example — all of "The Secret Life of
Pets" banners that greeted Expo attendees as they made their way to the
show floor today. I actually got to see some footage from this new Illumination
Entertainment production (which will hit theaters on July 8, 2016) the last time I was in Vegas. Which
was for CinemaCon back in April. And the five or so minutes of film that I viewed
suggested that "The Secret Life of Pets" will be a really funny
animated feature.


Photo by Jim Hill

Mind you, Universal Pictures wanted to make sure that Expo
attendees remembered that there was another Illumination Entertainment production
coming-to-a-theater-near-them before "The Secret Life of Pets" (And
that's "Minions," the "Despicable Me" prequel. Which
premieres at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival next week but
won't be screened stateside 'til July 10th of this year). Which is why they had
three minions who were made entirely out of LEGOS loitering out in the lobby.


Photo by Jim Hill

And Warner Bros. — because they wanted "Batman v
Superman: Dawn of Justice" to start trending on Twitter today — brought
the Batmobile to Las Vegas.


Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention full-sized macquettes of Batman, Superman and
Wonder Woman. Just so conventioneers could then see what these DC superheroes
would actually look like in this eagerly anticipated, March 25, 2016 release.


Photo by Jim Hill

That's the thing that can sometimes be a wee bit frustrating
about the Licensing Expo. It's all about delayed gratification. You'll come
around a corner and see this 100 foot-long ad for "The Peanuts Movie"
and think "Hey, that looks great. I want to see that Blue Sky Studios production
right now." It's only then that you notice the fine print and realize that
"The Peanuts Movie" doesn't actually open in theaters 'til November
6th of this year.


Photo by Jim Hill

And fan of Blue Sky's "Ice Age" film franchise are in for an even
longer wait. Given that the latest installment in that top grossing series
doesn't arrive in theaters 'til July
15, 2016.


Photo by Jim Hill

Of course, if you're one of those people who needs immediate
gratification when it comes to your entertainment, there was stuff like that to
be found at this year's Licensing Expo. Take — for example — how the WWE
booth was actually shaped like a wrestling ring. Which — I'm guessing — meant
that if the executives of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. didn't like
the offer that you were making, they were then allowed to toss you out over the
top rope, Royal Rumble-style.


Photo by Jim Hill

I also have to admit that — as a longtime Star Trek fan —
it was cool to see the enormous Starship Enterprise that hung in place over the
CBS booth. Not to mention getting a glimpse of the official Star Trek 50th
Anniversary logo.


Photo by Jim Hill

I was also pleased to see lots of activity in The Jim Henson
Company booth. Which suggests that JHC has actually finally carved out a
post-Muppets identity for itself.


Photo by Jim Hill

Likewise for all of us who were getting a little concerned
about DreamWorks Animation (what with all the layoffs & write-downs &
projects that were put into turnaround or outright cancelled last year), it was
nice to see that booth bustling.


Photo by Jim Hill

Every so often, you'd come across some people who were
promoting a movie that you weren't entirely sure that you actually wanted to
see (EX: "Angry Birds," which Sony Pictures Entertainment / Columbia
Pictures will be releasing to theaters on May 20, 2016). But then you remembered that Clay Kaytis —
who's this hugely talented former Walt Disney Animation Studios animator — is
riding herd on "Angry Birds" with Fergal Reilly. And you'd think
"Well, if Clay's working on 'Angry Birds,' I'm sure this animated feature
will turn out fine."


Photo by Jim Hill

Mind you, there were reminders at this year's Licensing Expo
of great animated features that we're never going to get to see now. I still
can't believe — especially after that brilliant proof-of-concept footage
popped up online last year — that Sony execs decided not to go forward
with  production of Genndy Tartakovsky's
"Popeye" movie.  But that's the
cruel thing about the entertainment business, folks. It will sometime break
your heart.


Photo by Jim Hill

And make no mistake about this. The Licensing Expo is all
about business. That point was clearly driven home at this year's show when —
as you walked through the doors of the Mandalay
Bay Convention Center
— the first thing that you saw was the Hasbros Booth. Which was this gleaming,
sleek two story-tall affair full of people who were negotiating deals &
signing contracts for all of the would-be summer blockbusters that have already
announced release dates for 2019 & beyond.


Photo by Jim Hill

"But what about The Walt Disney Company?," you
ask. "Weren't they represented on the show floor at this year's Licensing
Expo?" Not really, not. I mean, sure. There were a few companies there hyping
Disney-related products. Take — for example — the Disney Wikkeez people.


Photo by Jim Hill

I'm assuming that some Disney Consumer Products exec is
hoping that Wikkeez will eventually become the new Tsum Tsum. But to be blunt,
these little hard plastic figures don't seem to have the same huggable charm
that those stackable plush do. But I've been wrong before. So let's see what
happens with Disney Wikkeez once they start showing up on the shelves of the
Company's North American retail partners.


Photo by Jim Hill

And speaking of Disney's retail partners … They were
meeting with Mouse House executives behind closed doors one floor down from the
official show floor for this year's Licensing Expo.


Photo by Jim Hill

And the theme for this year's invitation-only Disney shindig? "Timeless
Stories" involving the Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm brands that
would then appeal to "tomorrow's consumer."


Photo by Jim Hill

And just to sort of hammer home the idea that Disney is no
longer the Company which cornered the market when it comes to little girls
(i.e., its Disney Princess and Disney Fairies franchises), check out this
wall-sized Star Wars-related image that DCP put up just outside of one of its
many private meeting rooms. "See?," this carefully crafted photo
screams. "It isn't just little boys who want to wield the Force. Little
girls also want to grow up and be Lords of the Sith."


Photo by Jim Hill

One final, kind-of-ironic note: According to this banner,
Paramount Pictures will be releasing a movie called "Amusement Park"
to theaters sometime in 2017.  


Photo by Jim Hill

Well, given all the "Blackfish" -related issues
that have been dogged SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment over the past two years, I'm
just hoping that they'll still be in the amusement park business come 2017.

Your thoughts?

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It takes more than three circles to craft a Classic version of Mickey Mouse

Published

10 years ago

on

June 9, 2015

By

You know what Mickey Mouse looks like, right? Little guy,
big ears?

Truth be told, Disney's corporate symbol has a lot of
different looks. If Mickey's interacting with Guests at Disneyland
Park (especially this summer, when
the Happiest Place on Earth
is celebrating its 60th anniversary), he looks & dresses like this.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc.
All rights reserved

Or when he's appearing in one of those Emmy Award-winning shorts that Disney
Television Animation has produced (EX: "Bronco Busted," which debuts
on the Disney Channel tonight at 8 p.m. ET / PT), Mickey is drawn in a such a
way that he looks hip, cool, edgy & retro all at the same time.


Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights
reserved

Looking ahead to 2017 now, when Disney Junior rolls out "Mickey and the
Roadster Racers," this brand-new animated series will feature a sportier version
of Disney's corporate symbol. One that Mouse House managers hope will persuade
preschool boys to more fully embrace this now 86 year-old character.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

That's what most people don't realize about the Mouse. The
Walt Disney Company deliberately tailors Mickey's look, even his style of
movement, depending on what sort of project / production he's appearing in.

Take — for example — Disney
California Adventure
Park's "World of Color:
Celebrate!" Because Disney's main mouse would be co-hosting this new
nighttime lagoon show with ace emcee Neil Patrick Harris, Eric Goldberg really had
to step up Mickey's game. Which is why this master Disney animator created
several minutes of all-new Mouse animation which then showed that Mickey was
just as skilled a showman as Neil was.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc.
All rights reserved

Better yet, let's take a look at what the folks at Avalanche Studios just went
through as they attempted to create a Classic version of Mickey & Minnie.
One that would then allow this popular pair to become part of Disney Infinity
3.0.

"I won't lie to you. We were under a lot of pressure to
get the look of this particular version of Mickey — he's called Red Pants
Mickey around here — just right," said Jeff Bunker, the VP of Art
Development at Avalanche Studios, during a recent phone interview. "When
we brought Sorcerer Mickey into Disney Infinity 1.0 back in January of 2014,
that one was relatively easy because … Well, everyone knows what Mickey Mouse
looked like when he appeared in 'Fantasia.' "


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

"But this time around, we were being asked to design
THE Mickey & Minnie," Bunker continued. "And given that these Classic
Disney characters have been around in various different forms for the better
part of the last century … Well, which look was the right look?"

Which is why Jeff and his team at Avalanche Studios began watching hours &
hours of Mickey Mouse shorts. As they tried to get a handle on which look would
work best for these characters in Disney Infinity 3.0.


Copyright Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

"And we went all the way back to the very start of Mickey's career. We began
with 'Steamboat Willie' and then watched all of those black & white Mickey shorts
that Walt made back in the late 1920s & early 1930s. From there, we
transitioned to his Technicolor shorts. Which is when Mickey went from being
this pie-eyed, really feisty character to more of a well-behaved leading
man," Bunker recalled. "We then finished out our Mouse marathon by
watching all of those new Mickey shorts that Paul Rudish & his team have
been creating for Disney Television Animation. Those cartoons really recapture
a lot of the spirit and wild slapstick fun that Mickey's early, black &
white shorts had."

But given that the specific assignment that Avalanche Studios had been handed
was to create the most appealing looking, likeable version of Mickey Mouse
possible … In the end, Jeff and his team wound up borrowing bits & pieces
from a lot of different versions of the world's most famous mouse. So that
Classic Mickey would then look & move in a way that best fit the sort of
gameplay which people would soon be able to experience with Disney Infinity
3.0.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

"That — in a lot of ways — was actually the toughest
part of the Classic Mickey design project. You have to remember that one of the
key creative conceits of  Disney Infinity
is that all the characters which appear in this game are toys," Bunker
stated. "Okay. So they're beautifully detailed, highly stylized toy
versions of beloved Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm characters. But
they're still supposed to be toys. So our Classic versions of Mickey &
Minnie have the same sort of thickness & sturdiness to them that toys have.
So that they'll then be able to fit right in with all of the rest of the
characters that Avalanche Studios had previously designed for Disney Infinity."

And then there was the matter of coming up with just the
right pose for Classic Mickey & Minnie. Which — to hear Jeff tell the
story — involved input from a lot of Disney upper management.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

"Everyone within the Company seemed to have an opinion
about how Mickey & Minnie should be posed. More to the point, if you Google
Mickey, you then discover that there are literally thousands of poses out there
for these two. Though — truth be told — a lot of those kind of play off the
way Mickey poses when he's being Disney's corporate symbol," Bunker said.
"But what I was most concerned about was that Mickey's pose had to work
with Minnie's pose. Because we were bringing the Classic versions of these
characters up into Disney Infinity 3.0 at the exact same time. And we wanted to
make sure — especially for those fans who like to put their Disney Infinity
figures on display — that Mickey's pose would then complement Minnie.

Which is why Jeff & the crew at Avalanche Studios
decided — when it came to Classic Mickey & Minnie's pose — that they
should go all the way back to the beginning. Which is why these two Disney icons
are sculpted in such a way that it almost seems as though you're witnessing the
very first time Mickey set eyes on Minnie.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

"And what was really great about that was — as soon as
we began showing people within the Company this pose — everyone at Disney
quickly got on board with the idea. I mean, the Classic Mickey that we sculpted
for Disney Infinity 3.0 is clearly a very playful, spunky character. But at the
same time, he's obviously got eyes for Minnie," Bunker concluded. "So
in the end, we were able to come up with Classic versions of these characters
that will work well within the creative confines of Disney Infinity 3.0 but at
the same time please those Disney fans who just collect these figures because
they like the way the Disney Infinity characters look."

So now that this particular design project is over, does
Jeff regret that Mouse House upper management was so hands-on when it came to
making sure that the Classic versions of Mickey & Minnie were specifically
tailored to fit the look & style of gameplay found in Disney Infinity 3.0?


Copyright Lucasfilm / Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

"To be blunt, we go through this every time we add a new character to the
game. The folks at Lucasfilm were just as hands-on when we were designing the
versions of Darth Vader and Yoda that will also soon be appearing in Disney
Infinity 3.0," Bunker laughed. "So in the end, if the character's
creators AND the fans are happy, then I'm happy."

This article was originally posted on the Huffington Post's Entertainment page on Tuesday, June 9, 2015

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