Roy Disney on Prodigy (from July)
Tom Tanida
three months since Roy was there), here are the replies that Roy
Disney gave to selected questions posted by Prodigy members on the
service. Most of the stuff is pretty basic, but I still found it quite
interesting. You can generally infer the question asked by
the answer given; e.g. the message with the subject "ROY ON BOOK"
obviously refers to the recent Walt bio by Mark Eliot.
-Tom
PRODIGY(R) interactive personal service 07/21/93 3:10 AM
ARTS BB
TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
TIME: 07/19 8:16 PM
TO: AMY GREEN (BJSN45C)
FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
SUBJECT: "ROY ON ANI SEQUEL"
Amy, you asked whether we might consider producing sequels
to some of our animated films, like "The Little Mermaid."
The answer is no. We made one sequel, "The Rescuers Down
Under," and we realized how difficult it is to be as good as
the original. With animation, sequels are even harder than
for live action.
Roy Disney
ARTS BB
TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
TIME: 07/19 8:26 PM
TO: JAMES SUTTER (FGHJ38F)
FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
SUBJECT: "ROY ON BEAST"
James: You asked about the chronology of the Beast. Yes, the
story begins in the Beast's 21st year, and yes, Beast and
Lumier say in "Be Our Guest" that they've been "rusting" for
10 years, so yes, you're right, he became the Beast when he
was 11 years old.
How many truly humble and kind 11 years olds do I know of?
Maybe that was the point of the part of the movie.
Roy Disney
ARTS BB
TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
TIME: 07/19 8:59 PM
TO: DYLAN FEATHERS (NGKW07B)
FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
SUBJECT: "ROY ON BOOK"
My comment on the new book about Walt Disney:
It's clearly based on the author's desire to tear down a
public figure for the sake of selling books.
There are enormous factual errors in the book, and huge
assumptions being made on every page of the book.
I think it's probably better not to dignify that kind of
journalism with more of a response. It belongs in the
National Enquirer.
Roy Disney
ARTS BB
TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
TIME: 07/19 8:59 PM
TO: C ZRAIK (VKBB74A)
FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
SUBJECT: "ROY ON CELLS"
Cathy, you asked about whether the cells in "Beauty and the
Beast" were done on computer.
The answer is yes. We used to draw the originals by hand and
then color them in. Now we still begin with hand drawings,
but we use the computer to color them in.
So we didn't produce any animation cells for the making of
"Beauty and the Beast," but we did create some one of a
kind cells specifically for sale, and they were sold at an
auction last fall.
You might be able to find one or two at your local Disney
Store or the Circle Art Gallery.
Roy Disney
ARTS BB
TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
TIME: 07/19 8:28 PM
TO: JENNIFER LANG (VCFF67D)
FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
SUBJECT: "ROY ON COMPUTERS"
What direction is Disney taking with computer animation?
I think we're now thoroughly married to the computer in a
lot of ways.
First of all, in the area of post-production and in graphics
creation of various kinds, we look at the computer as a
whole new set of paint brushes, and we really feel that
we're just scratching the surface in what we think it can
do for us.
But we really hope you can never tell where the computer
animation is and where it isn't. Because hand animation is
the genesis of where we come from.
Roy Disney
ARTS BB
TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
TIME: 07/19 8:32 PM
TO: WILLIAM RACE (MKNR37A)
FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
SUBJECT: "ROY ON DIGITAL"
Will we use the digitial restoration process we just used
with the re-release of "Snow White" on other upcoming
re-releases?
Oh yeah. We will eventually probably save all of our old
negatives with this new process.
Roy Disney
ARTS BB
TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
TIME: 07/19 8:30 PM
TO: ALL
FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
SUBJECT: "ROY ON FREEZE"
Katie, let me clear up your confusion.
My uncle was not frozen. He was creamated and buried next to
his mother and father in Glendale, California.
Roy Disney
ARTS BB
TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
TIME: 07/19 8:38 PM
TO: DARREN BRIMHALL (DRJM39E)
FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
SUBJECT: "ROY ON JAPAN ANI"
Japanese animation is a whole different world philosphically
from what we do, in terms of characters and storytelling,
and some of their character design is different too. But
it's hard to categorize it. Like anything else, some of it
is very good, and some it is also very bad.
Roy Disney
ARTS BB
TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
TIME: 07/19 8:23 PM
TO: JILL SAUDER (JKFG91B)
FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
SUBJECT: "ROY ON MOMS"
Jill, you asked whether we had any "nice motherly figures"
in Disney's animated future.
Wait until you see next summer's "The Lion King," and
Kimba's mother. She's quite lovely.
Roy Disney
ARTS BB
TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
TIME: 07/19 8:18 PM
TO: CHERYL SPANO (XBWV77B)
FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
SUBJECT: "ROY ON OLIVER"
Will Oliver & Company ever be released on home video?
The answer is probably yes, but I can't give you a date
right now. I think it might be re-released in theatres
first.
Roy Disney
ARTS BB
TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
TIME: 07/19 7:44 PM
TO: DAWN LETSINGER (XKRC31A)
FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
SUBJECT: "ROY ON RESTORATION"
You asked about how we digitially restored "Snow White and
the Seven Dwarfs" for the current re-release.
Here's the short version: We went back to the original
negative and essentially processed it through an image
processing computer, in which we were able to restore the
film back to its original colors, which had faded somewhat
over time, and to remove all the dirts and scratches.
As far as I'm concerned, the film looks as good as the
original.
We uses the same process for the soundtrack, which in my
opinion actually now sounds better than the original.
Roy Disney
ARTS BB
TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
TIME: 07/19 8:35 PM
TO: STEVE SPAIN (TPBB66A)
FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
SUBJECT: "ROY ON RESTORE 2"
You asked if we didn't use a different restoring process for
the re-releases of "Pinocchio" and "Snow White."
Yes. With "Pinocchio," it was traditional film restoration,
film to film; with "Snow White," it was film to computer.
This technology came along in time for "Snow White." Had it
been available for "Pinocchio," we would have done it then
too. The quality and resolution is much better. I'm startled
by how good it is.
Roy Disney
ARTS BB
TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
TIME: 07/19 8:23 PM
TO: SUE KABACK (RTWG87A)
FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
SUBJECT: "ROY ON S. OF SOUTH"
A lot of you asked me about whether "Song of the South"
is coming to home video.
Not in the foreseeable future. It's been an odd movie
because of the color question. It's a wonderful film, but
some people have objections, which I think are wrong, about
it.
Roy Disney
ARTS BB
TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
TIME: 07/19 7:47 PM
TO: BRIAN SAMPLES (WRDP71C)
FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
SUBJECT: "ROY ON S. WHITE"
How long did it take to make "Snow White" back in 1937?
If you take it from the concept that Walt Disney wanted to
make a full length feature film as early as 1932, that would
be five or six years, but the actual production really took
about a year and a half, the same time it takes to make an
animated feature today. It just takes that long to draw that
many pictures. Roy Disney
ARTS BB
TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
TIME: 07/19 7:56 PM
TO: CAROL HAYES (RKRB23A)
FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
SUBJECT: "ROY ON SNOW VIDEO"
Will Snow White be released on video?
We don't have any plans for that in the determinable future.
Roy Disney
ARTS BB
TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
TIME: 07/19 7:56 PM
TO: DON GIDDINGS (MRFW53A)
FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
SUBJECT: "ROY ON SONG ?"
You asked whether Sneezy's "The Silly Song" was cut from the
new re-release of "Snow White." It wasn't.
The movie that came out in 1937 is precisely what you're
seeing today. Nothing has been cut.
Roy Disney
ARTS BB
TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
TIME: 07/19 8:38 PM
TO: BOB DUNN (FPMF72A)
FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
SUBJECT: "ROY ON VIOLENCE"
You asked my opinion about violence and cartoons.
Most cartoon violence is so slapstick and totally
unbelievable, like the Coyote and the Road Runner, that I
look at it as totally harmless. If you want to talk about
movies like "Rambo," that's a whole different area of
violence that I'm not too fond of.
It's the nature of cartooning to exgagarate. When you
flatten somebody against the door, you know he's going to
come back, because you know in your hearts of hearts that
you're watching a drawing.
Roy Disney
ARTS BB
TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
TIME: 07/19 8:04 PM
TO: WENDY DE MATTEO (NKKM46B)
FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
SUBJECT: "ROY ON WHAT'S NEW"
Our next new animated feature will be in theatres next
summer. It's called "The Lion King," and is the story of a
young lion born in Africa who is destined to be king of his
pride, and all of the troubles he runs into along the way.
Then, for Christmas of 1994 we have "Pocohantas," a
traditional story of an Indian princess who serves as the
go-between between the English settlers and Native Americans
when the British came to settle in Jamestown.
Both films are musicals; for "Pocohantas" Alan Menken is
doing the music and Stephen Schwartz is writing the lyrics.
For "Lion King," the music is by Elton John and lyrics by
Tim Rice.
Our other big upcoming animation project is "Fantasia
Continued," which is a little difficlt to define. It's not a
sequel. Instead, we're adding about 30 minutes of new
material, cutting out some of the other scenes, with the
result being a new film.
Roy Disney
ARTS BB
TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
TIME: 07/19 8:43 PM
TO: ALL
FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
SUBJECT: "ROY SAYS THANKS!"
I'm really flattered by the enormous response. Thanks so
much for having me. Coming on-line here turned out to be a
lot more fun than I thought it would be.
Roy Disney
ARTS BB
TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
TIME: 07/19 8:06 PM
TO: APRIL BAILEY (PXGB02B)
FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
SUBJECT: "ROY'S ANI TIPS"
My tips for all the people who asked about how to get into
animation:
Start with taking all of the art courses you can. Study the
human anatomy and learn to draw. When you get to the point
of going to college, there are a number of good schools
which teach animation. You might consider writing to Bill
Mathews, who runs our animation department. He can
suggest some good schools to consider.
His address is:
1425 Flower Street
Glendale, California
Roy Disney
ARTS BB
TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
TIME: 07/19 7:43 PM
TO: RACHEL CHANG (VDCR15B)
FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
SUBJECT: "ROY'S BACKGROUND"
Yes, I am related to Walt Disney. I am his nephew, and I
started working here at the Walt Disney Co. in 1952 as an
assistant film editor on a film called "The Vanishing
Prarie," which was one of our early nature films, an Academy
Award winner that year.
Roy Disney
ARTS BB
TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
TIME: 07/19 7:58 PM
TO: KIM WALTERS (KRHB09B)
FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
SUBJECT: "ROY'S FAVE ANI"
Kim, you asked me to name my favorite Disney animated
classic.
I have two. The first is "Snow White" because it was the
first, and because it is still the movie we always look back
at, and say, "Can we do better?" The second is Fantasia,
because it led to so many new ways of looking at animation
as an art form. Roy Disney
ARTS BB
TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
TIME: 07/19 8:19 PM
TO: SUE KABACK (RTWG87A)
FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
SUBJECT: "ROY'S FAVE CHARAC"
Who is my favorite Disney character?
Mickey Mouse. He's my older brother.
The one who stays young forever.
Roy Disney
ARTS BB
TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
TIME: 07/19 8:09 PM
TO: CHRISTY REYNOLDS (CCKP74C)
FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
SUBJECT: "ROY'S VOICE TIPS"
My suggestion for how to get experience to be considered for
voice characterization work:
Go to work for a radio station. Raio's a very small town,
and wonderful place to get lots of experience quickly.
Getting experience i the main thing, and radio is the best
place to get it.
Roy Disney
ARTS BB
TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
TIME: 07/19 8:10 PM
TO: ERIK LOVE (XNBB76C)
FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
SUBJECT: "ROY'S WALT MEMORY"
My favorite Walt Disney memory was one schoolday when I was
sick in bed.
He and his wife over to dinner to see my parents, and Walt
came into my room to say hello. This was during the time
that the studio was making "Pinocchio," and he sat on my bed
and proceeded to tell me the whole story on "Pinocchio"
from beginning to end, acting out every part in the film.
He was a great storyteller. In fact, after seeing his
performance, I was disappointed when I saw the movie.
Roy Disney
Dave Lennert
>At the risk of Prodigy cutting off my account (well, it has been about
>three months since Roy was there), here are the replies that Roy
>Disney gave to selected questions posted by Prodigy members on the
>service.
Thanks for posting this. I really enjoyed reading it!
Dave Lennert da...@sequent.com
Sequent Computer Systems ()_() {uunet,sun,tektronix}!sequent!davel
15450 S.W. Koll Parkway (_) FAX: (503) 578-7569
Beaverton, OR 97006-6063 Voice: (503) 578-4245
"PHENOMENAL, COSMIC POWER .... itty bitty living space."
Ron Bauerle
Thanks for posting this!
>PRODIGY(R) interactive personal service 07/21/93 3:10 AM
>
> ARTS BB
>TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
>TIME: 07/19 8:16 PM
>
>TO: AMY GREEN (BJSN45C)
>FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
>SUBJECT: "ROY ON ANI SEQUEL"
>
>Amy, you asked whether we might consider producing sequels
>to some of our animated films, like "The Little Mermaid."
>The answer is no. We made one sequel, "The Rescuers Down
>Under," and we realized how difficult it is to be as good as
>the original. With animation, sequels are even harder than
>for live action.
>Roy Disney
It's too bad that TRDU didn't do that well (poor marketing didn't
help). IMHO, this was a better film, both story-wise _and_
animation-wise, than the original. I've heard that Disney being too
cheap to color in the whites of the characters' eyes in the original
"The Rescuers" was one of the factors that led Don Bluth to quit.
RDB
Robert Cook
>
I've heard that Disney being too
>cheap to color in the whites of the characters' eyes in the original
>"The Rescuers" was one of the factors that led Don Bluth to quit.
One reason Disney animators have given is to make the characters
look like mice (with no visible white portion). Outlines around the
iris better define the eyes for expressions. This could just be an
excuse, but that wouldn't make a whole lot of sense. They didn't
have to develop gray Xerox toner and hand-ink as many lines as they
had if money was so desperately scarce. Bluth probably left mostly
because he believed he could do it better.
- Robert Cook
Jane Chen
I got plenty of mail telling me that I was crazy for selling the WIP since
it's still out there so I've decided to hold onto it. Sorry for those of
you who have made an offer! I would have responded to you all personally
but my computer crashed while I was on the modem and I lost all of your
addresses. --janechen
Tim Q. Pickett
>>PRODIGY(R) interactive personal service 07/21/93 3:10 AM
>>
>> ARTS BB
>>TOPIC: ROY DISNEY
>>TIME: 07/19 8:16 PM
>>
>>TO: AMY GREEN (BJSN45C)
>>FROM: ROY DISNEY (STAR99B)
>>SUBJECT: "ROY ON ANI SEQUEL"
>>
>>Amy, you asked whether we might consider producing sequels
>>to some of our animated films, like "The Little Mermaid."
>>The answer is no. We made one sequel, "The Rescuers Down
>>Under," and we realized how difficult it is to be as good as
>>the original. With animation, sequels are even harder than
>>for live action.
>>Roy Disney
>
>It's too bad that TRDU didn't do that well (poor marketing didn't
>help). IMHO, this was a better film, both story-wise _and_
>animation-wise, than the original. I've heard that Disney being too
>cheap to color in the whites of the characters' eyes in the original
>"The Rescuers" was one of the factors that led Don Bluth to quit.
Well, personally I'm glad that they're not making any more sequels.
Granted, TRDU was a better film (my opinion) than its prequel, but I
can't see a viable sequel based upon any of the latest big-name films.
(Yes, there will be TV series for two of them, one of which - TLM - has been
going for a while, but people have this way of dismissing TV series as
"based on" a film rather than being a continuation.)
Now, which films *could* Disney safely do a sequel for if they were ever
stuck for ideas? The Rescuers, for sure. The Great Mouse Detective?
Probably, though let's hope that if they ever do, we get the word
"Basil" back into the title. Since these films were only reasonably
popular and not wildly-queue-up-for-days territory, I can't see it
happening right away. Any other films?
The 1980s were the decade of the sequel. The 1990s are the second
decade of the sequel.
--
Tim "Quetzal" Pickett que...@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au
"I can see, it's a miracle!" ins...@aurora.cc.monash.edu.au