General
Monday Mouse Watch: “It’s like sending a boy scout into the court of the Borgias”
Jim Hill reports on the current morale problems at WDI. Which reportedly have a lot to do with how easily John Lasseter has been manipulated by certain senior Imagineering executives
John Lasseter clearly must be a theater fan.
After all, week before last, Lasseter was down at Disney World checking out DAK‘s “Finding Nemo –The Musical.” Then this past Thursday, John was out in NYC attending the opening night of Disney Theatrical‘s newest production, “Mary Poppins.”
Which is kind of ironic. Given that — when it comes to the on-going drama at Walt Disney Imagineering — Lasseter has been kind of a no-show lately.
Alright, to be fair, since he came on board at the Mouse House of this year, John & Ed Catmull have been concentrating on turning Disney Feature Animation around. Which only makes sense. Given that WDFA literally is the creative engine that drives the Walt Disney Company.
After all, unless Feature Animation can get back to producing popular motion pictures that feature memorable characters … Well, that makes life extremely difficult for Disney’s Consumer Products division (Which constantly needs new characters to feed to its network of licensees) as well as Parks & Resorts (Which regularly needs new films with memorable characters, stories and settings to serve as inspiration for rides, shows & attractions for the parks).
This explains why John has spent most of the past 10 months focusing on reviving WDFA. But those guys over Glendale — particularly the ones who grown tired of dealing with Walt Disney Imagineering’s poisonous corporate culture & constant in-fighting … Well, they’re wondering when WDI’s new principal creative advisor is actually going to start advising them.
As an e-mail that I recently received from an Imagineering insider so succintly put it:
Lack of movement by Lasseter to eliminate the existing politically driven management at WDI is bringing morale back down to the pre-Pixar announcement levels.
Existing management has actually become more emboldened in their former attitudes. (Imagine what the Bush administration would be like if the Democrats hadn’t taken over Congress).
The current focus on ‘placemaking’ (paint, plants & change of theme) just reinforces the fact that no true visionary is involved in recent projects. Visionary creativity being replaced with pabulum.
Again, to fair, in the months immediately following the Pixar acquisition, Lasseter was heavily involved in Disney’s promotional efforts to support the international release of “Cars.” Then there was that long family vacation that John had promised to take with Nancy and the boys.
But all that was over months ago.
Meanwhile, many veteran Imagineers are wondering when Lasseter is finally going to call WDI management on its increasingly manipulative behavior. Take — for example — that “Cars” themed E-Ticket that’s been proposed for DCA‘s San Francisco district. John was supposedly thrilled when the guys at WDI initially pitched this thrill ride to him. Which will reportedly make use of the very same ride system that Epcot‘s “GM Test Track” uses.
But no sooner had John left on his family vacation when these WDI managers not only cut the budget for this proposed California Adventure addition, but they then pushed back the start of construction of this attraction by several years.
“Why would these Imagineering managers do that?,” you ask. Well, quickly stepping around the whole “Cars”-didn’t-do-nearly-as-well-as-Disney-execs-had-hoped-it-would issue (The mere mention of which tends to make certain JHM readers froth at the mouth) … To be honestly, this is pretty much business as usual at WDI.
What do I mean by that? Well, if you look cold-bloodedly at the history of this division of the Walt Disney Company, you’ll see that there have literally been dozens of ambitious projects (EX: The “Dick Tracy Crimestoppers” thrill ride, The “Island at the Top of the World” E-Ticket, the “Babes in Toyland” dark ride) that were tabled when senior management suddenly lost enthusiasm for the productions that these projects were supposed to be based on.
And then there’s that “Journey into Imagination with Figment” redo that Lasseter had supposedly been personally championing. Preliminary plans for this renovation had reportedly been drawn up. A budget was dummied out. There was even talk of fast-tracking this particular project. Just so that the renovation of this Future World favorite would then send the appropriate message to the Disney fan community that WDI was now under new management.
But then — almost as soon as talk had started about this “Imagination” redo — this project fell off of Imagineering’s fast track. Allegedly because WDI management had talked John out of pushing for this particular redo.
“And why they’d do that?,” you query. To be honest, redoing “Journey into Imagination with Figment” just didn’t make fiscal sense. This Future World pavilion had already gone under the knife twice in the past seven years, with the Walt Disney Company spending tens of millions of dollars in an effort to freshen up & improve “Imagination.” Meanwhile, there are other parts of Epcot that hadn’t received any TLC in more than a decade.
So spending more money now on yet another attempt to improve this particular Future World attraction (at least in the eyes of WDI’s current management team) just seemed wasteful. Or so these managers supposedly told Lasseter.
And let’s not forget about the hidden agenda that’s now being serviced by that proposed redo of Disneyland‘s Tom Sawyer Island. How many of you recall that somewhat infamous trip that John Lasseter and his son made to that Frontierland attraction back in January 2002? These two were accompanied to TSI by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner. Who was reportedly incredibly embarassed by the decrepit condition that many of the attractions on this island had been allowed to fall into.
Given that Lasseter supposedly has very fond memories of what Tom Sawyer Island was like back in its heyday … Well, John’s own affection for this attraction is allegedly one of the main justifications that WDI execs are now using for fast-tracking this particular project. These guys have reportedly been telling Mouse House managers that ” … John will be very pleased if we can turn the island back into one of Disneyland’s showpieces.”
Oh, by the way … For those of you who are concerned about how a Pirate-themed island will actually fit into the Frontierland setting … The revised plans for this project now allegedly calls for an overlay that actually straddles both of these worlds. So that Tom Sawyer Island would now become the home of river pirates similar to the ones that Davy Crockett & Mike Fink did battle with in the studio’s 1956 film, “Davy Crockett & the River Pirates.”
To further ease your concerns about this particular redo … Word has begun leaking out Jerry Bruckheimer’s production office that among the story ideas that Ted Elliot & Terry Rossio are considering for “Pirates of the Caribbean IV” is that Capt. Jack Sparrow and friends will make a trip upriver to New Orleans. Supposedly at voodoo queen Tia Dalma’s request. So — if production of that “Pirates” sequel does go forward in 2009 or 2010 — having a river pirates-themed version of Tom Sawyer Island might then actually make some sense.
Anyway … Getting to the main thrust of today’s story … Which is that many Imagineering veterans are wondering when John Lasseter is going to start taking a more hands-on approach toward his dealings with WDI. Or — at the very least — stop listening to those senior Imagineering executives who keep persuading Lasseter to abandon particular projects for the theme parks or (worse than that) convincing him that certain projects that service their own agendas are actually based on John’s own suggestions.
What’s particularly worrisome to some Imagineering veterans is that all that talk that used to be out there about how significant management changes were allegedly in the works for WDI … That’s all stopped now.
In fact, these days, it’s looking far more likely that the Disney Parks & Resorts side of the business will see big changes long before any senior execs who are currently in power at Walt Disney Imagineering will ever be shown the door. Which — as that e-mail that I excerpted toward the top of today’s article clearly demonstrates — just depresses the hell out of certain folks at WDI.
Perhaps it’s the words of one veteran Imagineer that I spoke with late last week that best sums up the current situation. As we talked on the phone, he said:
“You wanna know what the real problem here is? John’s a genuinely nice guy. So his first instinct is to trust people and take them at their word. Which just doesn’t work in a snakepit like WDI. It’s like sending a boy scout into the court of the Borgias.
These executives have been lying to Lasseter & manipulating him from Day One. He just hasn’t realized it yet.”
Well, after today’s article, perhaps that will change.
Your thoughts?
General
Seward Johnson bronzes add a surreal, artistic touch to NYC’s Garment District
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.
General
Wondering what you should “Boldly Go” see at the movies next year? The 2015 Licensing Expo offers you some clues
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
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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