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Myth-Communication or Mything Out on the Mouse’s Message

As we enter Week 3 of Roy Disney and Stanley Gold’s campaign to oust Michael Eisner, Jim Hill wonders: Doesn’t Disney’s CEO realize that he’s quickly emerging as the villain of this piece? And why doesn’t Michael understand that the underlying messages from the very movies that Disney makes are working to unseat him?

Published

21 years ago

on

It’s kind of sad, actually. But Wall Street still doesn’t seem have a clue about what’s actually going on here.

By that I mean: It’s been three weeks since Roy Disney and Stanley Gold tendered their resignations to the Walt Disney Company’s Board of Directors. And investment analysts — as they continue to eyeball what’s been going on between Disney, Gold and Michael Eisner — already seem to have settled on one pat answer when it comes to explaining how (they think) this is all going to play out: “It’s just Carla Fiorina and Walter Hewlett revisited.”

“Carly Fio-what-ie?” you say. “Walter who-lett?” Okay. It’s time for a quick non-Disney corporate history lesson: How many of you recall how — back in late 2001 — technology giant Hewlett-Packard announced its intentions to join forces with the Compaq Computer Corporation. This mega-merger was relentlessly championed by HP CEO Carly Fiorina and vocally opposed by Walter Hewlett, a member of Hewlett-Packard’s Board of Directors as well as being the son of HP’s co-founder, William Hewlett.

Early last year, these two squared off in a battle royale for the heart and soul of Hewlett-Packard. There were lawsuits, press conferences, board room battles, courthouse appearances. With Carly and Walter constantly whacking away at one another. And the business press just ate the whole thing up.

(If you’d like to learn more about Fiorina and Hewlett’s fight for control of Hewlett-Packard’s future, there are actually already two pretty good books out there that go into great detail about this boardroom brouhaha: Peter Burrows’ “Backfire: Carly Fiorina’s High-Stakes Battle for the Soul of Hewlett-Packard” [John Wiley and Sons, February 2003) which favors Carly’s side of the story, and George Ander’s “Perfect Enough: Carly Fiorina and the Reinvention of Hewlett-Packard” [Portfolio, January 2003] which tends to favor Walter’s take on the tale.)

Anyway … the end result of all this public wrangling was that — after a Delaware judge ruled that a March 19th shareholder vote (during which a majority of HP stockholders actually voted in favor of acquiring Compaq Computer) was legal — that Walter Hewlett eventually abandoned his opposition to the $19 billion merger with Compaq Computer in late April of 2002. So all that light and noise … eventually resulted in nothing much changing. That everything went back to the status-quo at HP.

So that’s the way Wall Street seems to think that this whole Roy / Stanley / Michael thing is going to eventually play out. Sure, it’ll be a fun story for the business press to cover. And financial analysts will probably get a big kick out of watching Eisner and Disney do the corporate equivalent of mud wrestling. But — in the end — nothing much is actually going to change. According to these Wall Street types, Michael’s eventually going to come out on top and — then — it’ll be back to business as usual at the Mouse Factory.

Except that … well … you see, Hewlett-Packard makes computers. And no one — not even the most hardcore computer geek — ever really felt warm-and-fuzzy about a digital imaging product.

Whereas the Walt Disney Company … well, this is the corporation that was founded on a tradition of telling stories well. This is the company that has made millions upon millions out of turning myths into major motion pictures. Creating popular pieces of entertainment that featured these incredibly powerful messages … like good will always triumph over evil. And that a few people — working together toward a common cause — can often unseat a powerful adversary.

Both Michael Eisner and Wall Street clearly doesn’t understand this part of the equation. He thinks that — as long as the stock price stays up and Disney’s investors stay in his corner — that he’ll be able to retain power. Which is why Michael has chosen to pretend that Roy and Stanley aren’t really a serious threat. And that — if he just doesn’t publicly acknowledge what Disney and Gold are saying about his leadership of the Walt Disney Company — that this whole awkward situation will eventually resolve itself peacefully. And then life at the Mouse House will go back to the way it used to be … Where Eisner’s rule was always absolute &unquestioned.

But Roy and Stanley. These guys actually understand the power of the stories that the Walt Disney Company has been spinning out for the past 70+ years. Which is why they’re secretly thrilled that Wall Street seems to have cast Disney and Gold as the underdogs in this situation. Why for? Because — if you know your Disney films — the underdog always triumphs in the end.

But you know who else understands the power of the stories that the Walt Disney Company has told over the past seven decades? David Pruiksma. David was once one of Disney’s top character animators. You know Flounder in “The Little Mermaid,” Chip in “Beauty and the Beast,” the Sultan in “Aladdin,” Flit in “Pocahontas” and Victor and Hugo in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”? Well, Pruiksma helped to bring all of these memorable Disney characters to life.

The only problem was … while David was working at the very top of his game, Walt Disney Feature Animation had begun spinning into the dirt. Why for? Well, Pruiksma was probably among the first to see the handwriting on the wall. That — under Michael Eisner’s increasingly erratic management — that WDFA had lost its way. That the execs who were running this once-legendary division of Walt Disney Studios weren’t all really interested in telling good stories and/or in making great movies anymore. That all these suits cared about was making a buck.

Which is why — after nearly 20 years of pushing a pencil for Disney — David came to the extremely difficult decision that he’d have to leave WDFA. That he couldn’t just idly stand by and watch what he loved be dismantled by a bunch of accountants masquerading as creative executives.

Mind you, Pruiksma did NOT go quietly. In May of 2001, as he made his exit from the studio that he had called home for almost two decades, David fired off a blistering e-mail to many of his friends at the Disney Company, “A Farewell to the Mouse.” Which (I think you’ll agree) does a pretty succinct job of summing up all that this talented animator thought had been going wrong at the Mouse Factory over the past few years.

And — in the months that followed — Dave continued to use his website, “Dave’s Luncheonette,” — to criticize the current management team at the Walt Disney Company. Last year, animation fans got a particularly large kick out of Pruiksma’s parable about the “Demise of the Disney (that) we all love,” an article entitled “The Emperor’s New Greed: A Not So Silly Symphony.”

Given that Pruiksma was among the first to openly criticize Disney Company management, is it really any surprise that Dave was among the first to rush to Roy Disney’s aid after Walt’s nephew announced that he was resigning from the Mouse House. Less than 40 hours after Roy had tendered his resignation, David — along with his colleagues, Steve Moore and Tim Hauser — had crafted an on-line letter of support for Disney and Gold’s cause. Which they then fired off in all directions around the web, asking any and any members of the animation community to come forward and express their support for what Roy and Stanley were trying to do.

And then … Well, something truly extraordinary happened. In just a few days time, over 4200 people came forward and agreed to attach their names to Hauser, Moore and Pruiksma’s letter of support. And we’re not just talking about weenies like yours truly (though — in the spirit of full disclosure — I guess I should point out that I was the 22nd person to sign this petition), but real giants of the entertainment industry.

“Like who?” you ask. Well, here’s just a partial list of the folks that I’m sure Disneyana fans will recognize:

Tom Bancroft
Tony Bancroft
James Baxter
Alice Davis
Gaetan Brizzi
Paul Brizzi
Brenda Chapman
Michael Gabriel
Harrison Ellenshaw
Ollie Johnston
Bill Kroyer
Sue Kroyer
Frank Thomas
Gary Trousdale
Tom Sito

Look at that list, folks. If you were to harness the talents of just the 15 people that I’ve listed above (which includes two of Walt’s “Nine Old Men” as well as some of the top animators, directors and story people working today), you would probably be able to create the greatest animated film of all time.

Yet these folks are just the tip of the iceberg. Over 4200 other animation fans and professionals came forward — totally disregarding any possible impact that signing this petition might have on their futures in the entertainment industry. Why for? Because they felt that it was important to Sign Tim, Steve and David’s letter and show their support for Roy and Stanley’s cause.

And — in addition to the people who signed the Pruiksma petition — I’m told that over 5500 other folks have written directly to Roy and Stanley at their www.savedisney.com website. Offering words of encouragement, leading their support for Disney and Gold’s campaign to oust Eisner.

And yet Michael Eisner remains silent, hidden away in his ivory tower in beautiful downtown Burbank. Disney’s embattled CEO has yet to publicly acknowledge that Roy and Stanley are even out there, actively seeking to end his reign. Which just reinforces — to those of us who are watching this drama unfold, anyway — how truly clueless, isolated and detached Eisner seem to be these days. While the animation community as well as Disneyana fans from around the globe eagerly sign up to join Disney and Gold’s army, Michael remains mute.

MEMO TO MICHAEL: It’s time to come down out of your tower. Better yet, go pull a few of the feature length animated films that the Walt Disney Company produced during your tenure out of the vault and actually take a look at them. You need to understand that the myths that your corporation has sold the public over the past 7 decades are extremely powerful. And that — while you may actually not believe in any of these stories, Michael — Disney shareholders and the public at large still do. Which is why they continue to pull for good to triumph over evil, why they enjoy seeing the greedy and the powerful made humble.

Like it or not, Michael, you’re in the process as being painted as the villain of this piece. And Roy and Stanley are rapidly emerging as the underdogs of this tale. Which is why — unless you want to replicate Gaston’s untimely demise from “Beauty and the Beast” (I.E. a painful fall from a very great height) — you have to end your silence ASAP. Publicly acknowledge what Disney and Gold are doing. Get your side of the story out there.

Otherwise … well … you could end up mything the boat.

Your thoughts?

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

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General

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

Published

10 years ago

on

June 23, 2015

By

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

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

… the postman delivering the mail …


Photo by Jim Hill

… the hot dog vendor working at his cart …


Photo by Jim Hill


Photo by Jim Hill

… the street musician playing for tourists …


Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention the tourists themselves.


Photo by Jim Hill

But right alongside the bronze businessmen …


Photo by Jim Hill

… and the tired grandmother hauling her groceries home …


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

… or — for that matter — out-of-time.


Photo by Jim Hill

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


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

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

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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

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

Published

10 years ago

on

June 10, 2015

By

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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

Your thoughts?

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

Published

10 years ago

on

June 9, 2015

By

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

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


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc.
All rights reserved

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


Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights
reserved

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


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

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

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


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc.
All rights reserved

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

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


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

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

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


Copyright Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

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

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


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

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

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


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

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

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


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

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

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


Copyright Lucasfilm / Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

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

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

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