Exclusive Sneak Peek: Walt Disney’s Tangled

Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, CA recently hosted a press event for their next film, TANGLED. Having been close to the name “Disney” from such a young age and having had such an influence on my life to this day, it was truly an honor and a once-in-a-lifetime experience to attend a behind-the-scenes look at the new animated film. from Disney.

Walt Disney had wanted to create the Rapunzel story in the 1940s, but the studio never did. Finally the time had come and the right team of more than 50 entertainers took on the task of bringing TANGLED to life.

The morning began with a screening of the film on the Walt Disney studio lot. Before the film began, producer Roy Conli and directors Byron Howard and Nathan Greno gave a brief introduction. They explained that even though the voices and sound were finished, the animation was only 60 percent complete. The remaining parts were shown as very crude storyboards or as unfinished CG animation.

For those of us who have felt that Disney has lost its magic during certain periods in recent history, apparently creating movies just for the fun of it, TANGLED is a breath of fresh air. It was very important for Howard and Greno to achieve the timeless feel of past Disney movies created decades ago.

“We love Disney from the ’40s and’ 50s and we looked at what made those movies great. Since we are making a computer generated movie, this would all be new; it would be different from anything you’ve ever seen before, but it’s still tied to our roots, “said Greno. TANGLED is the closest a computer-generated 3D movie can get to the classic 2D animated masterpieces that Walt Disney himself helped oversee.

The film was originally slated to be titled Rapunzel, but as the Disney story for the film unfolded, it became clear that the main male character, Flynn, had an equal part in the story. This is where the name change to Tangled came in. However, the new title can also bring influence at the box office.

Disney had hoped for more participation for The Princess and the Frog, which some may believe can be attributed to the use of the word “princess” in the title, and had deterred male audiences from watching the film. Instead of using the name of the female lead as the title, as many other Disney films have done (“Sleeping Beauty,” “Mulan,” “Snow White,” “Mary Poppins,” etc.), hopefully Boys and men realize that it is not a story solely about the girl. However, it is not that a title should discourage one from watching a movie; I saw my fair share of Peter Pan, Hercules, and Aladdin. Still, the directors and producers have done a wonderful job balancing the plot between the two main roles.

After the screening of the film, the press divided into four groups according to the character of our badges. The groups rotated through the study experiencing different presentations. My first stop was the “Character Creation” room, which featured a panel of a handful of animators, each of whom discussed their specific role in making TANGLED.

Rapunzel’s 70 foot hair was treated like a real character. The main belief shared by all TANGLED animators is that “it’s not JUST hair.” The animators discussed how they had to study the physics and movement of real hair to make it look completely natural and not robotic in any way.

The second item on the agenda was a short tour of the studio that included the Tangled Production Pod, where the offices of Conli, Howard and Greno are located. The common area was decorated with some artwork from “Sleeping Beauty” and Cinderella from the 1950s. Unlike the exotic trips that were made to Africa in order to get inspiration for “The Lion King”, the Directors and producers took a trip to Anaheim and visited Fantasyland within Disneyland in search of creative ideas for this film.

Tim Mertens, who has previously worked with Howard and Greno on Disney’s “Bolt,” gave a brief presentation on the editing process. He explained that he will ask any Disney cast member who has any acting skills to perform some lines of dialogue called “scratch dialogue.” With this, you can work on the timing and location of the character lines before the actual recording takes place.

The third area highlighted during this time allowed people to break free from their group and take a photo of themselves in front of a green screen. The hard copy, which was given to each person who took a photo, featured Flynn’s character. Four games were also organized and those who participated in all four received an authentic lithograph of the film.

After the activities, the journalists returned to the cinema where they had seen the film earlier that day. Here, the directors offered many words of praise to the animators who had put so much time and effort into this film. After a short film dedicated to the animators, Greno and Howard had a surprise for the audience that was not on the schedule: John Lasseter walked down the steps to the front of the theater to applause.

The creative director of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation spoke about how this studio has changed over the years after the Pixar and Disney merger. They’ve really worked to make it more of a filmmaker-driven studio, the Disney chief said, in contrast to others, which are executive-driven studios. Lasseter said of Tangled: “Although this is based on a much loved short story, this is such a fresh, modern and contemporary version with all the characters and humor. But with all the humor, we never forget the heart. The hallmark of a movie with the Disney name is the heart. Walt Disney said, ‘For every laugh, there should be a tear,’ and we really believe it. “

The last hours of the day at Disney Animation Studios were dedicated to lunchtime, a photo date with TANGLED star Flynn, and finished off with the Swag Bag complete with shirt, hat, and brush … for ALL that! hair!

For its 50th animated feature, Disney has done a great job with TANGLED. The filmmakers and animators have created memorable characters. Rapunzel (who I am convinced of, SHOULD use anti-breakage shampoo, considering all the stunts she pulls on her hair) is a sheltered but enterprising young woman. Flynn Rider (voiced by Zachary Levi) is the mischievous and unsuspecting thief (think Renaissance Aladdin) who befriends Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) by accident. The horse, Maximus, is sure to win over audiences with his funny doggy features. Pascal, Rapunzel’s faithful chameleon companion, is an unwavering ally through thick and thin. The film’s villain, the deceptive Mother Gothel, will no doubt join the ranks of famous Disney villains like Ursula and Maleficent when TANGLED premieres on November 24 on Disney Digital 3D.