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Thanks to “Save Disney,” March came in like a lion, but went out like a lamb

Jim Hill wants to know: What happened to “Round Two” of Roy Disney and Stanley Gold’s effort to oust Michael Eisner? Could “Save Disney”‘s decision to sit out most of March actually have cost the Walt Disney Company its one-and-only chance to renew its deal with Pixar Animation Studios?

Published

21 years ago

on

I know, I know. It’s April Fool’s Day. So you’re all probably expecting JimHillMedia.com to run some sort of prank story this morning, right? You know, an article that initially sounds serious but eventually turns out to be this elaborate spoof.

Well, I’ve never really been a big fan of pranks. So how’s about we start a new April Fool’s Day tradition instead? How’s about — instead of me trying to put one over on you guys — we use April 1st as an opportunity to talk seriously about someone who’s been acting … well … kind of foolishly lately.

Which is why — this morning — I’d like to talk about Roy Disney and Stanley Gold.

(Okay. We’ll pause now for a moment. So that those of you who just did a spit take on your screen can now go get a cloth and quickly clean off the front on your monitor.)

“What’s that you say, Jim?!” you sputter. “You dare to suggest that Roy Disney and Stanley Gold have been acting foolishly lately? How can you possibly say that? I mean, aren’t these the guys who masterminded the whole ‘Save Disney’ campaign? Who carefully orchestrated events — rallying not only Disneyana fans but individual and institutional shareholders as well. Not to mention expertly courting the financial press. Which resulted in that unprecedented 43.4% withhold vote at last month’s Disney shareholder’s meeting in Philadelphia. Given all that Roy and Stanley have accomplished so far, how can you possibly suggest that these two brilliant businessmen have been acting foolishly lately?”

Well …For starters … Please note that the operative term in the phrase “… been acting foolishly lately” is “lately.”

Look, there’s no denying that Roy and Stanley’s “Save Disney” effort came out of Philadelphia with lots and lots of momentum. But that shareholder’s meeting? That was back on March 3rd, folks. Over four weeks ago.

“So what have Disney and Gold actually done since their triumph in Philly?” you ask. To be honest, not a whole hell of a lot. Sure, Roy and Stanley loudly proclaimed “Welcome to Round 2!” Which supposedly indicated that their epic effort to oust embattled Disney CEO Michael Eisner would now be entering extra innings. But — after that — there’s been precious little swinging for the fences.

Which is why all that great momentum that the “Save Disney” movement had coming out of Philadelphia has (sadly) begun to dissipate. The business press? Those reporters are no longer hanging on every word that Disney and Gold utter. They’ve all moved on to other stories now. Like the Tyco mistrial and Martha Stewart’s sentencing.

And the Disney Faithful? All those folks who came out of that rally at the Loews Hotel absolutely raring to go, eager to go into battle against Eisner? … For the most part, these people have grown tired of just sitting around, waiting for Roy and Stanley to tell them what they should be doing next. Which is why you see so many of these folks selling off the contents of their “Save Disney” gift bags.

Don’t believe me? Then head on over to eBay. Where you’ll find that “Save Disney” cloisonné pin (You know? The one that features a caricature of Roy?) has been fetching $20 — $25 a pop whenever it comes up for auction.

Mind you, this isn’t to say that the folks over at “Save Disney” have done absolutely nothing to try and keep the Disney Faithful engaged. In addition to running a regular assortment of articles culled from a variety of sources (Which — typically — try to put the most recent activities of the Walt Disney Company in the worst people light), the folks who run that website have begun running a series of polls. Which ask “Save Disney” readers extremely dweeby questions like “Which closed Magic Kingdom attraction would you like to see return?” and “Do you think computer animation should replace traditional cel animation?”

Which some may find fun and engaging. But posting poll questions and reprinting negative newspaper articles isn’t really enough to keep the Disney Faithful interested, now is it? These folks were looking for Roy and Stanley to give them some definitive marching orders. When those orders failed to come in the weeks immediately following Philadelphia, these people (just as the financial press did) began to lose interest in the “Save Disney” cause.

The problem here (as I see it, anyway) is focus. Or — rather — “Save Disney”‘s lack of focus. Here, Roy and Stanley had accomplished this truly extraordinary thing. For the first time ever in American corporate history, they had amassed this great army of people on-line. They then energized both individual and institutional shareholders, making these folks eager to do Disney and Gold’s bidding …

But then Roy and Stanley squandered that opportunity. Foolishly frittering away all the energy and excitement that last month’s events in Philadelphia helped generate. By announcing “Round 2” but then not actually following through with any sort of visible plan (which explained clearly to both the public and the press what the second phase of the “Save Disney” campaign would actually entail), Disney and Gold unintentionally let their story slip out of the spotlight.

Which explains what happened last week. When Roy and Stanley tried to get the press all excited about “Save Disney”‘s latest effort (Which was to try and force the Walt Disney Company to prematurely reveal how many participants of the corporation’s own 401k plan had opted to withhold their vote for Eisner last month) … only to have reporters respond to this alleged news item with a collective shrug.

What (I think) the “Save Disney” people failed to take into account in their battle plan was the ever shrinking American attention span. Sure, Disney and Gold were the media’s darlings at the beginning of March. But this is now the beginning of April. And because their “Oust Eisner” effort no longer has the heat that it once had, now Roy and Stanley have to do something really spectacular in order for their cause to regain the spotlight.

And the sad fact of the matter is: There were stories out there that Disney and Gold could have easily exploited during the month of March. Events that they could have used to re-energize the Disney Faithful, not to mention stories that they could have fed to the media that would have helped keep “Save Disney” in the media spotlight.

I mean, where were Roy and Stanley when Disneyland’s Big Thunder Mountain Railway attraction quietly re-opened the middle of last month? Shouldn’t these two have embraced this obvious opportunity to talk to the press about how the corporation’s continuing cost containment efforts appear to have compromised guests safety at the theme parks?

And where were Disney and Gold last month when Donovan Cook suddenly announced that he was trying to get Walt Disney Pictures to release his new animated version of “The Three Musketeers” (which stars Mickey, Donald and Goofy) theatrically? Shouldn’t “Save Disney” have quickly formed an alliance with this disenfranchised Disney Toon director? Pointing out that “Here is yet another example of how Michael Eisner has mis-used the company’s resources. Refusing to let a new Mickey Mouse movie — a film that features the very character that the Walt Disney Company was founded on — be put out in theaters. But — rather -sending ‘The Three Musketeers’ straight to home video.”

These are just two of the opportunities that “Save Disney” squandered last month. Rather than attempt to keep their supporters focused, keep the press interested in their “Oust Eisner” effort … Roy and Stanley’s team just seemed to decide — after their winning effort in Philadelphia — to just sit out most of March. To bask in the glow of their accomplishment. Not seeming to realize that — in the rush-rush-rush of today’s modern life — that time is now measured in dog years.

Which means that sitting on your laurels for a period as seemingly short as four weeks can sometimes wind up costing you dearly.

I mean, you can bet that the members of Disney’s board of directors didn’t waste the last four weeks. Based on what I’ve been hearing coming out of Burbank lately, those folks have really taken advantage of this somewhat awkward pause in Roy and Stanley’s “Save Disney” campaign.

By that I mean: Eisner and Co. spent the last 28 days flying all over the country, mending fences wherever they could. Making phone calls to key executives, meeting with institutional investors, promising that the Walt Disney Company will soon be addressing any and all of the concerns that the shareholders voiced during the annual meeting in Philadelphia … the end result being that Michael Eisner has actually managed to undone much of the damage that Roy Disney and Stanley Gold did to Disney’s CEO back in March .

Don’t get me wrong, folks. Eisner is still in a very precarious position. And — admittedly — his reputation remains in tatters. But because Roy and Stanley didn’t move more aggressively in March, because “Save Disney” didn’t take advantage of all the opportunities that was presented last month … Now Disney’s CEO has had a chance to regroup, to gather his forces, to get himself firmly entrenched …

Which means that now this guy is going to be that much harder to pry out of his corner office. Which — given that the Pixar countdown clock continues to tick — is a real shame.

I mean, who knows how much closer Michael Eisner would be now to actually getting the boot if Roy and Stanley hadn’t opted to sit out most of March?

Please understand that I am NOT switching sides here, people. See that “Save Disney” banner at the top of this web page? That means that I remain a supporter of Disney and Gold’s efforts of oust Eisner. That I still think that it’s high time that the Walt Disney Company got a new management team.

But — that said — that still doesn’t mean that I wholeheartedly support the way Roy and Stanley have been running their “Save Disney” campaign. I think that these guys had a hell of a lead during the first week of March. But then they blew that lead by announcing “Round 2,” but then never quite got around to announcing what “Round 2” might actually entail.

So now Disney and Gold have to fight their way back into the spotlight. Somehow convince the press and the public to care about their “Save Disney” cause again. And that won’t be easy, folks. Particularly given the attitude that the general public has about this whole Roy / Stanley / Michael situation nowadays. Were you to stop someone on the street and ask: “What do you know about Michael Eisner?” they’d probably respond with “Wasn’t he the guy who got fired from the Walt Disney Company last month?”

No, Michael Eisner DIDN’T get fired. He’s still firmly in control of the Mouse House, folks. More importantly, this guy shows no signs that he’ll be heading for the exits anytime soon.

And that’s NOT how things looked back on March 3rd. Back then, Eisner appeared to be seriously wounded. Disney’s CEO seemed to be circling the drain. And all that Roy and Stanley needed to do then was deliver the killing blow.

But then — in all the hoopla surrounding their stunning success in Philadelphia — these guys evidently neglect to actually deliver that killing blow. They announced “Round 2,” but then somehow forgot that they had to still fight.

Next time around, guys, no resting on your laurels, okay? Because Disney and Gold opted to sit out most of the month of March, now Pixar’s in real danger of signing with some other studio.

Which is a hell of a price to pay, don’t you think? All because “Save Disney” didn’t really have its act together when it came to Phase II of its “Oust Eisner” effort.

Your thoughts?

Related Topics:

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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General

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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