General

The EPCOT that we ALMOST got

Using info from Walt Disney Productions’ 1974 annual report, Jim Hill talks about the version of Epcot that almost got build. Not the futuristic city or the theme park, but a brand-new project that falls somewhere between these two extremes.

Published

21 years ago

June 17, 2004

Jim Hill

Most JHM readers already know about all the plans that Walt Disney had dreamed up for EPCOT. That “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow” that Walt wanted to have rise out of that large chunk of swampland that Walt Disney Productions had purchased just outside of Orlando.

And I’m sure that most of you are already extremely familiar with Epcot (the theme park). That creatively compromised project that Mouse House managers cooked up after the “Old Mousetro” died ‘way back in December of 1966. And Walt’s loyal lieutenants lost their nerve and couldn’t bring themselves to actually go forward with construction of their boss’s biggest dream: a futuristic city.

Well, how many of you other there realize that that there were several versions of the EPCOT project that were proposed AFTER construction of the futuristic city was canceled but BEFORE the theme park version was given the green light. Where the Imagineers struggled mightily to find some sort of version of this project that would make sense financially but – at the same time – be somewhat faithful to Walt’s original plans for this project.

What follows is one of the “baby steps” in this creative process. An EPCOT “Progress Report” that was printed in Walt Disney Productions’ 1974 annual report. Where (as you can see by reading this excerpt for that report) this WDW expansion project remained ambitious … but also unwieldy.

In the years that lay ahead, the wizards of WED would continue to whittle away at the scope of this project. As the Imagineers tried to get EPCOT down to a size where construction of the project wouldn’t bankrupt the Walt Disney Company.

As you can see, some pretty ambitious plans for new pavilions and attractions got cut out as the project moved through the development process Which is how we ended up with the Epcot that we have today.
Which – to my way of thinking, anyway – is kind of underwhelming. Particularly when you look back at the Epcots that we should have got.

You don’t believe that we really missed out on something special, do you? Then here – read about the version of EPCOT that Walt Disney Productions promised its shareholders back in the mid-1970s:

Ten years ago, on November 15, 1965, when Walt and Roy Disney held a press conference in Orlando, Florida, to announce the purchase of 27,400 acres. Yet those of us who worked closely with Walt knew that he had far more in mind than just the site for another theme park. And having achieved the necessary financial strength, we are ready to move forward with confidence to the realization of Walt Disney’s greatest dream.

Consumed by the need to find solutions to the problems of our cities, Walt devoted the last years of his life to developing his initial concepts for EPCOT “… a community that would never be completed, but would always be introducing and testing and demonstrating new materials and system” … “a showcase to the world for the ingenuity and imagination of American free enterprise” … “a living blueprint of the future.”

Now, a decade later, having demonstrated the potential of Central Florida as a vacation destination and having achieved the necessary financial strength, we are ready to move forward with confidence to the realization of Walt Disney’s greatest dream.

At WED Enterprises, our own creative research and development center in Glendale, California, a dynamic and achievable approach to EPCOT is rapidly coming into focus. We believe that in order to attain Walt Disney’s goals for EPCOT, we must avoid building a huge, traditional “brick and mortar” community which might possibly become obsolete, in EPCOT terms, as soon as it is completed. We believe we must develop a community system oriented to the communication of new ideas, rather than to serving the day-to-day needs of a limited number of permanent residents.

EPCOT’s purpose, therefore, will be to respond to the needs of people by providing a Disney-designed and Disney-managed forum where creative men and women of science, industry, universities, government and the arts – from around the world – can develop, demonstrate and communicate prototype concepts and new technologies, which can help mankind to achieve better ways of living.

At this writing, we think it will involve three specific areas of activity:

The EPCOT Institute — an independent organization which will provide the administrative structure necessary to facilitate participation in EPCOT and its “satellite” research activities by all interested parties. Its goal will be to guarantee that the maximum benefits from EPCOT-related research will flow to both the sponsors of EPCOT activities and the public, and to establish the technical credibility of projects undertaken through a series of expert advisory boards.

The EPCOT “Satellites” or activity centers, which will be engaged in researching, testing and demonstrating prototype products and systems in such fields as energy, agriculture, education, medicine an communications, in locations best suited for the particular program. These “Satellites” may be located at the Walt Disney World site, (as in the case of a specific solar energy project or solid waste recycling system) or off-site, and will undertake projects funded by one sponsor or joint programs funded by industry, government, foundations and universities.

The EPCOT Future World Theme Center — a high-capacity visitor facility which will employ advanced communications techniques, including motion pictures, models, multi-media exhibits and ride-through experiences, to inform millions of people each year about what is being done in the creative centers of science and industry around the world. Most importantly, it will demonstrate how these new technologies and ideas can be applied in a practical way to improving the environment for living in existing communities throughout America and the world.

Here are some of the elements now under consideration for the EPCOT Future World theme center:

A Communications Corridor, or “Communicore” — where visitors will be exposed to a series of entertaining and informative exhibits and communications techniques. These might include:

The EPCOT Overview Circle-Vision Theaters — where guests would learn of Walt Disney’s goals for EPCOT and how this unique community functions, and where they would receive an overview of what is happening in the EPCOT “Satellites” on the day of their visit.
The World City Model — which would combine advanced entertainment techniques – miniaturization, video projection, animation and computer-driven simulations and display – to trace the evolution of the mofor cities of the world, and to portray a model community of the future in the process of growth and adaptation, and …
The Information Gallery — a sort of “Information Main Street” where leading world communications companies would join in a major exposition to demonstrate their latest information systems and products, and where guests could subscribe to the EPCOT Information Network, a wide variety of information media which will make available for school, professional and home use the creative output of the EPCOT “Satellite” activities.
Surrounding the Communicore will be three major Theme Center Pavilions, where American corporations, industry associations or consortiums, foundations and government will be invited to sponsor major Disney-designed and operated showcase attractions.

The Science and Technology pavilion will present the future world of energy, transportation, agriculture and food production, oceanography, and outer space.
The Community Pavilion will present future concepts in education, health and medicine, and the various and vital components of a community – economics, planning and design, and government services for people.
The Communication and The Arts Pavilion will simulate and demonstrate the future world of information an communications, and the role of all the arts – performing, visual, design – in our global environment.

These Pavilions will communicate not only the most modern systems and technologies, but futuristic concepts now evolving through research – ideas which could one day help improve the quality of life for all mankind.

Throughout the planning and construction of the first phase of Walt Disney World, we adopted many new technologies and programs on environmental protection, which eventually could be showcased as part of the “satellite” activities of EPCOT. This policy will continue.

I am pleased that the former Astronaut L. Gordon Cooper has joined WED Enterprises as Vice President – Research and Development for EPCOT. Under his guidance, we have already begun the analysis and selection of a number of Epcot-oriented research and development projects for possible application within Walt Disney World. Among them are the following:

The production and utilization of both alcohol and hydrogen as efficient, pollution-free fuels for automobiles, buses and other vehicles (WDW vehicles have already been converted to natural gas, but with a shortage of that fuel, now developing, the first WDW tram has now been adapted to burn alcohol, which creates even less pollutants than natural gas.)
The use of water hyacinth as a living filter to purify treated waste water. (Harvested water hyacinth is an excellent source for creating alcolol through pyrolysis, a virtually pollution-free process of hearting waste materials to high temperatures in the absence of oxygen, causing the materials to break down into burnable gases and oils.)

We believe that the implementation of projects like these within Epcot and WDW will not only demonstrate the worldwide potential of these technologies, but will provide new opportunities for corporate growth and diversification as well.

We envision the EPCOT Future World Theme Center as a long-range, non-profit project, whose pavilions and exhibits will be financed by interested governmental agencies, corporations and foundation. Which will contribute whatever land is necessary and make the Theme Center available to WDW guests free of charge.

We believe that the theme center will directly benefit our company by focusing world?wide attention on and attracting new audiences, including major convention groups, to WDW. It will result in an increased length of stay for our guests, stimulate a demand for new housing and other services at the sire, and indirectly, will create new business opportunities for our Florida project.

The World Showcase

Beyond the scientific and technological aspects of Epcot, the project holds great promise for the advancement of international cooperation and understanding. The World Showcase, planned for opening in late 1979, will be devoted to this goal. An ongoing international exposition, for which an admission will be charged, the World Showcase will communicate the culture, heritage, history, technology, trade, tourism and future goals of the participating nations.

It will consist of a coordinated series of national pavilions housed side-by-side in two dramatic, semi-circular structures.

These dynamic structures will face each other across a Courtyard of Nations, where there will be an outdoor theater for performances by international celebrities and entertainment groups, and where parades, pageants and special events will be staged by entertainers from the participating nations.

Although these national pavilions may vary in size, each will enjoy equal façade exposure to the guest. The entire complex will be tied together by a Disney people-moving system that will offer visitors a preview look into each attraction.

Unlike a world’s fair, it will offer participating countries a permanent installation for such features as themed restaurants and shops, product exhibits, industrial displays, cultural presentations, a trade center, and even special facilities for business meetings. A major part of each pavilion will be a Disney-designed ride or attraction which will give guests a foretaste of an actual visit to the country. National musical groups or other performing artists could present special entertainment on a continuing basis.

To be located on a 100-acre tract of WDW property between the present Transportation -Ticket Center and Florida Highway 192, the World Showcase will be linked by Monorail with the EPCOT Future World Theme Center and the Magic Kingdom’s main parking area.

Although the World Showcase will offer every participant a unique outlet for the development of tourism, trade and other promotional opportunities, its most paramount objective will be increased international understanding. For this reason, it is our plan that each participating nation will send its young future leaders to operate its own attractions, shows, restaurants and exhibits. We would hope that these young people would be selected for their potential in a wide variety of fields – medicine, science, business, education and international relations. Working in their national pavilions for a specified period, perhaps one year …

International Village

True family of man spirit, sharing cultures, people to people exchange, each nation provides capital to cover costs of designing, developing, and constructing pavilion, attractions etc, also funding for housing employees in International Village, ten year lease.

The Disney organization will be responsible for area development, including the construction of transportation systems and utilities. We will also build and operate the internal people-moving system, the Courtyard of Nations and central theater facility.

We plan a one-price admission charge to the WS, but entrance to each individual pavilion will be free. Participant operated restaurant and merchandising activities consistent with the character and custom of each nation will be encouraged, and will extend to each nation such existing WDW services as security and fire protection, warehousing, maintenance and wardrobe facilities.

As of this writing, am ambassadorial-level officials from some 31 nations have met with us to discuss WS, and we have been extremely encouraged by their response. Major presentations were made at WDW in July and October, and since last June, additional meetings have been held in various nations and in our WS office in Washington, DC.

That office is being staffed by C. Langhorne Washburn, who resigned his position as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Tourism to join the Disney organization as WS VP.

Through the enthusiastic support of Florida’s Governor Reuben Askew, we were able to expose out concepts for Epcot to governmental leaders attending the Southern Governors’ Conference at WDW in September.

After our presentation, Gov. Mills E. Godwin Jr. of Virginia was quoted as saying “The depth of planning and the vision that went into the concept, I am certain, will assure its success.”

Georgia’s Gov. George D. Busbee: “It is a concept that I feel certain will do a great deal for our own country and for the course of world peace.”

Sec of state Henry Kissinger, who addressed the conference, graciously made time to view our presentation. He immediately grasped the potentials of the International Village, recalling his days at Princeton when he participated in similar people-to-people foreign exchanges.

Upon his return to Washington, he assigned two of his top aides to view our presentation there, and the State Department assisted in arranging follow-up meetings for our marketing team in Amsterdam, Athens, Copenhagen, Brussels and Paris.

As of this writing, we have arranged to preview our EPCOT World Showcase concepts before the members of Congress. The presentation, to be hosted by the members of the California and Florida Congressional delegations, will take place on December 12th in the theater of the Rayburn House Office Building.

It is my firm conviction that the need for EPCOT and the World Showcase has never been greater, that the timing is right, and that, in Florida, we have the right location. I am hopeful that by the time we celebrate our Bicentennial on July 4, 1976, we will be confident of enough foreign participation in the World Showcase to make the decision to proceed. If we do, it will become the focal point of our second phase of development at WDW.

Well … as you probably already know, this particular version of the EPCOT project never actually made it out of committee. Why for? Well, this EPCOT plan was supposedly too ambitious for its own good as well as being a betrayal of the futuristic city that Walt had wanted to build out there in the swamps of Central Florida.

Still, I can’t help but wonder if the Walt Disney Company might be a very different place today … if the Imagineers had just been able to persuade Mouse House managers that it would be okay to go forward with the three part version of WED’s plans.

Anywho … that’s it for this week. I’ll be back on Monday with news at ASIFA-Hollywood’s “Lion King” 10th anniversary as well as the latest on VES 2004: A festival of Visual Effects.

Have a great weekend, everybody!

jrh

General

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

Published

9 years ago

June 23, 2015

Jim Hill

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

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

… the postman delivering the mail …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the hot dog vendor working at his cart …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the street musician playing for tourists …

Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention the tourists themselves.

Photo by Jim Hill

But right alongside the bronze businessmen …

Photo by Jim Hill

… and the tired grandmother hauling her groceries home …

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

… or — for that matter — out-of-time.

Photo by Jim Hill

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

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

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

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

General

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

Published

10 years ago

June 10, 2015

Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Your thoughts?

General

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

Published

10 years ago

June 9, 2015

Jim Hill

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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