General

Monday Mouse Watch: Waiting on John

Jim Hill shares the latest scuttlebutt coming out of Walt Disney Imagineering. Where the guys at WDI figure that it will at least be another six months before John Lasseter can take a more hands-on approach toward creatively overseeing that part of the company

Published

19 years ago

February 12, 2006

Jim Hill

It’s a bad news / good news kind of day. At least for Disney World fans.

The bad news is … The future doesn’t look all that rosy for two Tomorrowland attractions, “The Timekeeper” and “The Carousel of Progress.” Managers at the Magic Kingdom have reportedly told cast members at that theme park that the Circlevision 360 show will no longer be shown seasonally. In fact, “The Timekeeper” allegedly presented its very last performance sometime over the 2005 holiday season.

Photo by Jeff Lange

As for COP … These same managers supposedly told staffers that they’re anticipating that Carousel will close for good sometime this Fall.

The good news is … The decision to close both of these Tomorrowland attractions was reportedly made prior to the Pixar acquisition deal. And given that John Lasseter is now WDI’s Principal Creative Advisor (Which means — in theory — that any plans that involve major changes at the theme parks will first have to be run by John) … Well, that may mean that “The Timekeeper” and/or the “Carousel of Progress” could possibly get a reprieve.

The big question now is … When exactly does this process begin? By that I mean: John sitting down with the creative staff at WDI and discussing what needs to be done at the theme parks. Deciding what new rides & shows now get built and which old attractions get closed.

From what I hear, the Imagineers are still obviously thrilled that Lasseter is now the “Go To” guy at WDI. But — at the same time — they’re being realistic.

As one Imagineering insider explained it to me yesterday:

“Animation has to be Lasseter’s top priority. He and Ed Catmull first have to review every single project that WDFA & DisneyToon currently has in production & in development. Making decisions about what projects now go forward and what projects can get shut down.

Once that’s done, they then have to meet with Dick Cook to discuss which animated films will be released when over the next five years. So that Dick can then make the necessary adjustments to the studio’s master schedule.

At the same time, John & Ed have to oversee the complete restructuring of WDFA. Deciding which middle managers & creative executives can now be let go, which former staffers then get invited back, what positions they now get offered. Hopefully, Don Hahn will be able to help them out with that.

And if these stories about Lasseter wanting to revive tradition animation at Disney turn out to be true … Well, that’s another huge complication. Would it be just a team from Disney that would then tackle this revival project? Or would John prefer to put a few of his own people on that production? And — if so — who then has to relocate from Emeryville to Burbank?

And let’s not forget that Lasseter has a movie of his own that he’ll have to start promoting soon. Given all the press that he’ll be expected to do for ‘Cars’ domestic & international release, it’ll probably be August before John’s finally free again.

So while we’re expecting to have a few meetings with Lasseter between now and then … Until the Pixar acquistion is actually completed and WDFA is all straightened out and ‘Cars’ is successfully launched, there’s just no way that John can have a lot of say about what’s really going on day-to-day at WDI.

So at least for the next six months, we’re stuck with our same old management team: Don (Goodman, president of Walt Disney Imagineering), Tom (Fitzgerald, executive vice president) and Marty (Sklar, vice chairman). Who are still plenty ticked off about what happened the last time that Lasseter was here. When John walked right past them and made a beeline for Tony (Baxter, senior VP of design).

Goodman was particularly p*ssed off because no one at that meeting would introduce him to Lasseter. Don actually had to walk up to John and say: ‘I’m the president of Imagineering.’ That was pretty funny to watch.”

Anyway … The way I hear it, Goodman, Fitzgerald & Sklar now realize that Lasseter is siding with the creatives. That — in his new role at WDI’s creative overseer — Lasseter will probably want people in Imagineering’s upper management that better reflect his own tastes. Who share John’s vision for what should be happen next with the Disney theme parks.

This is why Don & Tom are allegedly already looking for other opportunities within the Walt Disney organization. But as for Marty …

Well, given that Mr. Sklar first said that he’d retire from WDI after Disney’s California Adventure opened in February of 2001, then said that he’d retire after Tokyo DisneySea opened in September of 2001, then said that he’d retire after the Walt Disney Studios theme park opened in March of 2002, then said that he’d step down after Disneyland’s official 50th anniversary in July of 2005, then after Hong Kong Disneyland opened in September of 2005 …

Well, you get the idea, right? That Marty would really rather not retire from Walt Disney Imagineering. That he still enjoys his role as WDI’s elder stateman. And that — if Sklar had his druthers — he’d probably prefer to go out the way that John Hench did. Still on Disney’s payroll at the age of 95, still having some sort of say about the various projects that Imagineering then has in the works.

The only problem is — given that Marty has done really well with the political gamesmanship portion of his job (I mean, how else do you think that this man has managed to hang at the Walt Disney Company for 50+ years? Through multiple Mouse House management teams, through good times & bad? Sklar’s got great survival skills. More to the point, Marty’s perfectly willing to throw someone else’s pet project under the bus if it will ultimately further his own career) — the man’s also acquired a large number of enemies over the years. People who would just as soon see Marty finally keep his promise and actually retire from Walt Disney Imagineering sometime very soon.

Besides, were you to ask anyone at WDI what Sklar is best known for these days, it wouldn’t be his creative input or his sense of Disney company history. But — rather — Marty’s amazing ability to nod off right in the middle of virtually every meeting that he attends.

I’m serious, people. No matter how grave the matter is that’s being discussed, no matter how heated the debate is and/or who’s doing all the shouting … Invariably, at some point in that meeting, Sklar’s eye will close and then he’ll start to doze.

Now the general rule of thumb at Imagineering is that — given that Marty can sometime be a bit crotchety when he’s awaken — that it’s always the person with the least seniority in the room that has to wake up Mr. Sklar.

Mind you, sometimes the Imagineers actually elect not to awake Marty. In fact, it was just one of these times that led to (perhaps) the greatest practical joke ever played at WDI.

Let me set the scene for you: It’s a warm conference room at Imagineering headquarters in Glendale, CA. Where a storyboard meeting is being held right after lunch. Just the sort of circumstance that will typically start Sklar snoozing.

So it’s just Marty and three other Imagineers in this room. And these other Imagineers … They’re pitching their hearts out. Trying to get WDI’s vice chairman to finally sign off on their boards for a proposed attraction. So that they can then move foward with this ride’s next phase of development.

But — as always — Marty starts to droop as this after-lunch meeting drags on. And the next thing these three Imagineers know, Sklar’s head is on his chest and he’s softly snoring.

Which isn’t really a surprise. Given that these guys have seen this happen dozens of times before. But the difference is that — this time — these Imagineers are prepared.

So — as Marty sleeps — they quietly slip out of the conference room, rush back to their offices at Imagineering and quickly change out of their clothes. The Imagineers then take these piles of clothes down to WDI’s prop shop and grab three skeletons. They then dress these skeletons in the exact same outfits that they were wearing in that conference room with Sklar.

This trio of Imagineers then quickly carry those dressed skeletons through the hallways at WDI until they get back to the conference room where Marty is still dozing. They then quietly open the door and sneak back into the room, carrying the skeletons. The guys from WDI then pose these skeletons in the approximate positions that they were standing and/or sitting in when Sklar initially nodded off. Once that’s done, these three then quietly slip out of the room again … and stand outside the conference room door, listening.

Five minutes go by. Then 10 minutes. Then 15 minutes. Finally — somewhere around the 20 minute mark — Marty must have finally woken up. For the Imagineers standing in the hallway heard loud laughter coming from inside of that conference room.

Thankfully, Sklar must have really appreciated that gag. For no one got fired and/or reprimanded for goofing on WDI’s vice chairman.

Of course, this happened a number of years ago. And — given that Bob Iger keeps talking about he’s bringing people like Lasseter & Catmull on board at the Walt Disney Company in order to make the corporation a lot more dynamic — one wonders how tolerant Disney’s new CEO is going to be of a 72-year-old who’s best known these days for his survival skills as well as his ability to nod off in staff meetings.

But — then again — if John can possibly be persuaded to give “The Timekeeper” and “The Carousel of Progress” a last minute reprieve, then who knows what he may do for Marty?

After all, given Sklar’s close association with Walt Disney (I.E. In the 1960s, Marty ghost-wrote many of Walt’s speeches. Literally putting his words in Walt’s mouth), Lasseter may ultimately agree to keep Sklar on. So that there’ll then literally be someone at WDI that can always tell John lwhat Walt would have said or done.

But what do you folks think, folks? Should John keep Marty on at WDI? Or is it finally time for Sklar to make good on that promise to retire?

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

9 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

9 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