General

Looking back at the 2011 D23 EXPO: expectations vs. reality

Published

13 years ago

August 29, 2011

And how was your weekend?

Mine contrasted sharply with last weekend. Instead of being
inside of the brightly-lit Anaheim Convention Center surrounded by thousands of
Disney fans, I was sitting in the dark here at home with Nancy, Alice and the
cats. What with all the wind & wet weather associated with Hurricane /
Tropical Storm Irene, it took Public Service of New Hampshire upwards of 15
hours to finally get the electricity flowing again in our neck of the woods.

Which – I know – sounds like it could have been kind of
miserable. It actually wasn’t. Even though we were without power for the better
part of a day, the six of us were all inside – safe & dry. More to the
point, we had plenty of food, water, candles & flashlights on hand. Not to
mention the terrific view of this storm that we had through the big picture
window which we have at our place.

So – because we’d done a little advance planning AND had
realistic expectations (i.e. we live way the hell out in the woods. There’s a
hurricane headed our way. Which means that we’re probably going to be without power
for a couple of hours) – Alice, Nancy and I had a pretty enjoyable time
yesterday.

The line outside of Anaheim Convention Center on Friday morning just before the D23
EXPO opened its doors. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

I bring this issue up because … Well, over the past week, I’ve
been reading the comments that some people have posted in the wake of the D23
EXPO. Where they then vented their frustration about the lines that these
folks encountered and/or groused about the panels & presentations that
these people couldn’t get into.

And what’s kind of interesting about these complaints is
that there’s a constant refrain that runs through many of these comments. To wit:

“Disney has had years & years of experience of dealing
with large crowds thanks to its theme parks. Which is why I’m surprised that they
didn’t do a better job of managing the lines at the D23 EXPO.”

The only problem with that premise is that the D23 EXPO wasn’t
/ isn’t a theme park. It’s a convention much along the lines of Comic-Con
International.

This is just a portion of the line for Hall H at Comic-Con International. The rest of the line
(which typically includes an additional 2,000 – 3,000 people) winds back-and-forth
along the waterfront behind the San Diego Convention Center.

And as anyone who’s ever been down to the San Diego
Convention Center during the third week of July will tell you, lines are just an
unavoidable part of life – at least as far as Comic-Con is concerned. Like it
or not, you’re going to spend much of your time at this 4 ½ day-long pop
culture event standing in a queue. Waiting in line for hours at a time, hoping
that you can then actually get into a particular panel or presentation.

Which then bring me to another comment that kept popping up
in people’s complaints about the D23 EXPO

“Why don’t they just schedule multiple presentations of
these panels? Or at least stage them in bigger venues?”

Well, not to be blunt here … But you do realize that the
people who were hosting / moderating these various panels & presentations actually
do have lives & responsibilities outside of entertaining & informing
members of the Official Disney Fan Club?

A sleep-deprived Joe Lanzisero (left) soldiers on through Sunday’s Disney Cruise Line,
as he and WDI’s Bob Zalk describe the amenities that will be found on the Disney
Fantasy. Photo by Angela Ragno

Take – for example – Joe Lanzisero, senior vice president of
Walt Disney Imagineering. In the days prior to his appearance at this year’s
D23 EXPO, Joe had been at Hong Kong Disneyland consulting on the three new
lands that are being built at that theme park. Lanzisero then flew back to the
States just so he could then co-host Sunday morning’s “Imagineering the Dream
and the Fantasy: Designing for Disney Cruise Line” panel. Which is why Joe kept
apologizing from the stage about continually having to consult his script for
this presentation, because ” … I’m a little jet-lagged up here.”

You get what I’m saying? That the actual people who worked / are working on
these new movies, TV shows & theme park attractions for The Walt Disney
Company took time out from their busy schedules to come on down to the Anaheim Convention
Center and then talk about what they’re working on. And since these films /
television series / rides & shows are dynamic, on-going entities … Well,
that’s why these folks then weren’t available to present their panels over
& over again at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. each day. They had to get
back to their actual jobs.

More to the point, the people who run D23 recognize that not
every member of the Official Disney Fan Club is a theme park fan. That there
are those who are just animation enthusiasts. Or those who watch the Disney
Channel & Disney XD religiously. Or maybe they’re a comic book collector
who wants to learn more about what Marvel & the Mouse have in the works for
2012 & beyond. Which is why creating an event that services all of these
needs / addresses all of these interests can be something of a challenge.

Look, as someone who was a moderator at this year’s EXPO as
well as being someone who attended this event as a member of the media, I’m not
going to pretend that my D23 EXPO experience was typical. But that said, I
spent an awful lot of time on the show floor on Saturday & Sunday. And
judging by the huge screaming crowds in front of the Disney Channel / Disney XD
/ Disney Junior stage, the long lines for autographs & giveaways at the
Walt Disney Animation Studios booth, not to mention how crowded Mickey’s of
Glendale and the on-site Disney Store were, there were clearly a lot of people
who had a perfectly fine time at this year’s D23 EXPO.

“Good Luck Charlie” fans line up to get the autographs of the cast of this Disney Channel
series. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

What’s that you say? Your chief complaint about the 2011
edition of the D23 EXPO is that Friday’s Disney Parks & Resorts presentation
was underwhelming? This is honestly one of the more ridiculous comments that I
have ever heard coming from Disneyana fans.

I mean, think about it. The Walt Disney Company just spent
upwards of $1.2 billion (or $1.7 billion, depending on who you talk to) on
reinventing Disney California Adventure. Not to mention the $350 million (or is
it $500 million?) that the Imagineers are now spending on expanding &
enhancing Fantasyland at WDW‘s Magic Kingdom. That’s roughly $2 billion that
the Company has recently invested in its stateside resorts. And let’s not forget about the
work that’s being done on the Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Art of Animation
Resort, Aulani, as well as the soon-to-begin-construction Disney Vacation Club
at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

So given the enormous amount of money that the Mouse has just
plowed into the Disneyland & Walt Disney World Resorts (more importantly,
given what’s going on with the economy right now. With consumer confidence back
at November 2008 levels as everyone worries about whether we’re now headed into
a double-dip recession), is it realistic to then expect that Mickey would now be
announcing yet another billion expansion of its stateside properties? I’m
thinking that someone who’s actually been paying attention to what’s been going
on in financial circles lately would likely say “No.”

Which brings me to the part of today’s JHM article that I’m
sure will get me the most hate mail. Which is the unrealistically high
expectations of some Disneyana fans. Who seem to insist that every new
attraction that’s being added to the theme parks has to be this state-of-the-art
E Ticket. Or that an event like this year’s D23 EXPO be completely glitch-free.

Concept art for Disneyland’s new Fantasy Fair area. Copyright Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

Look, I know that the PR department at Disney regularly
tosses around terms like “magic,” “wonder,” “dreams,” “wishes” and “pixie dust”
just so we’ll then get all warm-and-fuzzy whenever we think about the Mouse’s
latest project. But I myself, I don’t
live in Fantasyland. I live in the real world. Where life is full of small setbacks,
tiny hiccups and little disappointments.

So when I found myself unable to get into Stage 23 for
Friday night’s Dick Van Dyke and the Vantastix concert, did I pitch a fit? Did
I immediately get on Twitter and then complain about this year’s D23 EXPO was ineptly
run & how everyone associated with this event should be fired? Nope. Because
I’m an adult who can actually handle disappointment, I got on the escalator and
then headed back downstairs. With my only thought being that I wish that I’d been smart enough to get on
line earlier. That way … Well, maybe I could have actually scored a seat to
this supposedly extraordinary show.

What’s that you say? D23 could have easily avoided this
problem if they’d just had Dick perform in the D23 Arena (which had seats for
4000) rather than Stage 23 (which only had seats for 750 – 1000)? Sorry, but
that wasn’t D23’s call. It was Van Dyke himself who supposedly insisted that the
Vantastix perform in a more intimate venue. With his main concern being that –
what with the acoustics of the cavernous Anaheim Arena – that oversized venue just
wouldn’t lend itself to the sort of close harmony that Dick’s group does.

“Well, D23 should have just insisted that Dick Van Dyke and
the Vantastix perform in the Anaheim Arena,” you say. Look, the Official Disney
Fan Club knows that it was damned lucky to land this 86-year-old Disney Legend
for this year’s EXPO. You see, Dick turns down hundreds of requests each year
when it comes to interviews, appearances and performances. So whatever it took
to keep Van Dyke happy (i.e. have the Vantastix perform in an intimate space
versus an enormous arena), that was what they were going to do.

Dick Van Dyke and the Vantastix perform at the 2011 D23 EXPO. Copyright Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

Anyway … You wanna know why I had a great time at this year’s
D23 EXPO? It wasn’t because I was the moderator of the Pixar Shorts panel. Nor
was it because I attended the event as a member of the media.

No, I had a great time at this year’s D23 EXPO because –
just like with this past weekend’s hurricane / tropical storm – I went into
this event with realistic expectations. I knew that there was just no way that
I’d be able to see each & every panel and presentation. Which is why I then
carefully chose those events that I really wanted to attend.

More to the point, because I anticipated that there’d be
lines & crowds for the D23 EXPO’s more popular panels, I did some advance
planning. I found out where I needed to go. More importantly, when I needed to
get on line. And as a direct result, I wound up being able to see about 75% of the
presentations that I really wanted to attend at this year’s event.

Which – I know – if you’re going by Disney theme park
standards, only getting to experience 3 out of 4 of the rides, shows and attractions
that you came out to the park to see … That’s somewhat disappointing. But if
you’re going by Comic-Con standards, getting into 3 out of every 4 panels &
presentations that you really wanted to attend … That’s huge. That’s the pop
culture equivalent of winning the lottery.

Some of the Disneyana enthusiasts who chose to dress as their favorite characters for
this year’s D23 EXPO. Photo by Florence Doyle

So I guess what I’m saying is – if you’ve been reading some
of the negative post-D23-EXPO comments that are out there and are now thinking that you
may take a pass on attending the Official Disney Fan Club’s 2013 convention
… Don’t be a chump. You’ll just be letting those people who are already predisposed
to complaining when it comes to whatever it is that The Walt Disney Company does rob
you of the opportunity to experience something pretty extraordinary.

Which – provided that you do a little advance planning &
walk into the Anaheim Convention Center with realistic expectations – can be a
very entertaining and informative way to spend three days.

Your thoughts?

General

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

Published

9 years ago

June 23, 2015

Jim Hill

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

… 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.

General

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

Published

10 years ago

June 10, 2015

Jim Hill

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?

General

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

Published

10 years ago

June 9, 2015

Jim Hill

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.' "

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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?

"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