» ‘Frozen’ Visit to Walt Disney Feature Animation: The 5 Most Interesting Things We Learned

A few weeks ago I enjoyed one of the best press events I have covered for Desde Hollywood. Visiting the main building at Walt Disney Feature Animation in Burbank was a revealing journey inside a true factory of dreams. Here are some of the many fascinating things I learned from the talented artists and technicians behind the fantastic adventure ‘Frozen’ (in 3D nationwide, Nov. 27).

Burbank, CA - Long Lead Press Day for FROZEN and GET A HORSE! at Walt Disney Feature Animation in Burbank, CA. Photo by: Rich Polk. ©2013 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

Research, research, research

Frozen started 4 years ago. Everyone pointed out how much John Lasseter believes in research. Teams were dispatched around the world to study how snow (Wyoming, U.S.) and light behaves (an Ice Hotel in Canada). Norway was the chosen to be the model for this world, with its architecture, traditional clothing and landscapes serving as inspiration. The particular geography and beauty of a lake in the Nordic country made the creators think about placing the kingdom of Arendell there, instead of a mountain or other expected choices.

"FROZEN" research photography: Art Direction team in Norway. ©2013 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

A magical past courtesy of the future

Two technical departments made one thing clear: “Frozen” is the result of Disney’s cutting edge technology. For example, no other human figure represented in an animated film has had more detailed hair or realistic movement than Elsa, Anna and the rest. New simulation programs were created to faithfully represent the snow and other element’s behavior. The most impressive thing was to see the movements of a camera reflected on an animated sequence in real time.

Not so fast Avatar

Did you know that animated characters have acting coaches? Well, sort of. A team is responsible providing the animators with notes, videos and more recommendations to help them create the right performances for each scene. I asked about the motion-capture as a possible tool to assist on that front but their position towards the technology used to bring Gollum and Navis to life was as cold as the winter created on-screen. They explained that they carry a long tradition of artists that craft powerful performances, instead of translated reality into the screen. Sorry Andy Serkis!

Burbank, CA – Head of Animation Lino DiSalvo, Animation Supervisor Wayne Unten and Animation Supervisor Becky Bresee at the Long Lead Press Day for FROZEN and GET A HORSE! at Walt Disney Feature Animation in Burbank, CA. Photo by: Rich Polk. ©2013 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

A brave old world

‘Frozen’ may appear as another entertaining tale of friendship and love. But their creators told us about going through the the story of ‘The Snow Queen’ and finding that at its core, that material was about hope versus negativity. “Today, fear is a big thing in our society.” started to explain the co-director/writer Jennifer Lee, “The idea of this young woman, Anna, trying to go up against the power of fear, which is what Elsa represents, and save her kingdom and her sister at the same time, that was very rich.”

Burbank, CA – Producer Peter Del Vecho and Directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee at the Long Lead Press Day for FROZEN and GET A HORSE! at Walt Disney Feature Animation in Burbank, CA. Photo by: Rich Polk. ©2013 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

Walt Disney’s voice rides again

The Short ‘Get a Horse!’ brings Mickey Mouse into a new era in a way that is too good to spoil here. After watching the fantastic mix of animation styles, director Lauren MacMullan explained the unusual way his idea moved forward after his first meeting with the head of the studio: “John Lasseter was there in the room and green-lit it right on the spot. That’s pretty extraordinary!”. But the coolest thing is that all of Mickey’s dialogue you hear comes from the voice of Walt Disney. Yes, the team spent months going through archives to get all the bites used in the final piece. It was touching to see a video of the genius voicing the character for a short. What did he say? “Yeah, I think is me, he, he.”

“Fearless optimist Anna (voice of Kristen Bell) sets off on an epic journey—teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff (voice of Jonathan Groff) and his loyal reindeer Sven—to find her sister Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel), whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom.”

The film is directed by Chris Buck (“Tarzan,” “Surf’s Up”) and Jennifer Lee (screenwriter, “Wreck-It Ralph”), and produced by Peter Del Vecho (“Winnie the Pooh,” “The Princess and the Frog”). Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Frozen” comes to theaters in 3D November 27th.