There are many myths associated with Audio Animatronics.
With the biggest one being that these mechanized marvels can do just about
anything that the Imagineers can dream up.
Not so says Imagineer Darrin Hughes. Who’s spent the past 20
years programming AA figures for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts. Truth be
told, even the most state-of-the-art Audio Animatronic can only replicate 2% of
human expression.
“No matter how much effort we put into them, all of the
talent that’s involved, AA figures can only do a few things very well. My guess
of about 2% is probably pretty generous,” Hughes stated at last year’s
Marvelous Mechanized Magic Kingdom event. “So the trick is to design Audio
Animatronics figures so that they then do these few things very well and that’s
all we show. “
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reserved
In some cases, it’s actually the lights, sets or costumes that make Disney’s AA
figures seem far more lifelike than they actually are. Take – for example – the
picture above. Which shows Darrin and his team reprogramming the Greek Teacher
in Epcot‘s Spaceship Earth ride.
“Unfortunately, you’re not seeing his full costume here. The
Greek Teacher had a beautiful red costume, which really made a huge difference
because — when this AA figure moved his arms — the sleeves would then move a little bit in
the breeze,” Hughes continued. “And by doing that, the movement of the costume
then provides this Audio Animatronic with a little natural motion. And that then
absorbs a little bit of the non-natural motion that I – as the programmer —
have a hard time getting past due to the mechanical nature of the Greek Teacher
AA figure.”
It was this sort of stuff that made Darrin’s Marvelous Mechanized Magic Kingdom
presentation so fascinating. The glamor of being an Imagineer who went to
exotic places like Hong Kong and then programmed AA figures in the field …
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Publishing. All rights reserved
… quickly gave way to the harsh reality of what it was
actually like to program all of the mechanical animals that you see while floating
along on Hong Kong Disneyland‘s Jungle River Cruise.
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reserved
“This photo was taken just as the monsoon was arriving. The rain’s coming at
about a 45 degree angle here. But as you can see, I’m still on the job. Working
under that blue & white plastic tarp, trying to keep the rain from
electrocuting me as it shorts out my control system,” Hughes recalled. “What
that photo also fails to convey is the giant cockroaches that were flying
straight at me. As they tried to get out of the rain by seeking shelter under
my tarp.”
“And why was Darrin working in the pouring-down rain?,” you
ask. Because – as Hughes explained as part of his Marvelous Mechanized Magic
Kingdon presentation – he and his crew of AA figure programmers never ever have
enough time to do all of the work that they’re supposed to.
“One of the painful realities of working on a multi-million dollar project like
a theme park ride is opening day. That thing never, ever moves. It never moves
because there’s a project manager standing next to that date with a shotgun,”
Darrin smirked. “There is a project plan, a schedule that stretches from here
to San Diego. But the actual animation of the AA figures is the very last thing
on that schedule. I try to make the scheduled animation time as big as it can
possibly be. But it’s never enough. So I try and manage things as best I can.”
Eric Swapp working on programming the AA figures in Spaceship Earth’s
new computer room sequence. Image courtesy of Ape Pen
Publishing.
All rights reserved
Which means that Hughes and his teams have to be pretty ingenious sometimes when
it comes to the way they get their programming equipment in and out of the
various show buildings that they work. Take – for example – the photo above.
“This was taken while Eric Swapp and I were working inside
of Spaceship Earth. Now you may notice that the mobile programming desk that
Eric is using looks remarkably like a wheelchair. Well, that’s because it is a
wheelchair,” Darrin stated. “You see, Spaceship Earth has a long and winding
track. And given the tight working conditions we were working under back then,
we had to come up with a way to move our programming equipment quickly from
show scene to show scene. And a wheelchair seemed like the smartest way to go.”
And it’s not just that the working conditions that Hughes and his crew deal
with regularly are tight. They can also be extremely dangerous. As part of his
presentation, Darrin revealed that one member of the “ExtraTERRORestrial Alien
Encounter” show installation team was badly
injured because of a mistake that was made in the field while they were
programming that Tomorrowland attraction.
Steven Kosakura working in a pretty tight spot while installing an
animatronic in the field. Image courtesy of Ape Pen Publishing.
All rights
reserved
“You see this picture of my friend, Steven Kosakura? This was taken while we
were installing an enormous animatronic figure at a non-Disney park,” Hughes
explained. “Now if I had accidentally pressed the wrong button while I was
programming this figure, a big steel thing will come straight up through the
hole where Steve is sitting in this picture. Likewise, if I pressed a different
wrong button, the thing that this animatronic is holding would have come crashing
down and crushed Steve’s head. The field can be extremely dangerous. Which is
why we always have to be super-aware of what’s going on around us, the show
environment, etc.”
But even with all the hassles & the
risks involved, Darrin is still obviously a fan of this commercial art form.
More to the point, he is quick to praise this form of commercial entertainment.
Especially those Disney Legends like Wathel Rogers who actually pioneered the
development of AA figures.
“But it’s not just the pioneers who developed Audio Animatronics. I also need
to pay tribute to the other people I work with regularly. The art directors,
the effects people, the figure finishers, the guys who handle the lighting
inside of the rides, the writers who create the scripts for these attractions,”
Hughes continued. “If they haven’t done their job to the best of their
abilities, given me everything that I need in order to bring that figure to
life … Well, the Guests aren’t going to see this figure come to life either.”
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Publishing. All rights reserved
Besides, thanks to advances in technology, Darrin no longer
always has to go to the field to do all of the programming for the Audio
Animatronics that he’s working. Take – for example – Mr. Potato Head from “Toy
Story Mania!“
“Because we were able to do pre-programming of Mr. Potato
Head in the computer, I didn’t actually have to go down to California Adventure
except to put the data onto the real figure. I was able to work in my office,
Which was really cool. I’d like to be able to do more of that,” Darrin said.
Unfortunately, not all of the Audio Animatronics that Hughes works on are
NextGen like Mr. Potato Head. Which means – in order to get them to work
properly, to get the sort of performance out of this figure that will really
enhance the ride, get some sort of emotional response out of the audience that’s
viewing this attraction … Well, that means hours & hours of work. Often under
in some pretty difficult and frustrating working conditions.
Pre-programming the Stitch figure for the revamped version of Tokyo
Disneyland’s “Enchanted Tiki Room.” Image courtesy of Ape Pen
Publishing. All rights reserved
“You have to understand that – when we’re doing the initial
installation — is that everybody wants to be on that figure. The costumers
want to be making changes, as they try & figure out why their costume is twisting
funny whenever this figure moves. There are mechanical problems that invariably
need to be fixed. Plus the ride guys keep kicking me out for whatever reason,”
Hughes explained. “So it’s really hard under those sorts of conditions to stay
on the figure and just keep working.”
Which is why – whenever possible – Darrin likes to get some
time with the AA figure that he’s supposed to be working on before it’s
actually sent to the field and then hole up in some airplane hangar or warehouse
on the WDI campus and do as much
animation in advance as he possibly can.
“Sometimes we’ll do a full mock-up. In the case of Sindbad,
we built all of the sets. It kind of depends on the show. How many risks we’ve
identified, what we need to prove,” Hughes said. “That’s why you always want to try and do as
much programming as you can in advance. So that you don’t find yourself in the
field having a big problem. It’s mostly about managing risks in my mind.”
Darrin Hughes speaking at Last year’s Marvelous Mechanized Magic
Kingdom event. Image courtesy of Ape Pen
Publishing.
All rights reserved
Given all of the complex issues that Darrin usually deals
with whenever he’s programming a new Audio Animatronic (FYI: That’s pretty much
how Hughes describes his job. He doesn’t see himself as a figure programmer.
But – rather – as a guy who manages complexity. Someone who – before he gets
the chance to do his job well – first has to ” … get as much done early on to help mediate
risks and talk to all of the other disciplines.) … Well, the fanboy view of the
Disney theme parks then becomes kind of laughable. While some may insist that all
the Imagineers need to do to change the “Under New Management” show in the
Sunshine Pavilion at WDW’s Magic Kingdom is upload the old “Enchanted Tiki Room”
programming and then hit a few switches … After hearing Darrin Hughes talk, you
realize that this simply isn’t the case.
In fact, I wish that every Disney fan who has ever
complained about the Yeti in “Expedition Everest” at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
could listen to Darrin Hughes’ talk about the herculean effort that it takes to
install, program and then maintain an Audio Animatronic figure.
Come to think of it, they actually can. On May 1st, Ape Pen Publishing will be releasing a new 2-DVD set. Which will not only feature the
presentations that Darrin Hughes gave at this Marvelous Mechanized Magic
Kingdom event, but also captures the insights that Disney Legends like X
Atencio, Alice Davis, Kathryn Beaumont, Bob
Gurr and Floyd Norman shared about the early, early days of AA figures. Not to
mention what Hughes’ contemporaries – Imagineers like Larry Nikolai, Ethan Reed
and Josh Shipley – have to say about this form of commercial entertainment.
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Publishing. All rights reserved
So if you’d like to learn more about the realities of
working with Audio Animatronics, rather than the fanboy fantasies that you’ll
find on the Web … Might I suggest that you pick up a copy of Ape Pen Publishing’s
Marvelous Mechanized Magic Kingdom DVD. Which goes on sale May 1st.
Your thoughts?