{"id":41770,"date":"2018-06-15T00:01:49","date_gmt":"2018-06-15T07:01:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/?p=41770"},"modified":"2018-06-15T08:18:02","modified_gmt":"2018-06-15T15:18:02","slug":"animation-anecdotes-367","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/index.php\/animation-anecdotes-367\/","title":{"rendered":"Animation Anecdotes #367"},"content":{"rendered":"<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/AA-animation-anecdotes-logo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"423\" height=\"158\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-41832\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/AA-animation-anecdotes-logo.jpg 423w, https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/AA-animation-anecdotes-logo-300x112.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/AA-animation-anecdotes-logo-150x56.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 423px) 100vw, 423px\" \/>\n<p>\n<p><strong>Not a Toy Story Commercial.<\/strong>  From the Hollywood Reporter September 4th, 1996, in Fall 1996, Disney decided to air a series of <em>Toy Story<\/em> (1995) interstitials during ABC\u2019s Saturday morning lineup.  The ten and thirty second interstitials started airing on September 7th (the video release of the movie was October 29th).  An ABC spokeswoman said the network did not consider these interstitials to be ads for the <em>Toy Story<\/em> video.  <\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/toy-story-treats.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"199\" height=\"126\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-41776\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/toy-story-treats.jpg 199w, https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/toy-story-treats-150x95.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 199px) 100vw, 199px\" \/>\u201cWe consider them short program vignettes featuring extremly popular children\u2019s characters.  There is no reference to any ancillary product connected with <em>Toy Story<\/em>.  We intend to fully comply with children\u2019s television rules regarding advertising in that during a half hour show in which one of these vignettes is featured, no commercial will run during that program featuring <em>Toy Story<\/em> products,\u201d said the spokeswoman.<\/p>\n<p>John Lasseter, who directed the feature also directed all the interstitials.  Several of the original actors came back including John Ratzenberger and Wallace Shawn.  However, Tom Hanks and Tim Allen did not participate.  Hanks\u2019 brother, Jim, did the voice work for the character of Woody. Jim, the youngest of Tom Hanks\u2019 brothers, also did the voice of Woody for several videogames and the theme park ride <em>Toy Story Midway Mania<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Tom Hanks told talk show host Graham Norton on air in 2011 who questioned whether Hanks had supplied the voice on a talking Woody doll, \u201cNo, it\u2019s my brother Jim. There are so many computer games and video things and Jim just works on those all year long.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EMzOWTuLnCg\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; encrypted-media\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/center><\/p>\n<p>\n<hr style=\"color: #000000; background-color: #000000; height: 2px; border: none;\" \/>\n<p><strong>Robin Williams Returns to the Genie<\/strong>.  <em>Aladdin and the King of Thieves<\/em> (1996) was the second straight-to-video sequel of Disney\u2019s popular animated feature <em>Aladdin<\/em> (1992).  Unlike <em>The Return of Jafar<\/em> (1994) which was meant to be a bridge between the original film and the syndicated television series, this sequel was designed for video from the start. In fact, in July 1996, Disney threw a lavish party costing about one and a half million dollars promoting the video release in Griffith Park for video retailers at the VSDA convention in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/aladdin-thieves-logo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"195\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-41778\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/aladdin-thieves-logo.jpg 250w, https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/aladdin-thieves-logo-150x117.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/>In <em>The Hollywood Reporter<\/em> July 15th,1996, Tad Stones, the director and producer of the sequel said, \u201cWe were much more interested in elevating the quality of this one.  The budget was bigger and animators were given more time on the projects.  About a third of the movie with Dan Castellanetta as the voice of the Genie as in the first sequel was thrown out and we added a whole new climax when Robin (Williams) decided to return to the part.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Williams had publicly vowed never to work with Disney again but then Jeffrey Katzenberg left the company and \u201cThey just apologized and that\u2019s all I wanted,\u201d said Williams who was at the party to promote the video as well as his new theatrical film for Disney called <em>Jack<\/em> (1996).<\/p>\n<p>The article stated, \u201cThe beef stemmed from the studio\u2019s use of the voice recordings he made for the role of the Genie in the original theatrical feature.  He said the studio used his voice in the promotion of merchandise of Disney products that he said studio executives had expressedly agreed not to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Williams told the crowd, \u201cThey violated the one thing I said I didn\u2019t want to do.  I want to make movies, not sell stuff, even though I know that\u2019s part of their business.\u201d  Williams did point out that in the video the Genie character encourages Aladdin to \u201cconsider the marketing possibilities\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><center><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zH2CGBOtJjc\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; encrypted-media\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/CENTER><P><P><\/p>\n<hr style=\"color: #000000; background-color: #000000; height: 2px; border: none;\" \/>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/bugs-jam.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"116\" height=\"243\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-19546\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/bugs-jam.jpg 116w, https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/bugs-jam-71x150.jpg 71w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 116px) 100vw, 116px\" \/><strong>Space Jam<\/strong>. From the <em>Los Angeles Times<\/em> August 20, 1996, Ivan Reitman who produced <em>Space Jam<\/em> (1996) said, \u201cWe estimate that we had about 500 animators who worked on the movie.  We had a year less than normal for a first-class animated film like this.  We had to create an entire digital arena filled with animated characters and unlike other animated films, when (Michael) Jordan moves, all the characters and the background move.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr style=\"color: #000000; background-color: #000000; height: 2px; border: none;\" \/>\n<p><strong>You Tell \u2018Em Chuck.<\/strong> From the <em>AFI Report Summer 1974<\/em>, animator and producer Chuck Jones said, \u201cIf we ignore our heritage, if we forget or allow to lapse one of the most important factors, the art of pure animation \u2013 a drop of water, a dinosaur, a McLaren dancing line, a blob, a silver flute, a beautifully animated, delightfully floating mass of our own introspection \u2013 if we forget that these wonders cannot be accomplished by simple means, if we use limited animation only because we can get away with it, then we are overlooking the very essence of our craft and callously destroying history itself.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr style=\"color: #000000; background-color: #000000; height: 2px; border: none;\" \/>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/james-peach-200.jpg\" rel=\"prettyphoto[41770]\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/james-peach-200-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-40952\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/james-peach-200-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/james-peach-200-50x50.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a><strong>James the Stop Motion Puppet.<\/strong>  From <em>Newsday<\/em> April 16, 1996, animator and producer Henry Selick talking about his film <em>James and The Giant Peach<\/em> (1996) said, \u201cAfter a handful of shots of the puppet James, we decided the puppet didn\u2019t look right and that it was a little too realistic like animating a corpse.  We fell into a trap where we filmed the live action boy and fell in love with him and his charm.  I think we were pushing the puppet more and more to look like the live action boy rather than as a caricature. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt wasn\u2019t working because he was too real.  It had to be pushed back into the cartoon world.  We simplified him so he became more like the other puppets.  We gave him button eyes, like early Mickey Mouse.  The audience will find more motion in him without all the details.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr style=\"color: #000000; background-color: #000000; height: 2px; border: none;\" \/>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/tezuka_photo150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"135\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-1476\" \/><strong>Tezuka Land<\/strong>.  In 1970, animator Osamu Tezuka wanted Mushi Productions to create an amusement park for children to be called Mushipro-Land.  He was not inspired by Disneyland but by Pleasure Island shown in the Disney animated feature <em>Pinocchio<\/em> (1940).  The project got as far as a Japanese-English bilingual brochure to attract investors including this description: \u201cThe first plan is to construct Anti-Recreation Ground.  This is a place where children can enjoy mischief, one of the natural characteristics of children.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr style=\"color: #000000; background-color: #000000; height: 2px; border: none;\" \/>\n<p><strong>Live Action The Jetsons<\/strong>.  In <em>Variety<\/em>, June 10th, 1996, it was announced that director Joe Dante had dropped out of directing a live action version of The Jetsons over \u201ccreative differences\u201d.  That same day, director Alan Cohn dropped out of his chores on Disney\u2019s live action George of the Jungle for \u201ccreative differences\u201d.  <\/p>\n<p>In the <em>Hollywood Reporter<\/em> July 23, 1996, it was announced that Peter Segal had signed on to direct <em>The Jetsons<\/em> for Turner Pictures.  The script was by Scott Alexander and Larry Karazewski and was was scheduled to start filming in the arly spring of 1997 with a release date of summer 1998.  Segal had directed <em>Tommy Boy<\/em> (1995) and <em>Naked Gun 33 1\/3: The Final Insult<\/em> (1994) and was also attached to direct the live action version of <em>Jonny Quest<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>None of these projects ever became reality&#8230; but <em>this<\/em> did. Not live action, but still funny: <\/p>\n<p><center><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gDiJdG8MWX4\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; encrypted-media\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/center><\/p>\n<p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Space Jam&#8217;s producer Ivan Reitman said, \u201cWe estimate that we had about 500 animators who worked on the movie. We had a year less than normal for an animated film like this.&#8221; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":41785,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[114],"tags":[1705,638,437],"class_list":["post-41770","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-animation-anecdotes","tag-disneys-aladdin","tag-the-jetsons","tag-toy-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41770","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/45"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41770"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41770\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41833,"href":"https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41770\/revisions\/41833"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41770"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41770"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41770"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}