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The Pixar TV special you never got to see, “A Tin Toy Christmas”

Jim Hill shares what he’s learned about this abandoned project. Which (in a roundabout way) provided the inspiration for Pixar Animation Studios’ first feature-length production, “Toy Story”

Published

17 years ago

on

In response to this week’s Toon Tuesday column, CC writes in to say:



“Pixar wanted to produce a holiday special back in the 1980s?! Come on, Jim. You’ve GOT TO write an article about that.”


Ask and ye shall receive.


But please keep in mind that the Pixar that I’ll be writing about will not be the great & powerful animation studio that we know today. But — rather — the still-struggling hardware company that only made short films like “Luxo, Jr.” & “Red’s Dream” because it wanted something to show off at SIGGRAPH. Make would-be buyers aware of what was possible with the Pixar Image Computer. Which (it was hoped) might then spur sales of these rather expensive & poorly selling machines.


At least that’s what Steve Jobs thought was going on. But the folks who were actually making these award-winning shorts had a very different goal in mind. As Pete Docter recalled in an interview that he did for Allan Neuwirth’s “Makin’ Toons: Inside the Most Popular TV Shows and Movies” :



“Ed Catmull — who’s the president of Pixar — had long had dreams of doing a feature film using computers. He had this plan loosely in place that we would start by doing shorts, then we would do commercials (’cause shorts don’t actually earn any money) … and then we were gonna television of some sort, working our way up to features.”


And when “Tin Toy” won the Oscar for Best Animated Short in 1988 … Well, that award finally gave Pixar a high enough profile that it could then approach Madison Avenue and offer its services. Who (as it turns out) were downright eager to hire this CG operation to produce fresh looking & funny commercials for products like Listerine, Tropicana orange juice, Lifesavers and Trident gum.



 Copyright 2007 Disney / Pixar and Chronicle Books


So now the second goal in Ed Catmull’s carefully thought-out plan had been achieved, it was now time to aim for Goal No. 3. But if Pixar was going to branch out into television, what should this project be about?


As Karen Paik recounted in “To Infinity and Beyond! The Story of Pixar Animation Studios” :



The inspiration … can be traced back to the 1988 Holland Animation Film Festival, where (John) Lasseter was screening “Tin Toy,” and (Joe) Ranft was scouting talent for Disney. Lasseter remembered, “Joe looked at ‘Tin Toy’ and said, ‘You know, I just love this idea of toys being alive. It’s such a big world. There are so many more stories you can tell with it.”


Lasseter took Ranft’s story suggestion and ran with it. Over 1989, John talked with Joe, Pete and Andrew Stanton about how they might revisit the world of “Tin Toy.” Only this time around, with an eye toward developing a longer form story that Pixar might then be able to pitch to the television networks.


And given that this was a story that would prominently feature toys … Well, it was really a no-brainer that this project should be a holiday special.


Given that they hoped to cash in on the fame associated with “Tin Toy” ‘s Oscar win, it was decided that this holiday special should be called “A Tin Toy Christmas.” And as for the show’s proposed storyline, Pete Docter — again talking with Allan Neuwirth — remembers it going something like. Tinny (i.e. the title character from “Tin Toy”) is …



Copyright 2007 Disney / Pixar. All Rights Reserved



… a toy that in the 1940s doesn’t sell and so is put away in storage. “And it’s sort of like Rip Van Winkle. When he wakes up, it’s the bustling nineties, and he’s in this huge megastore like a Toys ‘R’ Us.”


Now where this gets interesting is that — at the very start of this holiday special — it was going to be established that Tinny was one of a set of tin toys that performed music. So when he finds himself alone in today’s world, this tiny wind-up toy decides to set off in search of his former band mates.


From what I hear, the story that Lasseter, Ranft, Docter & Stanton crafted for “A Tin Toy Christmas” was a real charmer. With Tinny first encountering a junkman and then befriending a chatty ventriloquist’s doll before ultimately reuniting with his friends. And given that television executives had been very enthusiastic about the commercials that Pixar had produced to date, John & Co. thought that this project would then be a slam-dunk with the networks.


Well, the people from Pixar were in for a rude shock. For the network execs that they spoke with absolutely loved the characters and the concept, they still weren’t willing to pony up all of the dough necessary to actually produce “A Tin Toy Christmas.” As Docter (again talking with Neuwirth) recalled:



“The bare bones budget that we could make this for was still, like, eighteen times more than what the network was gonna give us.”


And given that what the television networks was willing to spend on this new holiday special was only a fraction of what Pixar could make from producing television commercials … Well, this animation studio just couldn’t abandon that lucrative business and then go off chasing Part 3 of Ed Catmull’s 4-part plan. Particularly not given the $50 million that Steve Jobs had invested in the company to date without receiving any significant return on that investment.



Copyright 2007 Disney / Pixar. All Rights Reserved


So Lasseter & Co. reluctantly shelved their plans for “A Tin Toy Christmas.” Little realizing that another holiday-themed story would soon make it possible for Pixar to finally get into the feature animation business.


How so? Well, you all know Tim Burton, right? That visionary director who brought us such weird but wonderful films like “Beetlejuice,” “Edwards Scissorhands” and the soon-to-be-opening “Sweeney Todd” (Which is terrific, by the way) ? Well, just like Lasseter, Burton started out his show biz career at Walt Disney Feature Animation. And while he was working for the Mouse in the early 1980s, Tim too came up with a concept for a brand-new holiday special. Something in the vein of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”


Maybe you’ve heard of it? “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas” ?



Tim Burton’s original sketch of the Jack Skellington character.
Copyright 1993 Walt Disney Company & Roundtable Press
All Rights Reserved


Anyway … Because Burton had concocted this Dr. Seuss-influenced project on company time, the Walt Disney Company owned “The Nightmare Before Christmas” outright. But even as Tim left Mickey’s employ in 1984, he still hoped to someday tell the tale of Jack Skellington. Which is why in late 1989 — on the heels of the huge success of the Burton-directed “Batman” — the quirky filmmaker contacted Mouse House officials and asked politely if he might buy back the rights to “Nightmare.”


Disney (Which — with the November 1989 release of “The Little Mermaid” — was just getting its second golden age of feature animation underway) made a counter proposal instead. Given that they were looking to diversify the types of films that Walt Disney Feature Animation was producing, they now wanted to make “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” But not as a hand-drawn film. But — rather — just as Burton had originally envisioned the project, as a stop-motion production.


Of course, given that Disney didn’t have all that many artists on staff who were familiar with the stop-motion technique … To pull off a full-length film that would then make use of this extremely hands-on, labor-intensive animation process was going to involve hiring dozens of new artists and technicians. Not to mention setting up a satellite production facility somewhere … But the Mouse was willing to do this, if that then allowed the Walt Disney Company to start doing business with a guaranteed hitmaker like Tim Burton.


Now keep in mind that — every time Pixar had previously released a new short — Disney officials would then begin calling John Lasseter. As they tried to lure this talented filmmaker back to Burbank so that he could then begin directing animated features for the Mouse. But each time Disney called, Lasseter resisted. Insisting that — if Mickey really wanted John to start making pictures for Walt Disney Studios — then they’d have to hire all of Pixar. For John was no longer a solo act. He was a member of a team.



John Lasseter circa 1995 doing publicity for “Toy Story” ‘s original theatrical release.
Copyright 2007 Disney / Pixar. All Rights Reserved


But because — up until that Tim Burton deal, anyway — the Mouse had always produced all of the animated features that the studio had released, the terms & conditions that Lasseter kept trying to set made that deal a no go. But now that Mickey had cut that deal with Tim, a precedent had been set.


Which is why — in late 1990 — Peter Schneider, the then-head of Disney Feature Animation, made a call to Ed Catmull and said “Okay. We’re now willing to consider the idea of hiring Pixar to come make an animated feature for Walt Disney Studios. So do you guys want to come down here and pitch us some story ideas?”


Of course, Ed was thrilled by Peter’s offer. The only problem was … The folks at Pixar had yet come up with a viable concept for a full-length CG feature. Oh, sure. There was all that development work that had been done on aborted projects like “Monkey” and “James and the Giant Peach.” But Schneider was going to want something solid, something that would play to Disney’s core audience of kids & families.


So what did they do? Well, once again turning to Allan Neuwirth’s interview with Pete Docter for “Makin’ Toons” :



“We sat around, and we thought and we thought. I remember John finally saying, ‘What if we took this ‘Tin Toy Christmas’ and and extrapolate it out into a feature?’ Well, we didn’t know what we were doing, so we just said ‘Sure!’ ” (Docter) laughs. “And that was the beginning of ‘Toy Story.’ “


Of course, over time and much story development, Tinny would eventually morph into Buzz Lightyear and that ventriloquist dummy that he met in his travels would eventually become Woody. But back in 1991 … “Toy Story” originally started out life as a super-sized edition of “A Tin Toy Christmas.”



 Early character concept art for “Toy Story,” back when
Tinny was still supposed to be this CG feature’s lead.
Copyright 2007 Disney / Pixar. All Rights Reserved


Looking back on the way things eventually worked out, John Lasseter (in an interview with Karen Paik for “To Infinity and Beyond!”) said:



“When I was at the Disney Studios … Tim Burton had an office literally across the hall from me … Both of us had this idea to do our short projects and then develop a feature idea that would use the techniques we were interested in. So for me, it’s great that it was ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ that opened the door for ‘Toy Story’ — it kind of brought that old Disney connection full circle.”


Mind you, if you look close, it’s easy to see that “Toy Story” actually started off life as a holiday special. Particularly in the film’s final sequence, which is set on Christmas Day. When Buzz Lightyear is anxiously awaiting word on what Andy’s new toys might be.



 Copyright 2007 Disney / Pixar. All Rights Reserved


Anyway, CC, that’s all I know about “A Tin Toy Christmas.” I have to admit that I’ve always had a fascination when it comes to this particular project. And given the important part that this never-produced holiday special played in the history of Pixar Animation Studios, I keep hoping that someday more of the preproduction art that was created for those network pitch sessions will eventually see the light of day.


In fact, given that some of the concept drawings that John Lasseter once did for a proposed featurette that was supposed to have been based on Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Nightingale”  …



Copyright 1982 Walt Disney Productions. All Rights Reserved


…. were eventually used by Disney Press to create a beautiful little children’s book … Is it really too much to hope that someday someone digs all that “Tin Toy Christmas” preproduction art out of Pixar’s archives and then uses these images to create a new holiday storybook?


Better yet, maybe Disney / Pixar could then use the proceeds from the sales of a “Tin Toy Christmas” storybook to create a scholarship fund in the late Joe Ranft’s name? Who — FYI — storyboarded on all three of the projects discussed in today’s article: “Tin Toy Christmas,” “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Toy Story.”


What do you folks think of that idea?




And speaking of Christmas-related stuff … If you’d like to show your appreciation for all the great stories that you regularly read on this website, then why not start off your next Amazon shopping spree by clicking on the above banner? That way, JHM gets a tiny little chunk of whatever you spend.


Thanks for thinking of us. And Happy Holidays!

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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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

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
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"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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