Disney archivist Justin Arthur and D23's Billy Staneck talk about D23's Fanniversary 2013

D23, the official fan club of the Walt Disney Company, stopped in Newark on Saturday for Fanniversary 2013. The Fanniversary is a presentation touring ten cities in the US celebrating the milestones of all things Disney that will occur in 2013. This year’s show highlights included rarely seen concept art from unproduced short “Mickey’s Toothache” as well as bringing along a pumpkin used in the production of Tim Burton classic The Nightmare Before Christmas (which is turning twenty this year.)

As well as discussing the anniversaries reached of major properties such as Peter Pan turning sixty, the show shined a light on some more obscure Disney features and attractions. For example, the D23 audience was shown concept art from Norway attraction, Maelstrom, which is turning thirty this year having opened in Orlando’s Epcot theme park in 1983. Given the scope of the company, it was up to a small team of Disney archivists to narrow down what makes it into this ninety minute show.

Enthusiastic hosts Justin Arthur, a Disney archivist, and Billy Staneck, web editor for D23.com and writer for the

D23 Magazine talked with MediaMikes after the presentation about what goes into making the show as well as the work of the Disney archives.

BILLY STANECK: “I love the Fanniversaries because we get to celebrate all these great shows and attractions that we don’t normally get to really talk about, you know? And that also gives us the opportunity to go into the archives and open up boxes that were stowed away back in the 1970s or 1980s or even you know, just a couple years ago. We’ll open them up and start going through them and looking for things that we think our fans might like. And so that’s where we come up with these old clips and concept art…Like the concept art for Mickey’s Toothache that you today.”

MediaMikes: Was there anything that had to get cut out of today’s show?
STANECK: “We had so much content for this presentation that we had to cut and cut and cut because there’s only so much we can do– we do about a ninety minute presentation, because it is a touring show that you know, we can’t do eight hours in each city. We have enough content to do that but we had to end up cutting quite a bit. We actually had some Pirates [of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, celebrating it’s tenth anniversary in 2013] stuff in there.”

MM: Was there anything that you thought must be kept in the show?
JUSTIN ARTHUR: “One thing we didn’t have in the original show was Maelstrom, the Norway attraction, and I think it is the most bizarre, wonderful ride. I originally said ‘We need to have everybody quote it!’ but the people on the west coast may not know it…That was one I was very adamant about. I know Billy and I were both very adamant both Roger Rabbit [turning twenty-five in 2013] and Nightmare Before Christmas having plenty of stuff to show people. Because those were two of our very very near and dear favorites. And sometimes too it depends on what we have that’s cool to show. Something might be a great movie or attraction and we may not have a great clip or a really great artwork to accompany it. So it kind of depends on what we have and what we want to get out there and show.”

MM: Besides D23 presentations, what is a day-to-day task of the Disney Archives?
STANECK: “Whatever movie they’re working on at the studio, the archives is there to help them make sure that information is accurate. Like Saving Mr Banks that they’re doing with Tom Hanks as Walt Disney that’s coming out for Christmas, they all came into the archives to do research with an archivist. So stuff like that. Disney Epic Mickey [for Nintendo Wii] they went into the archives, they did a lot of research…We also have a massive photo library where people are constantly requesting images from.”

MM: With Disney’s acquisition of Star Wars & Marvel does the archive suddenly get annexed?
ARTHUR: “It kind of depends. The films as they come along, we do take in more of those things, they are our films at this point. As far as the research side of it, the book side of it…we collect everything, it just adds on to all of things that we’re looking out for…I’m a huge geek of all those things, so for that I’m very thankful!”

MM: Important fan question, what is your favorite Disney ride or attraction?
STANECK: “I love Roger Rabbit’s cartoon spin at Disneyland, it’s one of my favorite attractions, it’s unique to Disneyland and it’s just such a cool, fun ride. I love that movie.”
ARTHUR: “Oh that’s a tough one, there’s so many! Um…I love the Indiana Jones Adventure.”

MM: Another Disneyland one!
ARTHUR: “I grew up on the east coast so let me pick a Florida one too! I love Expedition Everest. I think it’s one of the coolest rides ever. It’s terrifying, it’s beautiful, it’s just kind of the perfect attraction.”

D23’s Fanniversary has two stops remaining in its tour: Seattle on Friday April 5th and San Francisco on Sunday April 7th. For more information check out D23’s official website.

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Loren Hoskins & Kevin Hendrickson talks about making music for Disney Junior’s "Jake and the Never Land Pirates"

Loren Hoskins & Kevin Hendrickson are the musical duo responsible for the fun pirate rock on Disney Junior’s “Jake and the Never Land Pirates”. Besides the music, the duo are also characters in the show, Sharkey and Bones, Captain Hook’s henchmen. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with the Loren and Kevin about their work on the show.

Mike Gencarelli: You guys are no stranger to pirate-rock. How do you feel you have changed from Captain Bogg and Salty to The Never Land Pirate Band?
Loren Hoskins: We inherited a universe. It was one we knew fairly well with it being Never Land. We got to play all these iconic characters in a number of different situations. On top of that we got to really test the fabric of pirate rock. We were able to write song for a number of different shows. I feel like this has broadened our outlook a little bit and given us more toys to play with.
Kevin Hendrickson: I think it has also given us a lot more songs to write. We used to write about 10 songs a year but now I think we write about 10 times that amount. This is more of a full time job now.

MG: With music being a very integral part of the show do you ever feel any pressure related to writing the music?
LH: I don’t know about pressure but I suppose I do now that you brought it up [laughs]. What blew our minds when we got started with this is that we were just offered an opportunity to try and write a theme song. To have it snowball in to working on the underscore and a bunch of other little songs which then led to us being both animated and live action characters has been a real gift. I am probably more excited about things than anxious.
KH: I have a little bit different take as I do feel a certain amount of pressure but it’s exciting. The scripts and writers are really great so from the beginning I felt a lot of pressure to really up the game and write great songs. In a way it’s been a positive thing to be surrounded by such a great team.
LH: I agree with that. We were stepping in a new world as we had never done an underscore before. We had to learn a whole new vocabulary. We had to learn a new way to tell a story and we wanted to reward everyone’s faith in us.

MG: What would you say is your favorite song to perform with the group?
LH: We did a performance run at Walt Disney World that was 30 shows in 10 days. It was incredible. There were 700 people or more showing up to see us perform for each of the 3 shows. We closed each set with the song “Never Land Pirate Band”. The kids know that song very well. So to perform that live and see kids at their first rock concert jumping around and singing along is a great feeling.

MG: Loren, you voice Sharky as well as Sandy the Starfish; how do you feel about going from singing to voicing characters on the show?
LH: When I was a kid I didn’t want to be pirate when I grew up. I wanted to be Mel Blanc and be able to do all those amazing voices. So to do voices on the show is a total blessing for me. It is something I really love.

MG: What can we expect to see during season 3 of the show?
KH: There are going to be some fun spring themed episodes as well as one titled “Tiki Tree Luau”.
LH: That is going to be a great episode. These episodes are just so great as the characters are doing some really funny stuff. In one episode titled, “Captain Who?”, Captain Hook forgets who he is, which is just a great story line.

MG: Does it blow your mind how popular your character have become, even including puppet versions in “Disney Junior Live” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios?
KH: Absolutely! Everyday is just stunning and it has yet to wear off. To hear our music in the parks and see it on television and then knowing that’s it’s going out all over the world is thrilling.
LH: When we got the chance to meet the puppeteers at Disney we were both equally excited to meet each other. It was really cool to be behind the scenes of a big Disney show.

MG: What is the most rewarding aspect of your job and entertaining children?
KH: Every time we get the opportunity to perform live in front of an audience and share our music is something that has really struck me. It’s a great privileged to be able to do that.

MG: Are there any plans to do more live shows in the parks?
LH: We haven’t heard anything yet. We never know as there is always some grand adventure being planned. Right now we are really focusing on season 3. We have been recording lots of songs for the new end sequences and focusing on a new round of pirate rock.

MG: Speaking of new music, will we be seeing a new album in the near future?
LH: I sure hope so! (Laughs) They have a beautiful way of rolling things out that runs tandem with the new episodes. We have heard of lots of cool things that will be happening in the near future. We don’t know when but there should be a new album soon.

 

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Genevieve Goings talks about Disney Junior’s Choo Choo Soul and new CD "Disney Favorites"

I have to admit, 9 months ago I did not know Genevieve Goings or the music of Choo Choo Soul.  But thanks to the birth of my daughter we discovered the wonderful thing known as Disney Junior, a 24 hour channel aimed at preschoolers. While watching this station, we heard the fun and exciting videos from Choo Choo Soul with Genevieve! These songs really captured the attention of my daughter from a very young age. Their take on the ABC’s brings a new and fun way to learning.  I have a feeling that as my daughter grows up these songs are going to be more and more helpful in learning. Choo Choo Soul recently released a new CD consisting of “Disney Favorites” with classics like “Hakuna Matata”, “Bare Necessities” and “When You Wish Upon A Star”, with a little extra soul added to them. I was lucky enough to be able to track down Genevieve in order to get the inside scoop on how Choo Choo Soul started and chat about the new album and their love of entertaining children.

Mike Gencarelli: Can you tell us about the birth of Choo Choo Soul and how you met Constantine “DC” Abramson?
Genevieve Goings: It is pretty crazy how things work out. DC and I were actually in a band together, which was this R&B/Soul sort of group. I was also doing a video game (“Toe Jam & Earl III”) voice over for a guy that has now become a good friend Greg Johnson, who also created the concept for Choo Choo Soul. We were doing this game and I was voicing these Gospel singers, except they weren’t singing they were just talking. I told Greg these characters should be singing their lines and getting down with some soul. So I ended up singing the lines and we had so much fun with that. He ended up writing like 10 pages of lines that had me singing and that sparked this little thing inside of him. He said he always had an idea for a children’s CD about trains [laughs]. So we did it and it ended up being “Choo Choo Soul”, our first album. It was great and caught on like wildfire. It is actually good funky music for kids. Our tagline was “Music for kids that will not drive parents crazy”.

MG: How did you then get involved with Disney?
GG: It worked out great. Disney Channel got a hold of it and liked it. They flew me out for a meeting, which actually ended up being an audition. We didn’t know this at the time, all we got an address to meet them and it turned out to be a classroom. There were these people in suits, cameras and 30 kids on the floor sitting Indian style. They just said “Alright go!” [laughs], but it worked out. DC and I both love what we do and we have been doing it for eight years, which is crazy. But we are still going strong.

MG: What is it that you enjoy most about entertaining children?
GG: They are just so genuine  I mean they will tell you like it is. If they don’t like it baby…they don’t like it [laughs]. If they love it…then they LOVE IT with their whole entire soul! It is just really amazing. I like to say they don’t care who I am dating, what I weight or who I am wearing [laughs], you know? It a polyester suit [laughs]. They are just so pure and to be able to entertain them at that young age is great. With the magic of Disney behind us, which is the greatest children company, it gives us this platform to succeed. It is just so amazing.

MG: Tell us about your latest CD “Disney Favorites”?
GG: That was actually brought to us by Disney. It was their idea to work with Disney Junior channel, which is 24 hours of programming for that young preschool age. I think the big point for them was to really marry the classic Disney with the new era and I think that is what the whole channel is doing. So having their fun little Choo Choo crew translate these old classics to the younger generation is what they were going for with that.

MG: I like how you guys take these wonderful songs and put your little twist on them, especially with “Hakuna Matata”! I love it.
GG: Thank you. We love that. Disney Records wanted us to put together these as a full album since we only had filmed eight of these songs as videos. They said “Gosh, we need to fill up a whole CD with more songs”. So that was a great day for us. We definitely had a blast with that.

MG: What is your all-time favorite Disney classic song?
GG: Oh…Oh my gosh! I would have to say “When You Wish Upon a Star”. I can’t even believe I got to do that song. It is just amazing and very special.

MG: Like you said you’ve been doing this for 8 years now, what has been your highlight?
GG: It is really the live interactions. DC and I are both live performers. Stage has always been our thing. So I think that ending up on television has been an added bonus for us, which of course is absolutely amazing. I mean getting to dress up like Cinderella and Prince Charming and dancing around was a great highlight [laughs]. The real peak for us though is live with actual kids, getting to meet and see them. Sometimes they come dressed as us, which is really fun. Plus we are using our actually names, it is not a character name. My name is really Genevieve. So when a parent tells their kids “There’s Genevieve” and I bend down to hug them…that is the best! I just am grateful to Disney since they really have embraced us. It is not like a lot of other kids music and I think that is why it is working.

MG: What in the cards next for Choo Choo Soul? Any touring?
GG: We are really hoping to come to the Disney parks but nothing is setup yet. We will be definitely touring this year. Disney will be posting our dates. We also have a Facebook page and we put up all of our stuff there and handle it personally. We love to keep in touch with our fans and see photos/videos. Right now we are working on getting feedback from our fans as which songs are their favorites. We are trying to build that into a tour which would be like a party-along and sing-along show. We are working on that for the Summer and Fall. So hopefully we will have some dates near everyone soon.

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Win Family of Four Pack to See Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival at UCF Arena in Orlando FL This March! [ENDED]

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To celebrate Disney Live!’s latest show “Mickey’s Music Festival”, Media Mikes would like to giveaway a FAMILY FOUR PACK of tickets to see the 5:30pm show on March 3rd. If you would like to enter for your chance to win one of these great prizes, please leave us a comment below or send us an email indicating your favorite Disney character. This giveaway will remain open until February 15th at Noon, Eastern Time. This is open to residents of the United States only. One entry per person, per household. All other entries will be considered invalid. Media Mikes will randomly select winners. Winners will be alerted via email.

Mickey Mouse and friends rock the world with the stars from The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story in their new touring show Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival. Disney hits are remixed to the hottest sounds of today featuring hip hop, pop, swing, reggae, rock, country and much more! The irresistible lineup of performers, including Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy; Ariel, Sebastian and Ursula; Jasmine, Aladdin and Genie; and Woody, Buzz and Jessie; are among the more than 25 Disney stars featured in this jam session fit for the entire family! You can’t resist dancing, singing, playing your air-guitar and laughing with this band of characters! Come join them at Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival for a lively concert experience guaranteed to deliver enough rockin’ memories to last a lifetime.

UCF Arena, Orlando FL
March 3, 2013
View Venue Info

Visit the official show web site

Visit the Facebook page

 

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Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival Comes to the UCF Arena in Orlando FL This March!

Mickey Mouse and friends rock the world with the stars from The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story in their new touring show Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival. Disney hits are remixed to the hottest sounds of today featuring hip hop, pop, swing, reggae, rock, country and much more! The irresistible lineup of performers, including Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy; Ariel, Sebastian and Ursula; Jasmine, Aladdin and Genie; and Woody, Buzz and Jessie; are among the more than 25 Disney stars featured in this jam session fit for the entire family! You can’t resist dancing, singing, playing your air-guitar and laughing with this band of characters! Come join them at Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival for a lively concert experience guaranteed to deliver enough rockin’ memories to last a lifetime.

Coming soon to:
UCF Arena
March 3, 2013
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Visit the official show web site

Visit the Facebook page

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The Walt Disney Studios Release Schedule Update

Today, The Walt Disney Studios announced release dates and additional information for several upcoming films. Here’s a closer look.

THE MUPPETS 2 is now dated on 3/21/14.

  • MUPPETS 2 is produced by Todd Lieberman and David Hoberman and directed by James Bobin. The screenplay is by Bobin and Nick Stoller, who will also serve as executive producer. The cast includes Ricky Gervais and Ty Burrell – and of course, the whole Muppets gang.

 

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (Marvel) will be available in 3D.

  • Releases on 4/4/14.
  • CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER will pick up where “Marvel’s The Avengers” leaves off, as Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world. The film stars Chris Evans in the title role and will be directed by brothers Anthony and Joe Russo.

 

MALEFICENT is now dated on 7/2/14 (from 3/14/14).

  • MALEFICENT, the untold story of Disney’s most beloved villain from the 1959 classic “Sleeping Beauty,” reveals the events that hardened Maleficent’s heart and drove her to curse the baby, Aurora.
  • MALEFICENT will be released in 3D and is produced by Joe Roth and directed by Robert Stromberg, from a screenplay written by Linda Woolverton. The film stars Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Miranda Richardson, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville.

 

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (Marvel) will be available in 3D.

  • Releases on 8/1/14.
  • GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, based on the Marvel comic books of the same name, features an unlikely cast of characters who must team up in order to defeat a cosmic force of epic proportions. James Gunn will direct.

 

1952 is now dated on 12/19/14 in 3D.

  • 1952 will be produced by Damon Lindelof and directed by Brad Bird, from a script by Lindelof and Bird. George Clooney will star.

 

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 5 is now dated on 7/10/15.

  • PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 5 will be produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and will star Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. Jeff Nathanson is writing the screenplay.
  • The “Pirates of the Caribbean” films have earned over $3.7 billion at the worldwide box office. Most recently, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” earned over $1.043 billion.

 

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Craig Gerber talks about creating Disney Junior’s “Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess”

Craig Gerber is the co-executive producer/writer of Disney Junior’s “Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess”. Disney will introduce its first little girl princess with the debut of “Sofia the First: Once Upon A Princess,” an enchanting, music-filled animated Disney Junior television movie for the whole family, Sunday November 18 on Disney Channel and Thursday and November 22 on Disney Junior, the 24-hour channel. The primetime television movie special stars Ariel Winter (“Modern Family”) as the voice of Sofia, Sara Ramirez (“Grey’s Anatomy”) as her mother, Queen Miranda; Wayne Brady (“Let’s Make A Deal”) as Clover, a wise-talking Rabbit; and Tim Gunn (“Project Runway”) as Baileywick, the family’s Royal Steward. A television series of “Sofia the First”  will debut in early 2013 on Disney Junior, as well. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Craig about how this show was created and what we can expect.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us how “Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess” was born?
Craig Gerber: A few years ago, I was approached by Nancy Kanter at Disney Junior because they were looking to create a TV show centered around a princess for 2-7 year old children. She asked me flat out if I had any ideas, so I said I would think about it. So I got in my car and was stuck in traffic, I guess that is where you do your best thinking in Los Angeles. I started thinking about my own childhood. I grew up in a blended family. My parents divorced. My dad remarried. I have a half-brother. It occurred to me that it would be great to create a fairy tale story that the modern family can relate to. For there, I thought it would also be wonderful to have a princess character that children could closely identify with. I just had my first child at the time and I was watching him experiencing new things and how to get along in the world. I saw him emulating fantasy characters. Fantasy has always been a great way to tell stories and to impart lessons. I thought wouldn’t it be great for kids to be able to use those fantasy stories to provide life lessons to them as they grow up. With all that in mind, I thought “What if, there was an ordinary girl that lived in an enchanted village and her mother fell in love and married the king overnight, which made this young little girl a princess overnight.” She has to learn how to be royal and get to know her step-family. The idea of this blended royal family in an enchanted world is the heart of the show.

MG: What is a princess movie without great songs…tell us about that aspect?
CG: It is funny because I never intended it to be a musical. I got to a part in the script for the TV movie, when Sofia gets the power to talk with animals due to this emulate and they have a chance to give her their piece of mind. Her rabbit friend Clover wants to tell her why woodland creatures have been helping princesses all these years. I thought wouldn’t it be great if they just broke out into song. Like this was the first time that anyone has ever thought about that [laughs]. So I wrote lyrics to the song that would become “A Little Bit of Food”. We find out these furry woodland creatures are helping out princesses since that is where all the great food is. For there the response from the network was so great that they asked me to write three or four more songs. So it became a musical just like that! And I got to tell you…it is one of the best parts.

MG: How was it incorporating classic characters like Flora, Fauna and Merryweather from “Sleeping Beauty” and Cinderella?
CG: It is daunting. It is wonderful. That has been the fun of the show is embracing the Disney legacy and the Disney fairy tale storyboard world. And taking the decades of films and characters and creating our own unique kingdom while still incorporating those characters and elements into our show. To be able to put Flora, Fauna and Merryweather in the show and make them the head mistresses of Royal Prep, the school where Sofia and all the princesses all over the world go, is just great fun. They are great characters and children know them from “Sleeping Beauty”. It is just a blast to be able to have them show up and be a part of our world. When you bring in a classic Disney princess like Cinderella, who makes a cameo appearance to give some princess advise to Sofia, which is really…just an honor.

MG: Tell us about the amazing voice cast including Ariel Winter, Wayne Brady and Tim Gunn?
CG: The voice cast is not only supremely talented but they are genuinely excited to be working on this show. It is partially because they love the characters, the world and the legacy of Disney storytelling. Ariel Winter is a wonderful young actress from “Modern Family” and she breathes life into Sofia. She captured the character immediately. Wayne Brady is hilarious. He has brought a lot of humor both written and unwritten [laughs] to the character of Clover the Rabbit. Tim Gunn, who I believe has had limited if any voice over experience, has really embodied the character of Baileywick, the kings right-hand man. We also have Sara Ramirez from “Grey’s Anatomy”, who is a talent actress and singer. Overall, we just have such a wonderful cast who have come in and brought so much creativity and enthusiasm to the show. It has really elevated everything we done.

MG: This TV movie is set as the pilot to the upcoming animated series, when/what can we expect?
CG: The TV movie follows Sofia’s first two days in the castle, her debut ball and also getting along we her new step-sister Amber. Then in the series, which will launch early next year, will follow her continued adventures being a princess in this royal world. The show at its essence is about Sofia learning that being truly royal is about how you behave and the person you are inside. A lot of the episodes show Sofia learning these lessons or showing others how to learn these as well, especially her step-sister Amber. There are also a bunch of fun adventures that Sofia goes on and a lot of new fun characters we meet. So there are a lot of great things in store for her.

COPYRIGHT ©2012 Disney Junior. All photography is copyrighted material and is for editorial use only. Images are not to be archived, altered, duplicated, resold, retransmitted or used for any other purposes without written permission of Disney. Images are distributed to the press in order to publicize current programming. Any other usage must be licensed.

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Disney’s “Wreck-It Ralph” Prize Pack & Disney Store Bonus Shop Card Giveaway [ENDED]

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©2012 Disney Enterprises, Inc.

To celebrate the release of Disney’s “WRECK-IT RALPH”, we are excited to giveaway a $25 Disney Store bonus shop card, as well as some t-shirts and other movie goodies.  If you would like to win one of these great prizes, please leave us a comment below or send us an email and let us know your favorite video game character. This giveaway will be open until November 11th at Noon, Eastern Time and is only open to residents of the United States. Only one entry per person, per household; all other entries will be considered invalid. Once the giveaway ends, Media Mikes will randomly pick out winners and alert the winners via email.

Visit your local Disney Store or DisneyStore.com to live the adventure of WRECK-IT RALPH.

Official Website: Disney.com/WreckItRalph
Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/WreckItRalph
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/disneyanimation

Voice Cast: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch
Director: Rich Moore
Producer: Clark Spencer

From Walt Disney Animation Studios and Emmy®-winning director Rich Moore comes “Wreck-It Ralph,” a hilarious, arcade-game-hopping adventure. For decades, Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) has been overshadowed by Fix-It Felix, Jr. (voice of Jack McBrayer), the good-guy star of their game who always gets to save the day. Tired of playing the role of a bad guy, Ralph takes matters into his own massive hands and sets off on a journey across the arcade through multiple generations of video games to prove he’s got what it takes to be a hero.

On his quest, Ralph meets tough-as-nails Sergeant Calhoun (voice of Jane Lynch) from the first-person action game Hero’s Duty, and feisty misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman) from the candy-coated cart racing game, Sugar Rush, who may just be his first real friend. But everything changes when a deadly enemy is unleashed, threatening the entire arcade and Vanellope herself. Ralph finally gets his chance to save the day—but can he do it in time? “Wreck-It Ralph” is now playing in theatres in 3D.

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Disney to Buy Lucasfilm for $4.05 Billion; “Star Wars: Episode VII” Slated for 2015

 

DISNEY TO ACQUIRE LUCASFILM LTD.

Global leader in high-quality family entertainment agrees to acquire

world-renowned Lucasfilm Ltd, including legendary STAR WARS franchise. 

Acquisition continues Disney’s strategic focus on creating and monetizing the world’s best branded content, innovative technology and global growth to drive long-term shareholder value. 

Lucasfilm to join company’s global portfolio of world class brands including

Disney, ESPN, Pixar, Marvel and ABC. 

STAR WARS: EPISODE 7 feature film targeted for release in 2015. 

Burbank, CA and San Francisco, CA, October 30, 2012 – Continuing its strategy of delivering exceptional creative content to audiences around the world, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) has agreed to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd. in a stock and cash transaction. Lucasfilm is 100% owned by Lucasfilm Chairman and Founder, George Lucas.

Under the terms of the agreement and based on the closing price of Disney stock on October 26, 2012, the transaction value is $4.05 billion, with Disney paying approximately half of the consideration in cash and issuing approximately 40 million shares at closing. The final consideration will be subject to customary post-closing balance sheet adjustments.

“Lucasfilm reflects the extraordinary passion, vision, and storytelling of its founder, George Lucas,” said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. “This transaction combines a world-class portfolio of content including Star Wars, one of the greatest family entertainment franchises of all time, with Disney’s unique and unparalleled creativity across multiple platforms, businesses, and markets to generate sustained growth and drive significant long-term value.”

“For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next,” said George Lucas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lucasfilm. “It’s now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers. I’ve always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime. I’m confident that with Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, and having a new home within the Disney organization, Star Wars will certainly live on and flourish for many generations to come. Disney’s reach and experience give Lucasfilm the opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive media, theme parks, live entertainment, and consumer products.”

Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Lucasfilm, a leader in entertainment, innovation and technology, including its massively popular and “evergreen” Star Wars franchise and its operating businesses in live action film production, consumer products, animation, visual effects, and audio post production. Disney will also acquire the substantial portfolio of cutting-edge entertainment technologies that have kept audiences enthralled for many years. Lucasfilm, headquartered in San Francisco, operates under the names Lucasfilm Ltd., LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, and Skywalker Sound, and the present intent is for Lucasfilm employees to remain in their current locations.

Kathleen Kennedy, current Co-Chairman of Lucasfilm, will become President of Lucasfilm, reporting to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn. Additionally she will serve as the brand manager for Star Wars, working directly with Disney’s global lines of business to build, further integrate, and maximize the value of this global franchise. Ms. Kennedy will serve as executive producer on new Star Wars feature films, with George Lucas serving as creative consultant. Star Wars Episode 7 is targeted for release in 2015, with more feature films expected to continue the Star Wars saga and grow the franchise well into the future.

The acquisition combines two highly compatible family entertainment brands, and strengthens the long-standing beneficial relationship between them that already includes successful integration of Star Wars content into Disney theme parks in Anaheim, Orlando, Paris and Tokyo.

Driven by a tremendously talented creative team, Lucasfilm’s legendary Star Wars franchise has flourished for more than 35 years, and offers a virtually limitless universe of characters and stories to drive continued feature film releases and franchise growth over the long term. Star Wars resonates with consumers around the world and creates extensive opportunities for Disney to deliver the content across its diverse portfolio of businesses including movies, television, consumer products, games and theme parks. Star Wars feature films have earned a total of $4.4 billion in global box to date, and continued global demand has made Star Wars one of the world’s top product brands, and Lucasfilm a leading product licensor in the United States in 2011. The franchise provides a sustainable source of high quality, branded content with global appeal and is well suited for new business models including digital platforms, putting the acquisition in strong alignment with Disney’s strategic priorities for continued long-term growth.

The Lucasfilm acquisition follows Disney’s very successful acquisitions of Pixar and Marvel, which demonstrated the company’s unique ability to fully develop and expand the financial potential of high quality creative content with compelling characters and storytelling through the application of innovative technology and multiplatform distribution on a truly global basis to create maximum value. Adding Lucasfilm to Disney’s portfolio of world class brands significantly enhances the company’s ability to serve consumers with a broad variety of the world’s highest-quality content and to create additional long-term value for our shareholders.

The Boards of Directors of Disney and Lucasfilm have approved the transaction, which is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, certain non-United States merger control regulations, and other customary closing conditions. The agreement has been approved by the sole shareholder of Lucasfilm.

Note: Additional information and comments from Robert A. Iger, chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company, and Jay Rasulo, senior executive vice president and CFO, The Walt Disney Company, regarding Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm, are attached.

Investor Conference Call:

An investor conference call will take place at approximately 4:30 p.m. EDT / 1:30 p.m. PDT today, October 30, 2012. To listen to the Webcast, turn your browser to http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/investors/events or dial in domestically at (888) 771-4371 or internationally at (847) 585-4405. For both dial-in numbers, the participant pass code is 33674546.

The discussion will be available via replay on the Disney Investor Relations website through November 13, 2012 at 5:00 PM EST/2:00 PM PST.

About The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with five business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, interactive media, and consumer products. Disney is a Dow 30 company with revenues of over $40 billion in its Fiscal Year 2011.

About Lucasfilm Ltd.

Founded by George Lucas in 1971, Lucasfilm is a privately held, fully-integrated entertainment company. In addition to its motion-picture and television production operations, the company’s global activities include Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, serving the digital needs of the entertainment industry for visual-effects and audio post-production; LucasArts, a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software worldwide; Lucas Licensing, which manages the global merchandising activities for Lucasfilm’s entertainment properties; Lucasfilm Animation; and Lucas Online creates Internet-based content for Lucasfilm’s entertainment properties and businesses. Additionally, Lucasfilm Singapore, produces digital animated content for film and television, as well as visual effects for feature films and multi-platform games. Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

Certain statements in this communication and the attachments may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements relate to a variety of matters, including but not limited to: the operations of the businesses of Disney and Lucasfilm separately and as a combined entity; the timing and consummation of the proposed merger transaction; the expected benefits of the integration of the two companies; the combined company’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical fact. These statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of Disney and Lucasfilm regarding future events and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Neither Disney nor Lucasfilm undertakes any obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Such differences may result from a variety of factors, including but not limited to:

  • legal or regulatory proceedings or other matters that affect the timing or ability to complete the transactions as contemplated;
  • the risk that the businesses will not be integrated successfully;
  • the possibility of disruption from the merger making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships;
  • the possibility that the merger does not close, including but not limited to, due to the failure to satisfy the closing conditions;
  • any actions taken by either of the companies, including but not limited to, restructuring or strategic initiatives (including capital investments or asset acquisitions or dispositions);
  • developments beyond the companies’ control, including but not limited to: changes in domestic or global economic conditions, competitive conditions and consumer preferences; adverse weather conditions or natural disasters; health concerns; international, political or military developments; and technological developments.

Additional factors that may cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements are set forth in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Disney for the year ended October 1, 2011, under the heading “Item 1A—Risk Factors,” and in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings made with the SEC by Disney.

ROBERT A. IGER, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY 

REMARKS FOR ANALYSTS REGARDING DISNEY’S ACQUISITION OF LUCASFILM LTD.

As we just announced, The Walt Disney Company has agreed to acquire Lucasfilm and its world class portfolio of creative content – including the legendary Star Wars franchise – along with all of its operating businesses, including Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound.

George Lucas is a visionary, an innovator and an epic storyteller – and he’s built a company at the intersection of entertainment and technology to bring some of the world’s most unforgettable characters and stories to screens across the galaxy. He’s entertained, inspired, and defined filmmaking for almost four decades and we’re incredibly honored that he has entrusted the future of that legacy to Disney.

Disney has had a great relationship with George that goes back a long way – with Star Wars theme attractions in our parks in Anaheim, Orlando, Paris and Tokyo. This acquisition builds on that foundation and combines two of the strongest family entertainment brands in the world. It makes sense, not just because of our brand compatibility and previous success together, but because Disney respects and understands – better than just about anyone else – the importance of iconic characters and what it takes to protect and leverage them effectively to drive growth and create value.

Lucasfilm fits perfectly with Disney’s strategic priorities. It is a sustainable source of branded, high quality creative content with tremendous global appeal that will benefit all of Disney’s business units and is incredibly well suited for new business models, including digital platforms. Adding the Lucasfilm IP to our existing Disney, Pixar and Marvel IP clearly enhances our ability to serve consumers, strengthening our competitive position — and we are confident we can earn a return on invested capital well in excess of our cost of capital.

Star Wars in particular is a strong global brand, and one of the greatest family entertainment franchises of all time, with hundreds of millions of fans around the globe. Its universe of more than 17,000 characters inhabiting several thousand planets spanning 20,000 years offers infinite inspiration and opportunities – and we’re already moving forward with plans to continue the epic Star Wars saga.

The last Star Wars movie release was 2005’s Revenge of the Sith – and we believe there’s substantial pent up demand. In 2015, we’re planning to release Star Wars Episode 7 – the first feature film under the “Disney-Lucasfilm” brand. That will be followed by Episodes 8 and 9 – and our long term plan is to release a new Star Wars feature film every two to three years. We’re very happy that George Lucas will be creative consultant on our new Star Wars films and that Kathleen Kennedy, the current Co-Chair of Lucasfilm, will executive produce. George handpicked Kathy earlier this year to lead Lucasfilm into the future. She’ll join Disney as President of Lucasfilm, reporting into Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn and integrating and building the Star Wars franchise across our company.

Our successful acquisitions of Pixar and Marvel prove Disney’s unique ability to grow brands and expand high-quality creative content to its fullest franchise potential and maximum value.

We’ve leveraged Pixar’s terrific characters and stories into franchises across our company – from feature films to consumer products online games, major attractions in our theme parks, and more.

The 2006 Pixar acquisition delivered more than great Pixar content — it also delivered the means to energize and revitalize the creative engine at Walt Disney Animation – which was crucial to our long term success. Animation is the heart and soul of Disney and our successful creative resurgence will be on full display this weekend when Wreck-It-Ralph opens in theaters across the country.

Our acquisition of Marvel three years later combined Marvel’s strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters with Disney’s creative skills, unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and an integrated business structure that maximizes the value of creative content across multiple platforms and territories. Our first two Marvel films – Thor and Captain America grossed a total of more than $800 million at the box office. This year, Marvel’s The Avengers grossed more than $1.5 billion to become the world’s third highest grossing movie of all time – and an important and lucrative franchise for us.

We’re looking forward to a robust slate of new Marvel movies – starting with Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World next year, followed by Captain America: The Winter Soldier in 2014. And, as we announced previously, Joss Whedon is writing and directing Avengers 2 and developing a Marvel-based series for ABC.

Pixar and Marvel both fit our criteria for strategic acquisitions – they add great IP that benefits multiple Disney businesses for years to come, and continue to create value well in excess of their purchase price. The acquisition of Lucasfilm is in keeping with this proven strategy for success and we expect it to create similar opportunity for Disney to drive long-term value for our shareholders.

We’re clearly excited about this move forward. We believe we can do great things with these amazing assets….we have a proven track record of maximizing the value of our strategic acquisitions…. and we’re poised to do the same with this one.

JAY RASULO, SENIOR EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CFO, THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY 

REMARKS FOR ANALYSTS REGARDING DISNEY’S ACQUISITION OF LUCASFILM LTD.

Lucasfilm, and more specifically the Star Wars franchise, fits perfectly within the Disney portfolio of intellectual properties and the strategic and financial implications of this acquisition are compelling. Our team has spent a tremendous amount of time evaluating this deal and we have concluded we are uniquely positioned to maximize the value of Lucasfilm’s IP in a manner that can generate substantial value for our shareholders above and beyond the purchase price.

In this transaction we will acquire rights to the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, a highly talented and expert team, Lucasfilm’s best-in-class post production businesses, Industrial Light and Magic and Skywalker Sound, and a suite of cutting edge entertainment technologies. Our valuation focused almost entirely on the financial potential of the Star Wars franchise, which we expect to provide us with a stream of storytelling opportunities for years to come delivered via all relevant platforms on a global basis.

There are a number of ways our company will derive value from Lucasfilm’s intellectual property—some of which can be realized immediately while others will accrue to us over time. George and his team have built Star Wars into one of the most successful and enduring family entertainment franchises in history, as well as one of the best selling licensed character merchandise brands in the U.S. and around the world. However, we believe there is great opportunity to further expand the consumer products business. Today, Star Wars is heavily skewed toward toys and North America. We see great opportunity domestically to extend the breadth and depth of the Star Wars franchise into other categories. We also plan to leverage Disney’s global consumer products organization to grow the Star Wars consumer products business internationally.

Let me note that in 2012 Lucasfilm’s consumer products business is expected to generate total licensing revenue that is comparable to the roughly $215 million in consumer products revenue Marvel generated in 2009, the year in which we announced our acquisition. With renewed film releases, and the support we can give the Star Wars property on our Disney-branded TV channels, we expect that business to grow substantially and profitably for many years to come.

We also expect to create significant value in the film business. We plan to release the first new Star Wars film in 2015, and then plan to release one film every two to three years. These films will be released and distributed as part of our target slate of 8-10 live-action films per year, and will augment Disney’s already strong creative pipeline for many years to come. Lucasfilm has not released a Star Wars film since Revenge of the Sith in 2005. However, adjusted for inflation, as well as growth in both international box office and 3D, we estimate the three most recent Star Wars films would have averaged about $1.5 billion in global box office in today’s dollars. This speaks to the franchise’s strength, global appeal and the great opportunity we have in the film business.

We also expect to utilize Star Wars in other businesses including Parks & Resorts, in games and in our television business. These initiatives were also considered in our valuation.

Under the terms of the agreement, Disney will buy Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion, consisting of approximately fifty percent cash and fifty percent in Disney stock. Based on Friday’s closing price of Disney stock, we expect to issue approximately 40 million Disney shares in this transaction. We continue to believe our shares are attractively priced at current levels and therefore, we currently intend to repurchase all of the shares issued within the next two years– and that’s in addition to what we planned to repurchase in the absence of the transaction.

Our valuation of Lucasfilm is roughly comparable to the value we placed on Marvel when we announced that acquisition in 2009. Our Lucasfilm valuation is almost entirely driven by the Star Wars franchise, so any success from other franchises would provide upside to our base case. I realize it may be a challenge for you to quantify our opportunity given the limited amount of publicly available information. But to give you some perspective on the size of the Lucasfilm business– in 2005, the year in which the most recent Star Wars film was released, Lucasfilm generated $550 million in operating income. We’ve taken a conservative approach in our valuation assumptions, including continued erosion of the home entertainment market, and we expect this acquisition to create value for our shareholders.

In terms of the impact on our financials, we expect the acquisition to be dilutive to our EPS by low single digit percentage points in fiscal 2013 and 2014 and become accretive to EPS in 2015.

Our capital allocation philosophy has been consistent since Bob took over as CEO. In addition to returning capital to shareholders, we have invested, both organically and through acquisitions, in high quality, branded content that can be seamlessly leveraged across our businesses. Our acquisition of Lucasfilm is entirely consistent with this strategy, and we’re incredibly excited by the prospect of building on Lucasfilm’s successful legacy to create significant value for our shareholders.

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Olivia Holt talks about Disney Channel Movie “Girl Vs. Monster and Disney XD’s “Kickin’ It”

Olivia Holt plays Kim on Disney XD’s “Kickin’ It”. Olivia is starring in the new Disney Channel Original film “Girl vs. Monster”, which premieres October 12th. Olivia took out some time to chat with Olivia about the film and what we can expect from her relationship with Jack on the season of “Kickin’ It”.

Mike Gencarelli: How was it going from martial arts in “Kickin’ It” to fighting monsters on “Girl vs. Monster”?
Olivia Holt: It was a really great experience. I had such a great time. It was really cool since in “Kickin’ It’ we do martial arts and in “Girl vs. Monster” my character does a bunch of stunts in the movie. So I got to bring a little bit of that athlete activity from the show into the the movie.

MG: Was it a big transition going from TV to feature film?
OH: They were two totally different things though. I always have such a great time with the cast on “Kickin’ It”. On “Girl vs. Monster” everyone in the cast got very close, which was really great as well. It was a little bit challenging though going from going a sitcom to a feature film. It was pretty interesting for me since I never did anything like that before. I met so many great people and had so many fantastic experiences.

MG: Tell us about your character in the film Skylar?
OH: Skylar is such a cool girl. She is confident, fearless and doesn’t care what everyone thinks. She has this great sense of style and is super athletic. What I like about her most though is that any girl can look up to her and want to be like Skylar. For me as well, I want to be like Skylar, she is such a great role model. I was so inspired to play her. In the beginning of the movie, she is fearless and mid-way through she learns fear. She has to learn how to overcome that fear. I think it is cool that the audience gets to watch her transition herself from being fearless to learning to overcome her fears.

MG: Tell us about the music in “Girl vs. Monster”?
OH: It says such amazing music. I had such a wonderful time recording the songs that we had in the movie. All the songs have such a great message. I had such a great time filming them as well. We all had really really fun.

MG: With Disney XD’s “Kickin’ It well into its second season, what would you say as been your highlight working on this show?
OH: This season is has so much heart in it. You really get to see the characters grow up. I think it is really cool that the audience gets to grow up with them. They get to change and learn more about themselves. I like the fact that my character Kim gets to find herself every day. She is a really cool character. She is growing up and learning how to express her feeling for Jack, who is played by Leo Howard.

MG: Anything sneak preview into the rest of the season?
OH: Yeah, there are a couple of episodes left. Towards the end of the season, you do get to see Kim and Jack’s relationship change into expressing their feelings for each other more. I think the audiences are looking forward to them finally admitting they like each other. You get to see how they react and I think it is going to be great. I am probably going to cry [laughs].

MG: You also have two CDs being released this Fall, “Disney Channel Holiday Playlist” and “Make Your Mark: Ultimate Playlist”; tell us about those?
OH: I am super pumped that I get to share my music with everyone. Music is really my passion and I am so inspired by it. Being able to share with everyone music that I love to sing and I am looking forward to that. I just hope everyone enjoys them as much as I did.

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Filed Under: Interviews, TV Interviews Tagged With: disney, fi, girl, holt, kickin, monster, ...

Katherine McNamara talks about Disney Channel Movie “Girl Vs. Monster and Disney XD’s “Kickin’ It”

Katherine McNamara is co-starring in Disney Channel Movie of the week “Girl Vs. Monster”, which premieres on October 12th.  Katherine is also a recurring cast member on Disney XD’s “Kickin’ It”.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Katherine about her new roles and also what she has planned next like “Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn” next year.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about making you Disney Channel Movie of the week debut in “Girl Vs. Monster”
Katherine McNamara: I am just so excited for this movie. Being on the Disney Channel has been a dream of mine. It is really thrilling for me, especially on a movie like this. It is your quintessential Halloween movie, in my opinion. There is action, adventure, Halloween spooks and scares, special effects, stunts, a little bit of romance and lots of great music that everyone is going to love. I got to work with such talented and wonderful people on this movie. I just feel so blessed and lucky to be able to work on such a great project.

MG: Give us some background on your character Myra?
KM: She is a really interesting character. I really get to play like three different characters in the movie since she goes through such a wide metamorphosis. The first she is the stereotypic mean high school girl. She is very conniving and narcissistic. She also has this huge rivalry with the main character Skylar Lewis (played by Olivia Holt). The next phase she gets possessed by a monster about half way through. That was really interesting because my character gets a complete makeover both physical and personality-wise. Towards the end of the movie, she realizes the error of her ways, if you will, and becomes a nice person and friend of the Skylar.

MG: What was the highlight of working on this film?
KM: There are so many wonderful things. I think it would have to be the music and the wonderful lifetime friendships I have made. Everyone on the film was just incredible, the cast and crew. We all got very close and spent literally every moment together. We just had the most phenomenal time together. Also music is such a passion of mine and I got to sing on a couple of the songs in the film. It is really wonderful. The music is really so great.

MG: Also tell us about playing Claire on Disney XD’s “Kickin’ It”?
KM: “Kickin’ It” is such a great show. One of my good friends, Dylan Snyder, is one the show. He introduced me to the cast, visit the set and hang out before Claire was even a distant thought in the minds of the writers. Eventually when this audition came up, I was so excited. Getting to work with your friends is better than anything. When I booked the role it was just a guest star but now it is recurring. It is a dream comes true. I love that show.

MG: You are playing Becky Thatcher in “Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn” next year, tell us about that film?
KM: The Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn story is very near and dear to my heart my whole life. I grew up in Missouri just a few hours from where the stories are set. So getting an opportunity to play such an iconic character is really an honor for me. Also to get to work with great talent like Joel Courtney and Jake T. Austin was just icing on the cake for me. We filmed it in Bulgaria, which is such an amazing and beautiful place. It was my first time out of the US and I loved every minute of it. I learned so much and it was so different. I got another lifelong friendship out of that film. Joel and I are completely inseparably.

MG: You are non-stop working, Flash forward to next summer you have “Contest”, can you tell us about that project?
KM: I just have to say, I feel so blessed being able to work so much. It is something I love doing. I just want to keep working, which is how I will learn and grow. “Contest” was such an amazing film. It is with Danny Flaherty from “Skins” and Kenton Duty from “Shake it Up”. It is about bullying and is a really great story that needs to be heard. Bullying has become such an epidemic and almost like the norm in school and kids to expect it. It is not acceptable. I have been through so much bullying in my life and I don’t think any kid should have to experience that. So, I am hoping that this movie will bring some awareness to this issue and its effects.

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Filed Under: Interviews, TV Interviews Tagged With: channel, disney, girl, katherine, kickin, mcnamara, ...

Event Review: Disney On Ice Presents Rockin’ Ever After – Amway Center, Orlando FL

Disney on Ice presents ROCKIN’ EVER AFTER
Sep 7 2012 at 7:30 pm
Amway Center, Orlando FL
Produced by: Feld Entertainment
Running Time: 2 hours with intermission

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

I have been attending Disney on Ice events for about 30 years now and I still enjoy them every time. Now having a daughter of my own (only 3 months old though), I am looking forward to introducing her to this event next year, hopefully just like my parents did for me. “Disney On Ice Presents Rockin’ Ever After” was the perfect event for any little girl…oops sorry, I mean Princess. There were many little princesses all around the Amway Center, I just couldn’t help but thinking about my daughter in those costumes. This event honestly though has been my favorite in many years.  There was something about it that just really engaged the audience, yes even the adults too!  The songs are just amazing and timeless. I can’t wait to see what they do next with Disney on Ice. I am not sure how they will top this one though?!!

The basis story for the show features Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy introducing different talent as they “compete” to be the next superstar.  The princesses that take the spotlight in this show are Ariel, Rapunzel, Belle, and Merida from Disney•Pixar’s BRAVE in her ice debut!.  Like I said this show was amped up from last year.  There was something about the costumes that just really stood out and shined.  I really enjoyed the re-imagination of the characters wardrobe, especially for “The Little Mermaid” section. While on “Little Mermaid”, it stood out from the others being the only part of the show that used non-Disney music.  They had a nice blend of 80’s music including Madonna, with the classic songs.  “The Little Mermaid” also really stood out for its great use of black light on the environment and its skaters.

I am a huge Rapunzel fan personally, I feel that they did the “Tangled” portion up really well.  I thought the way they changed up the “The Ugly Duckling” scene into a dream sequence was very clever.  I also really enjoyed the way the lantern scene was presented. Merida from Disney•Pixar’s BRAVE was up next after the intermission in her ice debut!  They did a good job of working this section into a story being told by Mickey to his friends.  This way they were able to tell the story and leave out the witch and the bear aspects of the film.  It really flowed well.  Lastly, what better way to end then with “Beauty and the Beast”, one of my favorite films of all time.  This story is timeless and always warms your heart.  I should note it is also the only one out of the four that included the final showdown between good and evil, or Beast and Gaston in this case.  Of course then as usual Mickey and his friends closed the show and what an ending it was.  I had a hard time getting up, hoping that there would be more.  Oh well, have to wait till next year.

If you are interested in catching this great event while it visits the Amway Center in Orlando FL from September 7th-9th, 2012.  Click here for tickets and more details.

Here are a few pics that we were able to snap throughout the show, hope you enjoy!

For more information, visit us at: http://www.DisneyOnIce.com
Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DisneyOnIce
Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DisneyOnIce

 

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Book Review “Poster Art of the Disney Parks”

Authors: Daniel Handke, Vanessa Hunt
Hardcover: 144 pages
Publisher: Disney Editions
Release Date: September 11, 2012

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

There is something just magically about Disney Parks.  It may not be something that everyone can pick up on who visits the park but it is there if you take the time to open your eyes.  Walking through Disney is such a magical experience, the sights, the music, the smells, the characters…the artwork.  The poster art around Disney is so iconic and memorable, as well as timeless. This book is a tribute to all of those amazing posters that grace the park for the rides and shows.  These wonderful works of art were created for guests by the Imagineers.  The Disney Imagineers are legends and masters of their craft.  There are able to tell a story of each attraction through their artwork and whisk away its audience to a magical place.

Disney’s attraction posters have always been critical part of attraction since Disneyland started displaying them in the late 1950’s.  Not only are they eye-catching wonders but they also give you can insight into the world of Disney and what to expect from the park.  One of the first attraction posters (and maybe the best) was for the ride Jungle Cruise. And they are still such a important factor in today’s times with the 2012 opening of Cars Land in Disney’s California Adventure. Those are just two of the posters that are reproduced and represented within this book. Also showcased is the wonderful art from “Tiki Room” and “Splash Mountain”,  along with dozens of other posters from every decade since the 50’s.

I also really enjoyed watching the art styles and design techniques change over the years and yet still remain the same in a way. It just proves how timeless Disney is and how the art for these rides and shows are relevant today.  In the book, it is doesn’t just focus on Disneyland and Disney World though there is showcasing from all different continents like Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland.  They show have each park has their own unique signature look yet still hold true the Disney charm and spirit lying within them all.  My only real complaint about the book is that there is a bit of white space surrounding the artwork.  Nonetheless Disney Editions scored again with another beautiful coffee table book.  Upon receiving this book, my wife decided to spoof “Jaws” and tell me the following “We’re gonna need a bigger coffee table.”

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Disney On Ice “Rockin’ Ever After” Heads to Orlando This September

Disney On Ice presents Rockin’ Ever After

Jolts the Ice with a Superstar Lineup of Disney Talent

Disney•Pixar’s New Adventurous Heroine Merida from the Hit Film BRAVE Makes Her Skating Debut

Tickets for Orlando, Florida on Sale July 20 at 10 a.m. 

Orlando, FL – July 10, 2012 – Mickey and Minnie have searched the globe for the hippest and hottest acts to perform in the most sensational talent showcase to rock the ice in Orlando, Disney On Ice presents Rockin’ Ever After. Tickets for performances at the Amway Center go on sale July 20 at 10 a.m.

In a new twist on fairytale fun, favorite Disney characters compete to be the next superstar in comical segments leading up to the tales of show stopping princesses – Ariel, Rapunzel, Belle, and Merida from Disney•Pixar’s BRAVE in her ice debut!

“The most exciting part of bringing a fearless and independent character like Merida to the ice for the first time is knowing that she has a powerful and inspiring message to deliver about finding the courage to determine one’s own fate,” says Producer Nicole Feld. “We think her story translates well to the ice and will really resonate with today’s audience.”

Produced by Feld Entertainment, Rockin’ Ever After remixes the stories of Disney’s most adventurous heroines with upbeat music and energetic choreography that will have audiences singing, dancing and cheering for their beloved Disney idols. Mickey and Minnie encounter the most talented performers in the land with an all-star lineup that includes Sebastian and the Daughters of Triton from The Little Mermaid, the rowdy pub thugs from Tangled and the spunky enchanted servants from Beauty and the Beast. The journey continues to the Scottish highlands where audiences will be captivated and star struck by Merida, as an exhilarating archery contest ensues for the right to marry the fiery redhead.

“Our challenge in developing Rockin’ Ever After was figuring out how to highlight moments from these beloved stories in a way that reflects the type of entertainment that families value today,” says Producer Juliette Feld. “By pulling elements from the talent show trend on contemporary television, we developed a truly unique way to lead into each fairytale.”

Show Times: Friday, September 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, September 8 at 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, September 9 at 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Where: Amway Center, 400 West Church Street – Suite 200, Orlando, Florida 32801

Ticket Prices and Purchase: $52 Front Row, $37 VIP, $27, $22, $15 (Ticketmaster service charges and facility fees not included.) All seats are reserved, and tickets go on sale to the public July 20 at 10 a.m. Tickets are available at www.DisneyOnIce.com or www.ticketmaster.com, at any Ticketmaster outlet, by calling 800-745-3000, or at the Amway Center box office (phone for information only: 407-440-7900). For group ticket sales and information, call 866-248-8740.

Sister producers Nicole Feld and Juliette Feld have composed their own lineup of talent to create this star studded skating extravaganza:

  • Patty Vincent (Director) – Directed numerous Feld Entertainment ice and stage shows including Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream; began her career at Feld Entertainment as a skater 27 years ago, and has advanced in the company to become Character Development Director for all touring Disney On Ice and Disney Live!productions
  • Jeremy Desmon (Writer) – Credits include The Girl in the Frame, If You Give A Mouse A Cookie & Other Storybooks, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents BARNUM BASHSM and Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival.  He received the 2007 Kleban Award for excellence in Musical Theatre Book writing, and is also a recipient of the Dramatists Guild’s Jonathan Larson Fellowship
  • Cindy Stuart (Choreographer) – Collaborated with Olympic Gold Medalist Robin Cousins on multiple projects; choreographed for Katarina Witt, Brian Orser, World and Olympic Champions Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao, and Olympic Champions Jamie Salé and David Pelletier; lead choreographer for several Disney On Ice productions, including Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream
  • Walt Spangler (Scenic Designer) – Created sets for theatre, opera, dance and ice; his credits include the Broadway revival of Desire Under The Elms, The US National Tour of A Christmas Story The Musical, Maury Yeston’s Tom Sawyer Ballet, Kenneth Lonergan’s Medieval Play, the upcoming world premiere of Tuck Everlasting The Musical and the upcoming Beijing premiere of White Snake
  • Cynthia Nordstrom (Costume Designer) – Designed costumes for more than 15 original dance shows in Downtown Disney; designed costumes for Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy and Disney’s Phineas and Ferb: The Best LIVE Tour Ever!
  • Sam Doty (Lighting Designer) – Credits as a lighting designer include Disney Live! Mickey’s Rockin’ Road Show, Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival, Disney’s Phineas and Ferb: The Best LIVE Tour Ever! and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Presents BARNUM BASH. He has assisted in the building and planning of every Feld Entertainment show since 2006 in roles ranging from head electrician to lighting designer.

For the tour schedule and to find out more about Disney On Ice presents Rockin’ Ever After, go to www.disneyonice.com. Follow the producers of the show on Twitter @Nicole Feld or @Juliette Feld, and visit us on Facebook and YouTube.

 

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Filed Under: Headlines Tagged With: disney, heads, ice, orlando, rockin, september, ...

Titmouse, Inc.’s Chris Prynoski talks about Adult Swim’s “Metalocalypse” and Disney XD’s “Motorcity”

Chris Prynoski is the co-founder Titmouse, Inc.  The animation studio is responsible for a lot of shows on Adult Swim like “Metalocalypse”, “The Venture Bros” and “Superjail”.  Chris also works on the TV series on  Disney XD called “Motorcity”.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Chris about Titmouse, “Metalocalypse” and Disney XD’s “Motorcity”.

Mike Gencarelli: Give us some background on how you started animation studio Titmouse, Inc.?
Chris Prynoski: I never really had a plan. I got my start in the mid 90’s at MTV in New York right after I graduated from SVA. I cut my teeth on Beavis and Butt-Head as a storyboard artist – and after directing on the B&B movie and Daria and creating a short lived show called Downtown, I felt like it was time to move out to LA. While I was directing at the studios out here, I had the idea to start an internet t-shirt company on the side. It was the early 2000’s and it seemed like a good time to try starting a business. I called the t-shirt company Titmouse. Anyways, I didn’t make a ton of t-shirts, but I kept getting freelance animation work. I had to hire a bunch of friends to help out. Before I knew it, we had a ton of employees and because I had filed the business paperwork for Titmouse, that became the name of the animation studio. I don’t think I could have started it on purpose. It just kind of happened.

MG: What is the biggest challenge co-owning and working with your wife?
CP: It’s great because I get to see her a lot, but sometimes we have to shut off the “work talk” when we get home. Just maintaining a certain amount of separation between our business stuff and the personal stuff is sometimes challenging. We are expecting our first son in about a month and a half, so she’s going to be at home for a while. I’ll shoulder more of the studio stuff during that time and I’m sure that we’ll be too busy cleaning up turds to talk very much about work.

MG: With “Metalocalypse”, you not only have produced but also directed some episodes, what is your biggest challenge with this show?
CP: There’s tons of challenges on every show I’ve ever worked on. With Metal (I directed on the first 2 seasons) it was trying to fit everything in the 11 minute format. Brendon and Tommy are both genius improv comedians. We would end up with hours of material. It’s a real challenge in the edit room to get these episodes down to time and still keep them funny and interesting and satisfying. We tried going to 22 minutes in the third season, but we are back to 11’s for the fourth season because we all agreed that’s the format that works the best for the show.

MG: How do you feel that the show differs now entering its fourth season?
CP: Well, one thing is going back to the 11 minute format. I dig it. Also, as Schnepp and I have involved ourselves in other projects, there’s more room for additional directors. Mark Brooks, who ran the writers room with Brendon, directed a bunch. Felipe Salazar, our editor, is also directing this season. Brendon is directing again as well. We are also working on new videos for the upcoming tour with Lamb of God.

MG: How does it feel going from a show like “Metalocalypse” to a complete 360 like Disney XD’s “Motorcity”?
It’s very different doing a kids show. Hopefully Motorcity is a show that adults can enjoy too. There are definitely more story restrictions – you’re not going to see any booger sugar addicted clowns, or bloody dismemberments in a show like Motorcity. But we are really trying to push it to a new level visually. The action stuff is fun to direct and we can go crazy in a different kind of way.

MG: Tell us about how you got involved directing the amazing hallucination sequence in “Beavis and Butt-Head Do America”?
CP: Basically I was a pretty new kid on the scene at that point. I came on at the tail end of the 4th season of Beavis and worked on season 5 and 6 as a storyboard revisionist, then a storyboard artist. I was storyboarding and doing layout on the movie when Yvette Kaplan approached me about directing the hallucination sequence. All the episode directors were busy on sequences that had to look like the show. They didn’t want this sequence to look like the show. I had done some crazy station IDs and weirdos promos recently, so they picked me. I was psyched. It was my first credited, professional directing gig!

MG: So what’s up with you 4-wheeling with my favorites Mike Judge and Zac Brown!!??
CP: It was pretty crazy. It was a very drunken evening involving swamps, 4-wheelers, bonfires and throwing axes. At some point soon you’ll hear about what we are working on together.

MG: How do you feel that animation has differed today from when you first started?
CP: Technology has really changed everything. When I started, you drew on pieces of paper and everything was painted on clear animation cells and shot frame by frame under a giant camera. Then it changed so the drawings were scanned and painted in the computer. Now we draw right in the computer on digital tablets called Cintiqs. That makes it possibly to operate the way we do now. It’s insane. Hooray for computers!

MG: “Superjail” has a real 90’s MTV feel to it and is so unique, can we expect a third season?
CP: We are working on a third season right now! I’m not sure when they will announce air dates, but I’m super excited about it. Christy is doing an amazing job of bringing the show back to it’s roots. He is storyboarding a lot more of the show and it is over the top bananas! It’s kind of a meld of the first two seasons – taking the most badass aspects of both and mashing them together.

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Filed Under: Interviews, TV Interviews Tagged With: adult, chris, disney, metalocalypse, motorcity, owner, ...
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