Destination D: 75 Years of Disney Animation, a Diamond Level Experience! - Completed!

[mvf-m11c]

Very nice updates. "Frozen" will be a very interesting movie to see. Maybe I will want to see the movie even more when we hear about it at next years D23 Expo.

Great job Alison on your latest update.

 

[dgbg100106]

Thanks again for the updates, and I loved the story about the ducks.... I can just picture them "bowling" ducks into each other, trying to get that money shot...

The Tangled clip was very cute.... And yes I think it would have been difficult to write that up without pictures...

 

[dumurin]

Dear Alison, thank you very much for your answer and also for your great presentation about Frozen. This movie seems great. I hope that.
Have you see something about character design for Anna, Elsa and Kristoff? could you describe me what are they? are they beautiful? what is the style and look of Anna (blonde, brunette, redhead?..), Elsa (Snow Queen's outfits or human/princess look?), Kristoff (color hair?) etc... Were the designs finished, concept-arts, Cgi ?
The story seems beautiful. I love this story about the legend of the frozen heart, it's interesting and new.

thank you very much.

 

[franandaj]

November 2013 seems so far away.

I know and if we look too forward to the movie's release, our DISmeet at WDW will be over then!

Very nice updates. "Frozen" will be a very interesting movie to see. Maybe I will want to see the movie even more when we hear about it at next years D23 Expo.

Great job Alison on your latest update.

Thanks, I'm sure there will be much more about it at the Expo next year.

Thanks again for the updates, and I loved the story about the ducks.... I can just picture them "bowling" ducks into each other, trying to get that money shot...

The Tangled clip was very cute.... And yes I think it would have been difficult to write that up without pictures...

It's easy to imagine duck "bowling", but how can you describe a horse as a ring bearer, in drag, tarred and almost feathered and put it in a believeable world, and the host animator indicated. The Disney storytellers are amazing to be able to do that and we all thought it completely feasible!

Dear Alison, thank you very much for your answer and also for your great presentation about Frozen. This movie seems great. I hope that.
Have you see something about character design for Anna, Elsa and Kristoff? could you describe me what are they? are they beautiful? what is the style and look of Anna (blonde, brunette, redhead?..), Elsa (Snow Queen's outfits or human/princess look?), Kristoff (color hair?) etc... Were the designs finished, concept-arts, Cgi ?
The story seems beautiful. I love this story about the legend of the frozen heart, it's interesting and new.

thank you very much.

Most of what they had was background art. I believe that it was CGI, the backgrounds looked that way to me. They had a couple pictures of Anna and Kristoph with Olaf, I think she was blonde. I don't think they showed us Elsa except for a few early concept pencil like drawings. They showed some of her evil snowmen, but nothing was on the screen very long, they were really overloading us with information and pictures, but I was also taking notes, so I wasn't staring at the screen the whole time they were talking.

Kristoff might have had red hair. They were far from finished at least what they showed us, and with over a year to go, I'm sure we wouldn't see things like that until the next Expo in Summer 2013.

 

[Pinkocto]

You're right, I absolutely thought it was feasible imagination is amazing!

 

[ACDSNY]

Ooh if Frozen comes out Nov 2013 it might be playing on the Fantasy when we cruise.

 

[Leshaface]

Love the breakdown of all the animators! So cool to read about them and to see how they worked.

I can't view the video right now, but will be back to see it!

Thank you for providing us with all this fantastic information. You do such a great job in re-living the presentations, that i'll never need to attend one of these conventions as long as you're on the DIS!

 

[dumurin]

Thank you very very much, dear Alison! I really love your words and your great report about Destination D. You make a great job with a lot of informations. Thank you!

I'm happy Anna is blonde and Kristoff red hair, it's new and interesting.
Are the evil snowmen frightening or funny and comedic? I know I ask a lot of question, but I'm too curious!

Thanks again by advance, dear Alison.

 

[Rainforest_Elf]

OMG I am LOVING this trip report. I love behind the scenes stuff for movies, I can't imagine how much fun those panels are!!!

Is Frozen going to be computer animated, or a return to traditional 2D? I am so freaking excited for that movie.

Can't wait to read and see more from you!!

 

[franandaj]

You're right, I absolutely thought it was feasible imagination is amazing!

Isn't it funny how cynical we can be of live action shows when the stunts look fake, yet with animation, we'll believe just about anything!

Ooh if Frozen comes out Nov 2013 it might be playing on the Fantasy when we cruise.

That would be nice! It would probably be one of the evening features.

Love the breakdown of all the animators! So cool to read about them and to see how they worked.

I can't view the video right now, but will be back to see it!

Thank you for providing us with all this fantastic information. You do such a great job in re-living the presentations, that i'll never need to attend one of these conventions as long as you're on the DIS!

Now that your baby shower is over you MUST come back and watch it!

Thank you very very much, dear Alison! I really love your words and your great report about Destination D. You make a great job with a lot of informations. Thank you!

I'm happy Anna is blonde and Kristoff red hair, it's new and interesting.
Are the evil snowmen frightening or funny and comedic? I know I ask a lot of question, but I'm too curious!

Thanks again by advance, dear Alison.

Don't quote me on any of this! I'm relying on my memory of the pictures and that's not so good! I think it's the next session after the one I'm covering that has all the other animation you were asking about. Sorry the updates have been so slow, life and the Sparkly Boo Boo thread have gotten in the way!

OMG I am LOVING this trip report. I love behind the scenes stuff for movies, I can't imagine how much fun those panels are!!!

Is Frozen going to be computer animated, or a return to traditional 2D? I am so freaking excited for that movie.

Can't wait to read and see more from you!!

Thanks for your compliments. I think Frozen is going to be a combination of computer generated and hand drawn. The backgrounds that they showed us looked very CGI. I'm sure this next summer at the D23 Expo we'll get a lot more information on it. But again, probably no pictures.

 

[franandaj]

Our next Animation treat was a short called PaperMan which will be shown in front of Wreck It Ralph this November. It was inspired by commuting in New York city, the director would be waiting for his train and his eyes would lock with various women he would see at the station. He would always wonder, “Is she the ONE?” He kept this idea in the back of his mind, until recently when it went into production. The director had a CGI background, but he really wanted this to a combination of lines and drawing when it reached the end product.

Here are a couple little featurettes on Paperman

First Featurette

Paperman First Featurette

Second Featurette

Paperman second featurette

Here are a few images from the short. You can tell from the images enough of what is going on in this little movie that I don’t want to ruin it for you when you see it live.

After viewing Paperman they moved on to Wreck it Ralph. We were introduced to Clark Spencer the Producer of Lilo and Stitch, Bolt and Wreck It Ralph. This movie is directed by Rich Moore who used to do the Simpsons and Futurama. I really wish that the image of him that they showed had leaked out onto the internet. It was quite cute, it was a Simpsons looking caricature of him with hair like Bart. Unfortunately he could not attend because he was too busy finishing up the movie.

The premise is this. Ralph is an 8 bit video character who has been doing the same thing for 30 years. He wrecks the building while Felix fixes it.

He would really like to be the good guy for once. Game Central Station is a power strip into which all the video games in the arcade are plugged. This is where characters from different video games can interact with each other.

Ralph goes to Game Central Station and when the arcade reopens he doesn’t go back to his game. There are two other games that we see, Hero’s Duty which is a high definition game where Cyborgs are attacking the world. Jane Lynch plays the main character in this game.

There is also the game Sugar Rush where you race cars made of candy in a land made of candy. Sarah Silverman plays Vanelope in this game.

This one is very “cartoony” in it’s animation style. Oh and I forgot to mention, for those who don’t know John C. Reilly plays Ralph.

They showed us several clips from the movie, an expanded one of the scene of Ralph and Vanelope in the Candy Cane Tree, and one from Hero’s Duty where Ralph learns how scary video games have become. They also showed us the Wreck it Ralph Trailer which I was able to find online for you guys to enjoy.

Wreck it Ralph Trailer

And that wraps up this session!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Alison - What a great session. How cool to get the low-down on the new movie to come. I'm sitting here catching up on the clips - didn't have time this morning when I read your update.

Loving all your detailed notes.

 

[dgbg100106]

Alison, thanks for all the wonderful updates and giving us a peek inside, it was great!

 

[Pinkocto]

I'm really looking forward to this one, it just looks fun.

 

[lisaviolet]

Step one: I've actually found you. I pressed on your screen name from CJ's and got my poor head all confused again - found some brain cells and thought "Lisa, if you press on your own name you can in fact find Alison much easier."

Isn't it lovely how I put my fragile mental health and abilities out for the world to see?

Thanks for you lovely thoughts Alison. No amount of me hoping is going to change a thing so I'm just going to have to find some kind of balance of not failing them and looking after me. Hard.

Step two: read you!

Here I go. Be back. First thing: Actually remember to SUBSCRIBE!!!!

 

[lisaviolet]

Welcome to my Destination D Trip Report! For those of you who have read my previous reports you know that I try to take copious notes and report back with as much detail as possible. I am working for that same goal on this TR as well.

Well you forgot that you make us all salivate over gorgeous meal pics - the best being your own fixings.

One day I must line up one my trips with yours - and be just rude enough to crash your homemade nights.

 

[lisaviolet]

Hi Everyone!

]

Sighing, see!

Well minus the fish. So sorry I missed the anticipation of this weekend.

 

[lisaviolet]

Ican baRELY type this I am so tired. I will check in Tuesday after all this is over. . it is awesome!@

on the bold Alison. Funny.

Aren't those the best days? THE BEST.

 

[franandaj]

Alison - What a great session. How cool to get the low-down on the new movie to come. I'm sitting here catching up on the clips - didn't have time this morning when I read your update.

Loving all your detailed notes.

I just realized that they might be playing this when we go on our cruise in November so maybe we might actually SEE this movie before it goes out on DVD!

Alison, thanks for all the wonderful updates and giving us a peek inside, it was great!

You're welcome!

I'm really looking forward to this one, it just looks fun.

I know, I'm sure it will have the whole Disney spin that will make you cry because the bad guy does good and everything works out in the end!

Well you forgot that you make us all salivate over gorgeous meal pics - the best being your own fixings.

One day I must line up one my trips with yours - and be just rude enough to crash your homemade nights.

Lisa, I would love to have you over for dinner! If our trips ever overlap you are so invited for dinner! Just wait, I made stuffed peppers for dinner and am moving so slow i haven't even been able to post pics because I'm so short on time, but I do mean to get back to this report. Fran and I have worked out an arrangement, where I get 48 hours of "me" time. Out to dinner, no housework, no eBay crap. I think I will have to feed the cats since no one else can do that, but I'll take that, nothing else. I need to relax!

on the bold Alison. Funny.

Aren't those the best days? THE BEST.

Yes you are right that was an awesome day! Once I get to that update you all will love it!

I hope someday we can have a DISmeet! You are one unique person and I would sooooo enjoy meeting you! Between your free spiritedness and my type Aness the two of us would have a great time blending our opposites! You know they say opposites attract! I think the two of us would have a lot of fun!

 

[franandaj]

The Best Disney Animation you Never Saw.

Don Hahn and David Bossert returned to the stage to entertain us with this session which included some rare and not so rare footage from Disney over the years.

The first was something I had actually seen. Any of you who visited Disney MGM Studios shortly after opening and took the animation tour would also have seen this video which features Walter Kronkite and Robin Williams. I found this on YouTube, if you can stand the flickering of the person’s camera who took the video, go ahead and watch it. The movie is very cute!

Robin Williams and Walter Kronkite from Disney MGM Studios

Roy Disney got into a little bit of political commentary, Don and David both commented on how “different” political commercials are today. This one is quite cute, it’s called, I like Ike.

I like Ike

The next film they showed was a short called Tummy Trouble based on Roger Rabbit. It aired before Honey I Shrunk the Kids in 1989. For those of you who don’t remember it, this is a version I found, but it’s hard to stand the poor audio quality.

Tummy Trouble

Disney did a number of commercials for American Motors, and while this isn’t the one they showed us, it’s something! :

American Motors Commercial 1

American Motors Commercial 2

Anyone who remembers the Wonders of Life Pavilion at EPCOT can probably also remember the Cranium Command attraction. There was an animated preshow. I guess you CAN find anything on the Internet!

Cranium Command Pre Show

One of the sponsors for Disney was Peter Pan Peanut butter, so of course you know which characters were loaned out for commercials. Note the announcer’s voice…

Peter Pan Commercial 1

Peter Pan Commercial 2

Peter Pan Commercial 3

Alice in Wonderland too was loaned out for commercials.

Alice in Wonderland Jello Commercial

They showed us a scene from “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” that was omitted from the movie. If you remember the detective from the “real world” was “Tooned” and got a pig head. Well there was a scene where he was “let go” from the toons. They tossed him out of a tunnel (which is actually in Griffith Park, for those of you who know your LA geography). The problem is that he was tossed so convincingly that the stunt man broke both his ankles in the fall. Out of respect, they removed that clip from the movie, but they did show us the clip.

Over the years, Disney realized that lending their name to advertising products was not a good idea, however, one of the last products endorsed by a Disney character was this Roger Rabbit Diet coke commercial, but not the last.

Roger Rabbit Diet Coke Commercial

Fantasia 2000 Pomp & Circumstance. So I’m going to defer to an article that I found on the internet to explain this bizarre piece of never completed Disney Animation.

”a college graduation ceremony (that inspired) the choice of music (for this sequence in the film). The Walt Disney Company Chairman Michael Eisner listened as graduates received their degrees. " 'Pomp and Circumstance' probably has more pleasant associations in people's minds than any other piece of music, because it is always being played when you or someone you love are achieving something," reflects Eisner.”

So obviously when Disney's Big Cheese comes in and says "I think that you should consider using 'Pomp and Circumstance' as part of 'Fantasia Continued,' ' the people who were then working on this ambitious animated feature immediately gave Eisner's suggestion some very serious thought. Because - as an employee of a massive multi-national corporation - it always pays to try & make the guy who signs your paycheck happy.

But that said ... It was the second half of Eisner's "Pomp and Circumstance" suggestion (i.e. that this number in "Fantasia Continued" be built around a stately procession of Disney Princesses and their princes) that gave this film's production team pause.

"You have to understand that every other sequence that we were considering for 'Fantasia Continued' at that time was art for art's sake. We were always looking to marry a great piece of music with stunning visuals to then create this memorable movie-going experience," Bossert explained. "And what Michael was asking us to do with 'Pomp and Circumstance' was kind of out of step with the rest of this film. His Disney Princess procession idea was almost nakedly commercial."

But - again -- because it was their then-Boss who suggested this idea, the "Fantasia Continued" production team gave it the old college try. George Scribner (best known as the director of Disney's 1988 animated feature, "Oliver and Company") was assigned to develop a story of the Disney Princess version of "Pomp and Circumstance." And from what David tells me, George did the very best that he could with this concept. Creating a pretty entertaining storyreel.

"As I recall, this sequence was set outside. And the Disney Princesses that were supposed to appear in 'Pomp and Circumstance' started with Snow White and then went all the way up to Princess Jasmine in 'Aladdin (Disney Special Platinum Edition) ,' " Bossert continued. "And as they all marched along with their princes and their children, you'd then get these quick cameo appearances by other famous Disney characters."

Which brings us to the other gimmick that was supposed to have been associated with this Disney Princess-based version of "Pomp and Circumstance." In that this proposed sequence was going to be the part of "Fantasia Continued" which would have featured scenes that were animated by genuine Disney Legends.

To be specific, Disney wanted to recruit the surviving members of the Nine Old Men (which - at that time - were Marc Davis, Ollie Johnston, Ward Kimball and Frank Thomas) to come work on "Pomp and Circumstance." With the idea that each of these legendary animators would animate one short scene which starred their signature Disney character.

"As I recall, Marc was going to animate a scene featuring Tinker Bell. Ward was supposed to animate a scene with Jiminy Cricket. They wanted Frank to do something with the Fairies from 'Sleeping Beauty. And I don't remember what Ollie was supposed to have done," Dave continued.

Now these scenes that were to be animated by the surviving Nine Old Men were then supposed to be folded in with footage that had been created by the modern masters of Disney hand-drawn animation. We're talking about super-talented people like Glen Keane and Andreas Deja, who'd create cameos for the most famous Disney characters that they'd ever worked on, like Ariel from "The Little Mermaid" and Scar from "The Lion King."

"A lot of the comedy in this version of 'Pomp and Circumstance' was to have come from Donald Duck. Who was wreaking havoc behind-the-scenes because he was attempting to get his hands on that magic hat that Mickey wears in 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice,' " Bossert said. "But if I'm remembering this storyreel correctly, there was a quick scene where you got to see the Fab Five all standing together. And another one where you saw a number of the Villains observing this Disney Princess processional from a distance."

Now you have to admit that the idea of a musical number -- which was supposed to be animated by the very best animators, past and present -- that featured every animated Disney character ever created does sound kind of cool. So why didn't this version of "Pomp and Circumstance" actually go into production?

To answer that part of the question ... I must now launch into a somewhat adult story. Which I want to stress that I DID NOT hear from David Bossert. But - rather - from someone who was actually in the room when the Disney Princess version of 'Pomp and Circumstance' hit the skids.

To explain: When the folks at Walt Disney Animation Studios decided that they seriously wanted to pursue this idea of having the surviving Nine Old Men come in & work on "Fantasia Continued," they then staged this elaborate pitch meeting. Where Marc, Ollie, Ward and Frank were all limoed onto the Disney Lot and then taken into this room that was loaded with concept art for the "Fantasia" follow-up.

And given that Michael Eisner had come up with the original Disney Princess / "Pomp and Circumstance" concept ... Well, he made a point of sitting in on this particular pitch meeting as well.

Anyway ... After everyone was served a light lunch, the formal pitch for this proposed "Fantasia Continued" sequence began. And at some point, the lights were turned down and the Disney Princess "Pomp and Circumstance" storyreel was shown. Afterwards, the room was deadly silent. Marc, Frank and Ollie shot each other sidelong glances, wondering what they should say.

But leave it to the always bombastic Ward Kimball to break the silence. Who reportedly said to the entire room: "That's the stupidest ef*ing idea I've ever heard."

Needless to say, the idea of bringing the surviving Nine Old Men back on the Lot to work on this project died that afternoon. And shortly after this infamous story pitch, the "Fantasia Continued" production team began casting around for an entirely new story concept for this film's "Pomp and Circumstance" sequence.

"But you have to understand that this is how the development process at Disney Animation works. Not every idea that we come up with works. But we keep refining things, trying different ideas, different combinations of characters until we eventually do come up with something that works," Bossert stated. "I honestly don't know if we would have come up with the idea of making Donald Duck Noah's assistant - which is the concept that we eventually used for 'Pomp and Circumstance" in the final version of 'Fantasia 2000' - if we hadn't first explored that idea of Donald being the character who was causing all of those problems behind-the-scenes during the Disney Princess processional version of this sequence."

The other thing that's great about Disney is that - while an idea may not always work out for feature animation - it can eventually find new life in another part of the Company. Do you recall that Donald-trying-to-get-his-hands-on-the-magic-hat-from-the-Sorcerer's-Apprentice story thread? Does that concept sound familiar? It should. WDI took that idea and ran with it while it was developing "Mickey's PhilharMagic" for the Parks in the early 2000s.

And - yes - just in case you're wondering. It was George Scribner who not only developed the storyreel for "Mickey's PhilharMagic," but he also wound up directing this 3D Theme Park Productions film.

So - in the end - things all worked out. Michael Eisner got what he wanted. Which was "Pomp and Circumstances" in "Fantasia 2000." And Bossert & the production team of this ambitious animated feature got what they wanted. Which was a version of "Pomp and Circumstance" that was much more in sync with all of the other new sequences that WDFA had created for this "Fantasia" follow-up. Which weren't crassly commercial. But -- rather -- married stunning visuals with memorable music to create a truly memorable movie-going experience.

But that said ... You still have to wonder how this Disney Princess processional sequence would have been received by the public. Well, David actually found out. Sort of. You see, as part of a "Fantasia" - themed presentation that Bossert gave on the Disney Cruise Line back in 2009, he screened this version of the "Pomp and Circumstance" storyreel. And the results were ... Well, mixed.

"Some people in the audience laughed because they were really enjoying what they were watching. But then there were these laughs that came in very weird places. Which meant that there were people out in the audience who were laughing AT the movie. Rather than laughing with it," David said.

But this is why you should always go out of your way to try & catch a David Bossert presentation. He always screens the most amazing things. Which David usually uncovers while digging deep down into the vaunted Disney Vault.”​

OK so back to my commentary, but that was a much more fascinating a description than I could have provided you with. What I remember and have in my notes was that Donald kept wreaking havoc on the whole processional. However, Donald has these little crowns that are to be handed out to all the Prince/Princess babies. At whatever point the villains come in the Queen of Hearts decides to steal the crowns and Maleficent chases Donald away so his attention is distracted from the crowns. Eventually all is righted and storks bring babies to all the Princes/Princesses.

In addition to the concerns of the remaining Nine Old Men the other animators were concerned about the “questions” that the storks might bring up with young kids. Not to mention that the whole twisted nature of the entire processional that all the couples get new babies all at once with no explanation, it was just weird.

So another one of the final products that Disney characters advertised were for a Disney line of food products. Here’s one for Mickey Magix Cereal.

Mickey Magix Cereal Commercial

When pitching the movie Pocohontas, the animators went back into the vault and found artwork and sketches that Walt Disney himself had gathered for the telling of the story Hiawatha. Now Walt did a Silly Symphony of Little Hiawatha, but clearly he intended to do a full blown feature about the life of Hiawatha. They showed a multitude of photos assembled by Walt. He was evidently fascinated by the life of Hiawatha.

They showed us a commercial for Peter Pan Peanut butter. It featured a little kid cowboy and a little kid spaceman. They pointed out that these two looked a lot like Woody and Buzz.

The final piece of animation came from the movie Song of the South. Banned from release in the US, this is still available in some foreign countries. David asked the audience how many people had this movie in their library and about half the audience had it. I know that I do! They sent us off from that session with the song Zippity Doo Dah!

Next up Animating the Parks!