General

Why For returns

Jim Hill’s back with even more answers to you Disney-related questions. This time around, Jim discusses what became of that “Song of the South” DVD, what may next be in the works for DAK, defends Don Hahn’s reputation as well as trying to get to the bottom of that “Walt’s last film” myth

Published

19 years ago

March 16, 2006

Jim Hill

First up, Jeff S. writes in ask:

What is the word behind Bob Iger’s announcement in the Disney Shareholder’s meeting that “Song of the South” is still not coming to DVD?

Dear Jeff S.

Well, if you listened to the webcast of Disney’s annual shareholder and/or were at Arrowhead Pond last Friday morning, you heard what I heard. That Bob Iger himself was the one who put the brakes on Buena Vista Home Entertainment releasing “Song of the South” on DVD.

And let me tell you, Jeff, that this project was already well underway when Iger finally pulled the plug. By that I mean: A company had already been chosen to handle the restoration of this 1946 Walt Disney Production release. And there had already been a protracted discussion within BVHE as to whether “SOTS” should be released as a “Walt Disney Treasures” (I.E. A limited edition, with possibly as few as 250,000 units actually being produced) or as just a general title.

More to the point, I don’t think that we should entirely lose hope here. Given that Bob himself said that Disney will periodically review this decision and — should circumstances eventually change — there is still a chance that the Walt Disney Company will eventually release “Song of the South” on DVD.

Okay. I know that there are hundreds — if not thousands — of Disneyana fans out there who are disappointed and/or upset that Iger reversed Michael Eisner’s decision. But me? You know, I gotta tell you that it was kind of refreshing to have a top Disney executive take personal responsibility for a decision.

I mean, in years previous, whenever Uncle Michael was backed into a corner and had to make an unpopular decision, he’d automatically default into corporate CYA mode. Using vague sounding execu-speak to muddy the water, cover his tracks. So you’d hear phrases like “… We’ll take that under advisement” or ” … We’ll have to review this matter internally before the company makes any official decisions.”

But now here’s Bob Iger. Standing on the stage at Arrowhead Pond saying things like “I recently watched that movie” and “… I personally have concerns that people won’t be able to take in consideration the context under which this film was originally produced.” Making it very clear that he was the one who decided that the time just wasn’t right to release a “Song of the South” DVD.

So, sure. I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to put an official, authorized version of “SOTS” into my DVD player anytime soon. But — to be honest — I’m perfectly willing to make that trade-off if the Walt Disney Company now has a CEO who says what he means and means what he says.

Next up, Jason M. wants to know about:

Jim,

There is much anticipation and many rumors flying around just about every Disney site that I visit that says the Imagineers are collectively dusting off plans for Beastly Kingdom and re-visiting this exciting concept for DAK. As it stands, this is probably the most beautiful park in the world. But I’ve always felt that it lacked the fantasy aspect that makes Disney… Well, Disney. Can you please give us an update?

Dear Jason

To be honest, it’s kind of premature to be talking about any future expansion plans for Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Given that it has yet to be proven that “Expedition Everest” will actually be a hit with Disney World‘s paying customers.

I mean, sure. Right now, this runaway train ride appears to be a success. But Disney being Disney and all … I would imagine that the Mouse will want to see at least a full year’s worth of attendance figures for DAK (As well as some accompanying spreadsheets that show EE’s direct impact on in-park merchandise purchases in addition to food & beverage sales) before they’re officially ready to declare “Expedition Everest” a success.

More to the point, let’s remember that Disney World has three other theme parks that are also in desperate need of new rides, shows and attractions (FYI: Keep an eye on Epcot over the next 18 months or so. Given that the celebration of that theme park’s 25th anniversary is expected to be the hook for WDW’s 2007 / 2008 promotional campaigns, you’re probably going to see an awful lot of money being thrown at Epcot over the next year or so).

Once the Magic Kingdom, Disney/MGM Studios theme park and Epcot all receive some TLC … Then the Imagineers will most likely turn their attention back to Disney’s Animal Kingdom and (perhaps) revisit the idea of adding a new fantasy-based land to that theme park.

Though, based on what I’ve been hearing come out of Burbank lately, I’m think that it’s fairly safe to say that Beastlie Kingdomme is now DOA. Though … In its place, we may see a few “Narnia” -based rides and attractions rising up out of the woods in that corner of the property. Or even (Provided that J.K. Rowling finally signs off on the idea) some “Harry Potter” -themed shows. Where perhaps everyone’s favorite half-giant, Hagrid, will lead us through a “Care of Magical Creatures” class.

But — to be honest — we shouldn’t even expect to see construction of something like that get underway ’til 2008 or 2009. In the mean-time, there are much more pressing matters to deal with at DAK. Like what to do with all the guest flow-through issues in the “Rafiki’s Planet Watch” section of that theme park. Or whether the new enclosed version of the “Theater in the Wild” meets with WDW visitors’ approval. Or whether that new “Asia” restaurant actually proves to be popular with DAK guests (Or whether this means that that theme park now gets stuck with yet another restaurant that under-performs).

All this … Plus how Disney Animal Kingdom should go about properly go about staffing that theme park during its new extended operating hours. Plus whether it’s wise to greenlight production of that after-dark entertainment that Steve Davison wants to stage inside DAK? Not to mention Disney’s desire to borrow a few pandas from China and use those rarer-than-rare creatures to temporarily bump up attendance levels at Animal Kingdom.

So as you can see, Jeff … When trying to forecast DAK’s future, there’s a lot more factors to take into consideration here than “Will the Imagineers finally revive their plans to build Beastlie Kingdomme?” So this might be a moment when you want to take a step back and try to see the forest for the Tree of Life.

Next up, Rustin P. drops by to ask:

Hey Jim!

I have a “Why For” question for ya! With all of this Pixar/WDFA talk over the past couple months I’ve seen Don Hahn‘s named mentioned a lot typically in terms of his creative prowess and high-ranking position in WDFA – basically everyone seems to be talking about him as a positive force within WDFA and that we’re lucky he’s still in there. My question is, Why For?

Sure he was worked on Who Framed Roger Rabbit” and produced two great films (“Beauty and the Beast” and “Lion King”) and is a really cool guy to watch/listen to in interviews … but he is also the Producer of “Atlantis” and “The Haunted Mansion,” amongst others of questionable (in my opinion) quality, and I really have to wonder, is he really all that good of a creative Producer any longer and a reason to be hopeful for WDFA?

Rustin:

Sorry. If you’re looking for someone to dish dirt on Don Hahn, you’re going to have to find yourself another webmaster.

As far as I’m concerned, Don is the real deal. By that I mean: For 22+ years now, I’ve been writing about the Walt Disney Company. And — in all that time — I’ve never once come across a person who had a single bad thing to say about Hahn.

I mean, I’ve talked with dozens of animators, CG artists, writers and directors. People at all levels of productions. And not a one of them ever had anything bad to say about Don. All I’ve heard is what a nice guy Hahn is, how he genuinely cares about Disney Feature Animation and just wants this division of the company to get back to making great motion pictures.

That’s why I think that *** Cook’s announcement that Don was being named as interim head of WDFA was greeted with such acclaim back in February. For here was a guy who genuinely seemed to care about the Walt Disney Company and its legacy. Who only wants the studio and its staff to make the best possible motion picture.

So okay. Maybe “Atlantis: The Lost Empire” didn’t exactly set the world on fire. The way I hear it, that wasn’t so much Don’s fault or even the fault of that film’s directing team, Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale. But — rather — the blame for that film going so seriously off-track actually lies with then-WDFA head Thomas Schumacher.

As I understand it, Tom really didn’t get what Don, Gary and Kirk were trying to do. Which was make the sort of Saturday matinee big screen adventure that film-making legend Ray Harryhausen used to make. Schumacher … He didn’t get the whole “monsters attacking the explorers” motif. He kept pushing the production team to add more magic & heart. Which is how this 2001 WDFA release slowly devolved into a somewhat schizophrenic mess. Half Harryhausen tribute, half touchy-feely New Age hugfest.

As for what happened with “The Haunted Mansion” … Let’s be honest here, folks. Eddie Murphy was just the wrong guy to star in that Rob Minkoff movie. Though audiences had previously seemed eager to see Eddie in such family-friendly comedies as “The Nutty Professor,” “Doctor Dolittle” and Daddy Day Care,” they had also turned their noses up at high profile Murphy projects as “I Spy” and “The Adventures of Pluto Nash.” So it was pretty much a crapshoot as to whether movie-goers would actually turn out to see this former “Saturday Night Live” star appear in a motion picture based on a Disney theme park attraction. Disney bet big and then lost big.

So — to be honest — Hahn could hardly be held responsible for audiences back in November of 2003 not exactly being in the mood to see another Eddie Murphy comedy.

So don’t be so quick to judge a man’s career based on the box office performance of two motion pictures, Rustin. Don Hahn is well liked by both the executives as well as the working staff at Disney Studios. And provided that John Lasseter and Ed Catmull (I.E. The soon-to-be new heads of WDFA) actually allow Don to do the job that he does so well, you’ll soon see Hahn’s name attached to several soon-to-be-great motion pictures.

And finally — speaking of movies — Jay comes by with a real Mythbuster of a question:

Jim,

I’ve got a great “Why For” question for you. Actually it’s a “Mythbuster.”

As a CM, I’ve often heard stories that Walt Disney left detailed notes of what was to be done with his parks after his death. These notes went so far as to include a film that was made for each year. As I hear it, the Company big wigs would sit in a boardroom at the start of each year and screen the film for that year. In these films, Walt would lay out all the plans he wanted done that year, and in years to come. Some versions of this story include Walt even predicting the events of 9-11 and how it would impact the park!

Whatta say Jim? Care to dig into this one?

Jay

Dear Jay:

To be honest, over the past 30 years, I’ve heard a number of variations on this story. But the most consistant version goes something like this:

A year or so after Walt’s death, a select group of Disney execs were supposedly invited to a particular screening room on the lot. Once they entered this screening room, these executives reportedly noticed that their names were attached on particular seats in the theater. Once everyone was in their appropriate seats, the lights allegedly went down … And then — up on the big screen — there was Walt.

As the story goes, Disney supposedly started off by saying: “Well, boys. If you’re watching this movie, I’m obviosuly not with you anymore. But hopefully you’re still following the plans that I laid out.”

And — with that — Walt then began to go around the room. Reportedly pointing directly to individual executives seated in the screening room and saying things like “Now, ***. By this point, you and Joe should have completed Phase One of site prep on the Florida project. With all of our primary drainage canals being in place and …” Well, you get the idea.

Anyway .. Disney allegedly addressed each of the execs in the room, giving specific directions as well as offering words of encouragement. Then — after supposedly signing off by something to the effect of “Well, hopefully, I’ll see you all again soon. But not too soon” — the film ends.

These Disney executives supposedly sit there dumb-founded. Simply amazed at what they’ve just seen.

But wait! This story’s not over yet … As the rest of this urban legend goes, the projectionist then takes this reel of film outside and — after placing the reel in a trash can — he follows Walt’s last order and sets the film on fire.

That’s a pretty bizarre story, don’t you think? And I have to tell you, folks, that this particular tale (and all of its variations) have been making the rounds since the early 1970s.

“But is it true?,” you ask. Well …

Here’s my problem. The one guy who really loved to tell this story was Disney Legend Ward Kimball. And given that Ward was a guy who enjoyed practical jokes, I can’t help but think that this may be just another Kimball caper. Ward trying to put one over on a bunch of us gullible rubes.

I mean, you gotta remember that Kimball was also the guy who loved to tell people that he knew for sure that Walt Disney had been crygenically frozen. When everyone who worked on the Disney lot in the late 1960s knew that Lillian had had Walt cremated and then scattered his ashes in the desert

Mind you, I’ve also heard that Eric Larson — when pressed by his animation students — would tell a similar story. One about a mysterious movie starring Walt that had been privately screened for studio execs. And Larson’s version of this tale also ended with this particular reel of film being taken outside and burned in a studio trash can.

So here we have two Disney Legends seeming to tell the same story. Is that really corroboration? Or just a case of Ward having tricked Eric into believing his tall tale about Walt’s last movie being shown select studio execs …

“So will we ever really have an answer to this story?,” you ask. Well … Kimball was a renowned diarist. So maybe the truth lies somewhere in all those diaries that Ward kept during the decades that he worked at Walt Disney Studios.

Perhaps if someone asked nice, Ward’s widow, Betty, might finally grant some Disney historian access to Kimball’s diaries. So that — for once and for all — we might actually be able to find out if there’s any truth to this particular urban legend.

But as for there supposedly being this series of secret films starring Walt. Including one where the Ol’ Moustreo actually predicts 9/11. That’s a pretty laughable idea, don’t you think?

I mean, it’s not bad enough that — for decades now — conspiracy theorists have had Walt stashed away in some freezer somewhere, sharing shelf space with Clarence Birdseye. But now he’s got to be Nostradamus too? That’s just … sad.

Anyway .. That’s pretty much it for this week, folks. Thanks again for sending along your “Why For” questions. More importantly, I hope you enjoyed my answers.

Have a great weekend, okay? And hopefully, we’ll see you all again come Monday morning.

Til then, you take care, alright?

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

9 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

9 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