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Twas Brillig and the Flying Clothes …

Jim Hill returns with yet another article about WDW cast member-only films. This time around, Jim got to see a lot more of the title character of Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland” film than he ever thought possible. Which wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

Published

22 years ago

on

Everyone knows how Disney theme park characters are supposed to behave, right? They’re always supposed to be cute and non-threatening. To happily pose for your family’s photographs and/or cheerfully sign your children’s autographs books.

But what we members of the public often forget is that’s not really Mickey or Donald or Goofy standing there. But a real live human being inside of a heavy costume. Standing there in the Orlando humidity and/or the Anaheim heat. Always trying to deliver a top-notch performance, even though the Mouse probably pays these kids little more than minimum wage.

That’s certainly not a job that I could do. Not for any length of time, anyway. I mean, if I actually had to earn my living inside of one of those sweltering suits, barely being able to see out of the eyeholes, constantly being jostled by tourists … I just know that I’d eventually snap.

Obviously, it takes a very special sort of person to do this job. Someone who is sweet, kind, gentle, patient. Someone who keeps all of their anti-social urges in check … Until — of course — it’s time for the annual Entertainment Department banquet. And then all bets are off.

For years, it used to be a tradition among members of the “Zoo Crew” (I.E. Those Disneyland and WDW cast members who actually portray the costumed characters in the theme parks) to prepare a short film to be shown at their annual banquet. Something outrageous. Something outlandish. But mostly just something funny.

But — given that Walt Disney Company management has become increasingly P.C. over the past few years — this practice is now discouraged. Not just the making of the movie, but even the annual “Zoo Crew” banquet. Which — as you might imagine — hasn’t done a whole lot to improve cast member morale.

Happily however, many of the movies that were made for those earlier “Zoo Crew” banquets still survive And — every so often — cast members pull out these videos and screen them again. Just to remind themselves of what it was like to work for the Walt Disney Company in the good old days. Back when the Mouse could take a joke. Back when Disneyland and Walt Disney World cast members were actually allowed to laugh at themselves.

I recently attended a screening of several old Epcot Entertainment Department banquet films. My friend, J. (Who used to work at Disney World back in the mid-1990s. But hasn’t been back to Orlando in years) was nice enough to arrange for me. He called in a few favors and got the movies pulled out of the vault. And these cast-members-only films were every bit as outrageous as I’d heard that they were.

“Just how outrageous are they?” you ask. Well, let’s start with the short that showed this hapless Brazilian tour guide who — after blatantly disregarding that “Cast Members Only” sign on the door — bumbling backstage at Epcot. Clutching his little flag, the tour leader finds himself wandering around out behind the “American Adventure” show building at World Showcase. Looking off-screen, his eyes suddenly bulge with terror.

What is it that frightens this Brazilian tour guide? An angry mob of Disney costume characters — Minnie, Goofy, Chip, Friar Tuck, Prince John, the Sheriff of Nottingham, Roger Rabbit, Tigger and Pluto — racing toward him. The poor slob turns around and tries to go back the way he came. But the characters are too quick for him.

They then knock the Brazilian tour guide to the ground and immediately start pummeling him. It’s like the Rodney King tape, only with oversized rodents standing in for the LAPD. There’s this particular weird moment when — after giving this guy a particularly vicious kick to the ribs — Minnie turns toward the camera and mimes a giggle.

Okay. Now to someone who hasn’t ever worked at the Walt Disney World resort, the above short film may not sound all that funny. It may even come across as being cruel and disturbing. But if you WERE a WDW cast member in the mid-1990s and daily had to deal with those Brazilian tour groups (who were infamous for being obnoxious), this movie was comic justice. Served up hot and fresh.

Of course, not every one of these cast-member-only movies are this rude or outrageous. Some of the “Zoo Crew” banquet films are just short and silly. Like the one that shows Mickey in his scuba outfit swimming around in the tank at “The Living Seas.” As the “Jaws” theme begins playing ominously in the background, the film-maker quickly cuts back and forth between shots of the Mouse swimming toward the surface and footage of a nurse shark swimming around the tank. The end result is that the viewer is left with the distinct impression that Disney’s corporate symbol has become shark chow. Which is a cute but ultimately pretty innocuous gag.

But then there’s the stuff that’s just (there’s really no other way to describe it) bizarre. Like this one great little movie that shows what might happen if Beavis and Butthead were ever to visit Epcot.

How did these WDW cast members pull this movie off? With no absolutely make-up, masks or special effects. It’s just two really talented members of Epcot’s Entertainment Department who — just by the way they carry themselves and talk — do these spot-on impressions of Mike Judge’s classic cartoon characters.

So what do Beavis and Butthead actually do once they get to World Showcase? They somehow take a wrong turn as they’re trying to board “The Maelstrom” and wind up backstage. Where they find that long pink stretch limousine that used to play such a prominent part in Epcot’s “Magical World of Barbie” show. It’s parked out back behind the Norway pavilion … With the keys still in the ignition.

“Hey! Check it out, Butthead,” Beavis cries. “The keys are in it! The keys! The keys!” Beavis tries to scramble into the driver’s seat, only to be slapped aside by Butthead. Who says “No, Butthole. I’m driving!”

The next thing you know, Beavis and Butthead have started up that limo. And they’re taking this 60 foot long vehicle out for a joy ride on Epcot’s perimeter road. Swerving back and forth across the double yellow line. Driving up onto the grass. Nearly hitting traffic signs. Doing just what these two disreputable teens used to do on their cartoon series on MTV. Which is be socially irresponsible.

Some of the other Epcot banquet films that I saw were obviously made by WDW cast members with pretty dark senses of humor. Take — for instance — the “60 Minutes” parody, “Mission: Statement.” Which featured investigative reporter Victor Hugo grilling Mr. X and Mr. Y. Accusing these two allegedly mysterious figures ” … of poaching our forest friends” in order to get creatures for Disney World’s next theme park, the soon-to-be-opening Animal Kingdom.

Of course, what made this particular film funny is that — even though they were being filmed in shadow, as if their identities were deliberately being hidden — Mr. X and Mr. Y were obviously Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee. And the hidden camera footage that Hugo screened that supposedly showed these two criminal masterminds at work showed Dum and Dee driving around backstage at Epcot aboard one of those double-decker buses.

As they’re rolling around the perimeter of the theme park (To the old “Captain Kangaroo” theme, by the way), Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee spy a reindeer (You know? One of those seasonal character costumes that you only see as part of Disney’s annual holiday festivities?) frolicking in the forest right alongside the roadside. So Dee and Dum pull their bus over. And then — each grabbing a club — they sneak up behind the deer.

The next thing you know, these two “Alice in Wonderland” characters have knocked the reindeer to the ground. And — after clubbing the animal into submission — they wrap the poor thing in duct tape. Then — after dragging the reindeer out of the forest and draping it over the hood of their bus — Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee drive home in triumph.

Sounds funny but kind of disturbing, doesn’t it? Well, wait ’til you hear what these two do to Winnie the Pooh … No, on second thought, let’s NOT talk about what Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee do to Pooh. No one out there wants to hear about how blood starts to gush out this “Silly Old Bear” ‘s eye sockets.

You see, that’s the problem of not being a WDW cast member and watching some of these movies. Sometimes the jokes are so out there and/or so inside that only the folks who actually worked in Epcot’s Entertainment Department would ever understand what a particular gag is in reference to.

Oh, sure. There’s some really broad, pretty obvious stuff in these movies. Like the cast-members-only film that was shot at Epcot’s Canadian pavilion early one morning. Long before the guests ever arrived at the park. It’s a movie that’s set to the “Just Around the Riverbend” number from the “Pocahontas” soundtrack. And it shows everyone’s favorite Native American princess doing some very un-Disney-like things. Like:

Chugging a can of Sprite, then nonchalantly tossing the empty container in the river.

Lugging a giant container marked “Toxic Waste” to the edge of the water, then dumping that into the river as well.

Smoking a joint.

Clearly mouthing the word “***” when John Smith opts to dump Pocahontas so that he can chase after a cute little Indian brave.

Speaking of unDisney Princess-like behavior, the high point (and/or low point. Depending on your point of view here) of this series of Epcot banquet films was a sleazy little movie called “Showcase Girls.” This one starts out with three strapping young men meeting up in a parking lot. These guys are clearly out for a night of fun. And — giving the wads of cash that the men keep waving around — they have the money necessary to make it happen.

So these three guys head up to the second floor in some building backstage at Epcot. They enter a darkly lit room and take their seats. And directly across from them — facing into the corner — is Alice from Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland.” Dressed in her classic blue dress and white knee socks. Her eyes downcast, her expression demure … Until the strip club music suddenly comes up.

This is when it immediately becomes apparent that the girl standing in the corner is no friend to the White Rabbit. White Trash, maybe. Snapping her gum like some high school ***, Alice whips around and — slowly lifting her skirt up — begins to dance.

Now let me stress here, folks, that this is not some woman dressed in a knock-off of Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland” costume. This is an actual WDW cast member wearing the very same outfit that she uses in the theme park. Showing lots of white panty as she gyrates about. The camera cuts away — every now and then — to show the boys in the front row, who are clearly loving this show. They hoot appreciably and wave their dollar bills about as Alice peels off her apron and tosses it at them.

Next up is Belle from Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.” As she sits down in a backward facing chair, her legs spread wide but hidden beneath her trademark blue skirt, Belle slowly pulls her barrette out and lets her hair down. As the music builds, she sways to the beat.

Suddenly getting up and kicking the chair off to one side, it’s Belle — not the Beast — who reveals her animal-like nature. There’s a close-up of the hooting males again as her trademark blue dress comes flying off the stage and lands in their laps.

Following Belle is “The Fairest of Them All,” Snow White. As soon as she steps on stage, Ms. White takes off her cape and folds down her collar. With a dramatic flourish, Snow’s bright yellow skirt also comes flying off — revealing that the little princess is wearing a pair of apple red panties.

Last — but certainly not least — is a WDW cast member dressed as Princess Jasmine from Disney’s “Aladdin.” This section starts off with Jasmine still wearing the cloak that the Princess wore in the movie when she was trying to disguise herself as a peasant in the marketplace. But then that cloak gets ripped open … and we see that Jasmine seems to have left her harem pants back at the palace.

Needless to say, it IS funny to see Disney’s usually sweet and demure princesses acting in such an unladylike fashion. But — at the same time — there’s just no getting around the fact that “Showcase Girls,” though this cast-members-only movie may have admittedly started out as a parody, is still some pretty hot stuff, people. The very sort of thing that dirty old Disney fans would give their left arm to see. Which is why it’s probably wise for Epcot’s Entertainment Department to keep this particular cast-member-only film stashed away in the vault. Under lock and key.

Mind you, it should be noted here that — at the very last second of “Showcase Girls” — that this film stops being sexy and goes for a gag. You see — as Jasmine rips open that cloak and reveals plenty of cleavage — she also smiles broadly. Which shows that she has one of her front teeth blacked out. The camera quickly turns to the guys in the front row, who now reel back in horror. As if they’re suddenly repulsed by the sight of the princess’ missing tooth.

But — given all the sexual stuff that came before this brief blackout gag — I’m afraid that that laugh may have been too little too late. After watching “Showcase Girls” … It’s really hard to know how exactly you’re supposed to feel. By that I mean: As an animation fan, I got the joke. As a red blooded American male, I also have to admit that I enjoyed watching pretty half-naked ladies dance about. But — as the father of a 9-year-old girl named Alice — I also felt incredibly creepy while I was watching this movie. As if I needed to go wash my eyeballs as soon as it was over.

But — then again — let’s remember that this “Showcase Girls” movie wasn’t intended to be seen by me. Or you either. This was a film that was put together by WDW cast members to entertain other WDW cast members. And who knows? Maybe after you’ve played a sticky sweet Disney Princess for too many months, it really is kind of funny and/or liberating to get to portray Snow White suddenly cutting loose at a strip club.

All in all, these Epcot banquet films that J. recently shared with me made for some pretty interesting viewing. I’m actually glad that I finally got to see them. Though I’m afraid that it may take me a couple of years of pretty intense therapy before I recover from seeing “Showcase Girls.”

I mean, the title character of Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland” cartoon doing a strip tease? Freud would have a field day.

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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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
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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