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Tales of the Visual Effects Society: Partying at Pixar

In this first installment of a new series for JHM — which details unique experiences that Jim Hill has had while attending various Visual Effects Society events — Jim recreates a highlight from “VES 2002,” which was when festival attendees got to spend a night noshing and nosing around Pixar Animation’s new Emeryville digs.

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You’d think that — given that I’ve been writing about the entertainment industry for a couple of years now — that the thrill of getting to go visit a new studio lot and/or animation studio would have faded by now. That a really-for-real reporter would have become jaded about this sort of experience by now.

Not me. I have to admit that I still get a thrill whenever I gain access to some previously unauthorized area. Which is why I was truly jazzed last June when VES president Tom Atkin invited Nancy and I to come to the kick-off event for “VES 2002: A Festival of Visual Effects.” Which was a private party at Pixar.

The festivities weren’t officially supposed to get underway ’til 5 p.m. But — if I’m remembering correctly — we rolled our rental car right up to the gates of this pseudo-industrial looking complex well before then. The nice gentleman in the guard shack checked to see if our names were on the list (I’m always surprised when they actually are … the geek boy from New Hampshire with access to someplace truly cool like Pixar), then directed us into the visitors lot.

As we strolled up to the entrance of the main building of Pixar’s new studio complex, I couldn’t help but recall all that I’d read about this place. How Steve Jobs had paid $5.8 million for an old Del Monte cannery, then flattened that factory in order to spend over $80 million on the construction of a brand-new state-of-the-art computer animation studio. Which — from the outside, anyway — still looked a lot like an old factory.

But that of course, was the whole point of the design scheme behind Pixar’s new 16 acre campus. That the studio would blend in with its surroundings, not try to attract attention to itself. (Though that enormous metal “Pixar” sign that arches over the guard shack is a bit of a giveaway…)

Anyway … The main building on the campus is enormous. 215,000 square feet … or so I’ve heard. But — in the Pixar tradition — it was the little, close-up details that really sold the show. The many different colors of brick that were used in the construction (among them “mojave” and “coral”) that make the place seem warm and inviting.

Well, Pixar’s new studio WOULD seem warm and inviting if we weren’t be stopped every 10 feet or so to check in VES staffers who were determined to make sure that we were actually on the list for the party.

Seriously, Nancy and I were stopped by someone with a clipboard on the walkway up to the building, then had to check in with yet another VES staffer who was positioned at the door. Next — after signing in at Pixar’s own security desk — we had to get in line at the party check-in table. Where — once again — Nancy and I had to give our names to someone else wielding a clipboard before we could be checked off a list and finally be issued our name badges.

I was just starting to grumble, muttering darkly about “What’s the big deal? Why all the security? It’s just a party after all …” when Nancy said “Isn’t that George Lucas over there?”

Sure enough. Standing in a far corner of Pixar’s massive atrium lobby was the old Jedi Master himself. (This seemed to be a deliberate choice on Lucas’ part. As if George was somewhat unsure what to expect from a room full of visual effects professional. So Lucas kept his distance initially. Appeared a bit stand off-ish. Though — I’m pleased to report that — before too long, George appeared to loosen up. And by the mid-point of the party he was right in the thick of things. Mingling and schmoozing with folks like FX pioneer Ray Harryhausen.)

And, no … I didn’t race up to Uncle George and ask for his autograph. Nor did I ask him all sorts of geeky questions. I mean, I may be from the woods of New Hampshire, but I’m not a total rube, you know. After all, I know my CCACAC: The Californian Code for Acting Cool Around Celebrities. Which is:

When you encounter a celebrity and/or a person of power in Hollywood in a non-professional setting (I.E. out shopping or dining, out for a day at Disneyland with their family, or if they’re attending a private party), you should always:

 Be respectful.
 Keep your distance.
 Nod, smile …. but don’t point.
 Absolutely no autographs & photographs.

That way, the celebrity that you sighted actually gets to have a private life. Which some of them seem to enjoy. And you get to feel good about yourself — because you didn’t behave like some start-struck ass — when you attempt to work that seemingly casual “Guess who I saw yesterday?” anecdote into all your conversations over the next couple of days.

Anywho … Let’s get back to what it was like to wander around inside Pixar, shall we? As you might expect, there were lots of fun things to see. I mean, even the studio’s security desk had a sense of whimsy about it. As a nod to the then-still-in-production “Finding Nemo,” there was a clown fish lamp next to the sign-in sheet.

And — right next to the desk — there was this impossibly small German car. An authentic 1964 Messerschmitt, painted fire engine red … with a large Mike (you know, the “one eyed creten” from “Monsters, Inc.”) plush doll crammed into the front seat.

Beyond this, the full sized Mike and Sully stand-ins (you know, the ones that you saw in movie theater lobbies all over America just prior to the release of “Monsters, Inc.”) were available for photo ops. As was an enormous Heimlich plush … which was peeking out from under the open bar.

Even the bathrooms in Pixar’s lobby area got into the act. The men’s room was designated by these enormous stylized images of Mike and Sully which were attached to the wall just outside the restroom. The ladies room featured pictures of Boo and Celia. (A nicer, subtler touch could be found in the metal signs just outside the entrance to each of the restrooms. The men’s room featured the international symbol for “Male” as well as the silhouette of Woody from “Toy Story.” The ladies room featured the international symbol for “Woman” as well as a silhouette of Bo Peep).

Another thing that struck me was the immediate sense of community you got upon entering Pixar’s headquarters. EX: There was this handmade sign on the security desk congratulating the crew who worked on “For the Birds” for their 2002 Academy Award for Best Animated Short. The sign showed all of the nasty little birds from this Ralph Eggleston film still seated on that telephone wire. Only this time around, it wasn’t the big gawky bird who was weighing down the wire … but an Oscar.

Clearly, Pixar seems like a fun place to work. To the right of the immense, open airy lobby is the foosball tables, a pool table as well as a Xenon pinball machine. There are lots of comfy couches scattered about … right next to the studio’s communal mailroom.

The art — back in June of 2002, anyway — that was decorating the lobby were huge blow-ups of concept art from “Monsters, Inc.” Though it should be noted that Pixar’s employee cafeteria — the Luxo Café — featured an enormous version of the first test images of “A Bug’s Life.”

As Nancy and I wandered deeper into the lobby — and amused ourselves by watching the reaction of the other party guests when they suddenly realized that George Lucas was in the room — we kept noticing things that made us think that Pixar must be this really fun place to work. Like those signs that were plastered all over the place, inviting employees to that Saturday night’s screening (at 11 p.m., no less! Don’t these Pixar guys ever sleep and/or go home to their familes?) of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” in the Pixar Studio theater.

Oh … Just so you know, folks: Contrary to what you may have seen on your “Monsters, Inc.” DVD, I never actually saw a chimpanzee wandering around the studio. But I did see a couple of dozen Pixar employees whizzing through the building on their razor scooters. Which may have explained the “Please walk scooters and skateboards in narrow hallways to avoid injury to yourself and others” safety signs that were prominently posted around the building.

As for the food that was served at the VES / Pixar party, it was a buffet that mixed Italian finger food with California cuisine. So you had these itty bitty pizzas tastefully arranged right next to these great big bowls of guacamole.

As guests continued to arrive at the party, Pixar’s employees were still hard at work. Staffers moving with purpose across those two enormous steel bridges that span the lobby. Story meetings were still going on in those huge glassed-in conference rooms on the second floor that overlooked the party. (Periodically, someone in one of these conference rooms would wander up to the window and look down into the festivities. Then — if you watched closely and/or could read lips — you could actually catch the moment when they suddenly pointed downstairs and said “Hey, isn’t that George Lucas?”)

Yeah, it was a pretty great party. Courtesy of Pixar, by the way. Ed Catmull, the President of Pixar Animation, saw to it that his studio picked up the tab for this Visual Effects Society reception.

Speaking of the VES … sometime around 6 p.m. Tom Aktin stepped up to the mike and thanked everyone for coming. He then spoke a bit about the history of the Visual Effects Society and its four charter/honorary members: FX industry vets Linn Dunn, Peter Ellenshaw, Ray Harryhausen and Albert Whitlock.

Aktin then told the story about how just before he died, Linn Dunn thanked Tom for finally putting together a professional organization that honored visual effects story telling. To create a sense of community among a group of artists who traditionally work alone and in secret.

Aktin then announced the Visual Effects Society’s fifth member, which was FX legend Douglas Trumbull. As part of Trumbull’s introduction, Tom told the story about the time when he apologized to Doug. It seems that the first time Atkins saw “2001: A Space Odyssey” (the landmark Stanley Kubrick film that Trumbull handled the special effects for), Tom was stoned.

Upon hearing this apology, Doug just laughed. He then explained that the only reason that “2001” survived long enough to become a cinematic classic was because of the stoners.

To explain: Normal movie-goers initially rejected Kubrick’s visionary film and theater owners were going to pull the picture … when they noticed that the front rows of their movie theaters were filled with stoners. It seemed that pot smokers really enjoyed “2001” (particularly when they were under the influence. So they told their friends, and so on and so on …

Cinematic sophisticates eventually embraced Kubrick’s film. But only because the stoners had kept “2001: A Space Odyssey” alive long enough so that cinephiles could “discover” the movie. (Which — now that I think about it — is pretty much what Disney Studio vets used to tell me about “Fantasia.” That this animated feature was always considered an artistic failure by Mouse House management until its 1960s era re-release. That’s the stoners reportedly embraced “Fantasia.” Which is what finally put the picture into the black.)

Anyway … Tom apologizes for the somewhat slapped together nature of Doug’s VES induction ceremony. But — in the fine tradition of the way most everything is done in the world of visual effects — it “took us to the very last moment to get this done.” Atkin then handed a limited bronze maquette of Ray Harryhausen’s skeleton puppet from “Jason and the Argonauts.” To commemorate Doug’s induction as the fifth honorary member of the Visual Effects society, he was given the No. 5 (out of a run of just 82) statues.

FYI: If you’re a real fan of Ray Harryhausen’s work and would like to get your hands on your very own “Jason and the Argonauts” skeleton, VES is actually selling these limited edition bronze statues. This nifty items were created by the folks at the Visual Effects Society and Gentle Giant Studios who used a three dimensional scan of one of Ray’s original stop motion fighting skeleton puppets used in this 1963 Columbia Pictures release to help create the finished piece.

Get more information on the VES’s limited edition “Jason and the Argonauts” skeleton statue here.

Getting back to Trumbull’s award presentation … Doug now stepped up the mike and said that he was “deeply honored” to be singled for recognition by his peers. Trumbull — who genuinely seemed to be a humble guy — made sure to credit much of his success to “the amazingly talented people I’ve had the good fortune to work with over the years.”

Doug then went on to explain how he’d spent the past few years “out on the fringe.” AKA working with digital technology to push out the frontiers of visual effects. Trumbull went on to say that everything in film-making is a special effect. He closed by saying that he was “very humbled, very honored and very grateful to be feted like this.”

Ray Harryhausen himself then stepped up and presented Doug with his “Jason and the Argonauts” bronze. As Trumbull posed for pictures with Harryhausen and Atkin, Tom mentioned that the second floor of Pixar was now open for those of us who wanted to explore.

Oh really?

As soon as we heard that, Nancy and I raced up the stairs — taking them two at a time — and discovered …
 
Next: The conclusion of “Partying at Pixar” … which includes the tale of the hacksaw as well as what’s in the trophy case.

Jim Hill

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.

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

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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. 

Jim Hill

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

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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?

Jim Hill

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

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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

Jim Hill

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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