Animation Studios

Disney Versus: Cartoon Studios

Saturday, June 4, 2011 Lee No comments

The Triple Threat. In show business, this was a reference to a person who could sing, dance, and act. Other areas of entertainment, such as sports, have used the same terminology to indicate excellence in a given field of endeavor. This series of three articles is going to explore how the Walt Disney Studio has earned the right to be considered a Triple Threat.

Few studios are a one-stop viewing experience. They might do cartoons well, like Hanna Barbara. Or they might do feature-length animation well, like Sony Pictures. Or they might do live action well, like Universal Studios. But again, few can claim to have a strong foothold in all three fields. At best, maybe two.

Disney, since at least the 1950’s, can claim a strong presence in all three. But for the balance of this article, we will only consider how Disney stacks up against other cartoon studios, and those other studios that have dabbled in the medium.

In the 1920’s and 1930’s there were dozens of struggling cartoon studios. Most of them had one or two main stars, and, today, are only known for that limited contribution. Walt Disney could have become just such a studio. His first attempts at cartoons were crude, and honestly, just reworkings of what had already been done. Look at the background characters in the early Oswald cartoons, and you will see the same cast found in almost every cartoon of the time!

But then came Mickey Mouse and everything changed! Character. Sound. Color. Walt Disney was finally first and thus followed by others. His stable of stars grew far faster than other studios and most are still not only remembered today, but are also thriving.

There are, however, other cartoon studios that have given Disney a run for its money! Most notably is the Warner Brothers Studio. With a cast of zany characters in a series called Loony Toons, one rabbit has threatened a certain mouse for supremacy of the cartoon world! And Hanna Barbara virtually took television away from Disney with hits like The Flintstones, Huckleberry Hound, and the Jetsons, among others.

Yes, at times, Disney has had to take a back seat to other cartoon studios. But only at times. Overall, Disney has always been in the game, and usually near the front of the pack. And more often than not, well out in front.

Cartoons aren’t what they used to be. Starting out as filler, then becoming art, then a diversion for children, they are now
entertainment for adults. With ample adult content. Thankfully, Disney has opted to lose this battle, and left other studios to promote vulgarity within prime-time cartoons.

So how does the battle of Disney versus the other Cartoon Studios end? Who wins? For longevity and consistency, Disney takes the trophy. At times, another studio might hit one out of the park, but Disney has always won the game.

But what about in the battle of feature-length animation? Even though Disney made this art form popular, have they always been the leader of the medium? Find out in the second article of this series called Disney Versus: Animation Studios.

Multiplayer action adventure game featuring a Universe of Beloved characters in Disney Universe (chipandco.com)

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Bluray Movie Review – Gnomeo and Juliet

Saturday, May 21, 2011 Jenn 1 Comment

When Chip asked for reviewers of Gnomeo and Juliet, I jumped at the chance. My expectations were fairly low – I hadn’t heard much chatter about the movie at all and that’s rarely a good sing.

However, within the first 2 minutes, I was hooked. A spin of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” Gnomeo and Juliet begins with a regular garden gnome on a stage, in front of the red curtain, reading the required prologue. As he’s quickly evacuated from the stage, the animation really begins, zooming in on a duplex on Verona Street, with mailboxes for Montague and Capulet at the addresses 2B and 2B.

I was impressed with all of the details, from the gnomes eyes which showed paint strokes, to the joke to the mushroom “You look like a fun guy!” Gnomeo and Juliet take on the classic play and give a Disney twist. They tribute Disney with references to the Tiki Room and Kermit the Frog, but they also incorporate many details from the play. In one scene, a Rosencrantz and Guildenstern moving truck is shown, and in several others, direct quotes are reworded to fit within the theme of the movie “A weed by any other name…”

With a slightly dry sense of humor, this film also incorporates music by Elton John and cameos by Elton John in gnome form and William Shakespeare, as voiced by Shakespearean actor and Jean-Luc Picard, Patrick Stewart.

My husband and I really enjoyed this movie and hope you do, too! Look for it on demand and sold on DVD and Blu-Ray starting Tuesday, May 24th!

Interview with ‘Gnomeo and Juliet’ Director Kelly Asbury (chipandco.com)
Gnomeo & Juliet ‘Mow-down Showdown’ on Saturday, May 21 (chipandco.com)
Gnomeo & Juliet on DVD & Blu-ray May 24th! (chipandco.com)

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Interview with ‘Gnomeo and Juliet’ Director Kelly Asbury

Wednesday, May 18, 2011 Aljon No comments

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Sorcerer Radio’s (William “YetiChaser” Hershey) had chance to do an interview about the soon to be Gnomeo and Juliet Blu-ray release with director Kelly Asbury. Set to release May 24, 2011. Here’s the report.

I was thrilled to have a chance to be able to interview Gnomeo and Juliet’s director Kelly Asbury on behalf of Chip and Company as well as Sorcerer Radio during one of his recent press conferences. Here is a bit of what was discussed during this time.

Q: Would you consider yourself a red or a blue gnome or is there another type of secret society of colored gnomes we don’t know about, perhaps a color in the works for a sequel?
A: (Kelly Asbury): I’ll remain neutral and call myself a PURPLE GNOME.

Q: Kelly you’ve directed such great movies from “Spirit – Stallion of the Cimarron” and “Shrek 2″ and also helped with creative capacities on some on other popular animated films including “Toy Story”, “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Little Mermaid”.. Which type of media do you feel, classical animation or 3D generated animation do you enjoy the most creating?
A: (Kelly Asbury): I love to tell stories and entertain people. I feel that’s my job. I’ve worked in all the various animation mediums and I must admit to enjoying them equally. If a story is good, that matters most to me.

Q: What as the best part about working on Gnomeo and Juliet?
A: (Kelly Asbury): It’s really rather difficult to isolate one favorite aspect about making GNOMEO AND JULIET. For me, directing animation is a series of short term goals that extend over a period of up to four years, so there are many milestones to hit, and each of those has its rewards. Still, I’d say that the real joy in making GNOMEO AND JULIET is the collaboration with so many vastly talented artists and technicians, each doing their part toward the common goal of making as entertaining a movie as possible. My job is never boring and no two days are alike. I basically get to make up stories and draw pictures for a living. What could be better than that?

Q: What are the challenges of adapting a classic story for a modern audience?
A: (Kelly Asbury): For me, the challenge with any movie – adaptation or otherwise – is to make it as entertaining as possible to as many people as possible.

Q: How long did it take to write the screenplay?
A: (Kelly Asbury): Animated features take up to 3 years to fine tune and discover all the various aspects of the story. The actual writing of that screenplay is an ongoing, ever changing process and involves more than the written word. It’s as much about the storyboards as it is the script. While a screenplay certainly is the starting point, the visual story reel – a temporary version of the movie told in real time using still drawings, temporary voices, sound and music – becomes the blueprint. That story reel is in a constant state of revision and is the tool used to test whether a movie is working. Basically, animated movies are fully planned and edited BEFORE the are actually put into production. In effect, we make the movie twice: Once as a story reel and once as the finished, animated, rendered movie.

Q: How much input did you have on what actors voiced which characters?
A: (Kelly Asbury): I was able to have complete input regarding the actors who were cast in the movie. The casting director, Gale Stevens, would send me several choices of voice samples for each character – and I would ask her not to tell me who the actor was. My producers and I would listen to these voices while looking at pictures of the given character and if the voice seemed to fit, we’d take it from there. It really was a process of elimination to arrive at a given casting choice. Fortunately, the studio agreed with all my ultimate choices and I got the cast I wanted.

Q: Regarding animation, there are many styles to choose from. Some more realistic, some with a cartoon style, stop-motion technique and also some using the classic hand drawn cartoons style. What made you go with this specific style of CG animation?
A: (Kelly Asbury): I wanted GNOMEO AND JULIET to look as “real” as possible and CG provided that best.

Q: In a nutshell, describe the different levels in the process of the animation?
A: (Kelly Asbury): In a nutshell, the making of an animated feature goes something like this: Idea + Script + Storyboards + Story Reel + Voice Recording + Design + Layout/Camera + Animation + Sound + Final Mix = Movie…and each of those parts have several steps of their own.

Q: Why do you think gnomes are so popular? People love them, hate them, tell jokes about them, and it seems everyone has something to say about them…
A: (Kelly Asbury): I think above all, Gnomes are funny.

Q: Have you come to embrace the garden gnome culture after this, and has there been any talk of a sequel so far?
A: (Kelly Asbury): I actually now have more garden gnomes than I ever thought possible. People give them to me as gifts! As far as a sequel to GNOMEO AND JULIET…I suppose anything is possible.

Q: Which voice actor surprised you the most?
A: (Kelly Asbury): Truly, every actor I ever work with is full of great surprises. In the case of GNOMEO AND JULIET, the entire cast gave me everything I wanted and more. It was a joy to record this movie and we did a lot of improvisation in every session. That really helped make for a very spontaneous feel to the voices in the movie.

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Q: How was the work with Elton John and Patrick Stewart?
A: (Kelly Asbury): Both Elton John and Patrick Stewart are 100% absolute joys to work with. They are collaborative, funny and very professional. It was my privilege to be part of anything they are involved with.

Q: How was the idea behind Gnomeo & Juliet born?
A: (Kelly Asbury): The movie was first pitched to Elton John’s London based ROCKET PICTURES, several years before I became involved, by writers Rob Sprackling and John Smith (Ironically, neither of whom I’ve actually ever met.).

Q: Ewan McGregor and Kate Winslet were reportedly cast as Gnomeo and Juliet. At what point did James McAvoy and Emily Blunt come on board?
A: (Kelly Asbury): When I was asked to be director on the film, it had already been developed in various scattered versions for several years. No final casting choices had yet been made. I wanted to start with a clean slate.

Q: Is the happy ending, different from Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet ending, a way to preserve the possibility of a sequel ?
A: (Kelly Asbury): We wanted a happy ending, but the one we came up with was not in order to purposely engineer a possible sequel.

Q: Was it always going to be a mix of old tunes (along with a few new ones), or was there ever the chance of a whole new score, a la Lion King?
A: (Kelly Asbury): I wanted to use Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s classic songs – and a few new ones – in much the same way the music of Simon and Garfunkle was used in THE GRADUATE: To cue the audience into the emotion of a given scene. It took a lot of experimentation and evolution to arrive at the choices that were finally made.

Q: Nowadays every new animation-movie is in 3D. How does this influence your work?
A: (Kelly Asbury): If 3D is appropriate to a given story, I love it, but I don’t believe in doing a film in 3D just for the sake of 3D. GNOMEO AND JULIET took place at very low, steep angles and the scale of the gnomes world was enhanced by 3D, therefore I always felt it was a story that would be better told that way.

Q: How did you work with James Newton Howard on the score? How did you connect the songs and the score?
A: (Kelly Asbury): James Newton Howard and his associate Chris Bacon delivered exactly the type of inventive score I dreamt of for this movie, utilizing classic Elton John melodies, while also providing exciting, new, original music as well. I hope to work with either of them again and again. They could not have been more open, generous and collaborative.

Q: As director, how much input did you have in creating the looks of each of the characters?
A: (Kelly Asbury): One of the joys of my job is to be part of every creative decision on the movie. I worked very closely with character designer Gary Dunn, who did an amazing job of keeping our gnomes appealing – while still looking like gnomes…not always an easy task.

Q: Give us a basic rundown of your daily duties as director for Gnomeo & Juliet?
A: (Kelly Asbury): My day is never the same, but it starts early and sometimes ends late. It’s usually a combination of reading or writing script pages, recording an actor or two, viewing new animation or designs, discussing story issues, watching finished lit scenes…Oh, and I eat lunch somewhere in there.

Q: How did you get in touch with Sir Elton John and how did you convince him to participate to the movie?
A: (Kelly Asbury): Elton is the one who got in touch with me. His company Rocket Pictures teamed with Disney to make this film. I was invited to join the party! Lucky me!

Q: How do you think the Blu-ray and DVD enhance the experience for the audience?
A: (Kelly Asbury): Because CG animation looks FANTASTIC on Blu-ray and DVD. It may be the most true looking version of the movie one can view. After all, these CG movies are made on monitors, so they will look great on a good, high-definition TV screen.

Q: What can we expect from your next project? 2D or 3D animation?
A: (Kelly Asbury): My best answer to that is that you can expect my next project to be presented in the best, most appropriate form that its story calls for. It all depends on the subject matter…and I’m not certain what that will be just yet.

Q: What was the hardest sequence to work on in this film and why?
A: (Kelly Asbury): The most difficult sequence in GNOMEO AND JULIET was “Where to begin?” Opening any story is tricky, but this one really got down to the wire. There was a lot of back story that had to be established in as simple a way as possible and it took a lot of trial and error.

Q: Were there any abandoned concepts, characters or ideas for the film you were sad to see go?
A: (Kelly Asbury): There were several deleted sequences, some of which will be available to see as extras on the DVD. This is common and it’s one of the reasons the story reel is so important to pre-visualize ideas and see whether they work. This helps keep things within budget and on schedule. One doesn’t want to put a sequence through full production only to find out it doesn’t work in the fabric of the movie.

Q: What’s the sequence you’re most proud of in this film, and why?
A: (Kelly Asbury): I have to admit that I am partial to the sequence when our star-crossed gnomes, Gnomeo and Juliet, first meet on the roof of that old greenhouse. I love the song “Hello, Hello” and I love the general look and animation of that entire piece.

Q: Every new movie of you takes up 3-4 years of your life. This is quite a long time. How does it feel for you, if the people or critics don’t like your movie then? Or when they do like it?
A: (Kelly Asbury): I love animation and movies. That’s why I make them. Certainly I want as many people as possible to like the movies I work on, but I know that I’ll never please everyone. Different tastes are what makes the entertainment business so varied and fun…and what a dull world it would be otherwise.

Q: Did you travel outside of America to look at others countries garden’s gnomes? Germany is supposed to be the homeland of gnomes…
A: (Kelly Asbury): I certainly explored the whole world gnome culture, which does vary from country to country. Germany’s Black Forest seems to be where all the gnomes originally came from, at least the “Forest Gnome” variety, who supposedly live among us, but remain out of our sight. GNOMEO AND JULIET centers on the “Good Luck Garden Gnomes” who watch over our flowers and shrubs. While I didn’t travel to Germany for this information, I certainly studied it all…More so than I ever imagined I would.

Q: Gnomeo and Juliet was often accused of “being too referential for its own good.” How would you respond to that assessment?
A: (Kelly Asbury): It’s difficult to say. Many people have told me how much they love the referential humor. It really depends on one’s own sensibility I suppose. I, for one, am a huge Mel Brooks fan, and I love satirical movies like the Zucker Brothers’ AIRPLANE. I grew up reading MAD magazine…I guess all that rubbed off a little.

Q: What are the main differences for an animated movie director when compared to a conventional movie director?
A: (Kelly Asbury): Many of the creative and storytelling concerns are exactly the same. The biggest difference is that there is no actual set and the actors usually work alone, which requires a lot of imagination on everyone’s part. Still, animated films are films and the same concerns regarding communication and engaging an audience come into play.

Q: What did you feel were some of the pitfalls of redoing the often-adapted Romeo and Juliet with garden gnomes?
A: (Kelly Asbury): Taking on any classic is a precarious endeavor, but I tried to keep it lighthearted and clearly satirical. More than anything GNOMEO AND JULIET is meant to be fun, a romp.

Q: You have been in the business for quite a long time now and already worked on projects like “Shrek“, “Toy Story“, “Beauty and the Beast“ and “The Little Mermaid“. How has the industry changed over the past 20 years?
A: (Kelly Asbury): I began in the animation business in 1983 and have been able to be part of an unbelievably exciting – make that THRILLING – growth period that just keeps getting better.

Q: Which animated film made you think, “I want to make one of those one day?”
A: (Kelly Asbury): Around 1967, when I was 7 years old, I saw Disney’s SNOW WHITE and remember saying to my mom: “I have to learn how to make my drawings move like that!” From there, I was hooked.

Q: For Gnomeo & Juliet you moved for 1.5 years to London. What experiences did you have living abroad?
A: (Kelly Asbury): I think living in an exciting, “melting pot” city such as London has been one of the most – if not the most – enriching life experiences I could imagine. I truly believe I’m a better, more open, tolerant person for it. When it gets right down to it, people really are all the same.

Q: It seems like there is a lot more adult humor incorporated in animated films like Gnomeo & Juliet. When writing these types of jokes that are supposed to go over the heads of kids and be a nod and wink to their parents, how far is too far?
A: (Kelly Asbury): Those answers come as the story reel gets tested and revised. It becomes clear when a joke goes to far or simply doesn’t work like I’d hoped. The story reel is the best tool I have as a filmmaker. It contains all my answers. It’s my job to pay attention and learn from it.

Q: The movie has a lot of Elton John’s greatest songs. Why don’t the gnomes sing those songs?
A: (Kelly Asbury): Frankly, I just worried it would be kind of creepy for all these gnomes to be singing. For me, it came down to personal taste.

Q: I see you really like to get involved with the creation of your movies, for this movie Gnomeo and Juliet about how many different characters did you portray and did you have a favorite character that you portrayed?
A: (Kelly Asbury): In GNOMEO AND JULIET I played all seven of the little “Goon Gnomes” who follow Tybalt. They all have the same voice, so it was easy. I also played the opening narrator gnome…but he’s one of the Goons too, so he had the same voice. I love doing voices and hope to continue doing them, not only on my movies, but anyone who asks me. It’s very fun.

Q: Kelly, any final thoughts on Gnomeo & Juliet as we close today?
A: (Kelly Asbury): My colleagues and I wanted to make GNOMEO AND JULIET a fun, easy to watch, entertaining movie. “Fun” was the key word from day one. I hope we achieved that. I like to laugh and I love to hear other people laugh. I don’t think the world can have too much laughter and fun, in or out of a movie theater.

Walt Disney Studios announces the animated twist on William Shakespeare’s legendary tale Romeo & Juliet, Gnomeo & Juliet for release as a 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack and 3-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack on May 24.

*Thanks to Kelly Asbury as well as Disney, Chip and Company and Sorcerer Radio for their part in making this interview possible. Image’s from Disney’s Gnomeo and Juliet.

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New Stills and description for Disney’s Ballad of Nessie

Friday, April 8, 2011 Chip No comments

Set in the “bonny blue highlands” of Scotland, “The Ballad of Nessie” is a whimsical and colorful tall tale about the friendly Loch Ness monster, Nessie, and how she and her best friend MacQuack the rubber duck came to live in the moor they now call home. Setting the adventure into motion is a greedy land developer named MacFroogle, who decides to build a mini-golf empire on top of Nessie’s home.

Directed by the Emmy® Award-winning team of Stevie Wermers-Skelton and Kevin Deters (“Prep & Landing,” and the 2007 Goofy short “How to Hook Up Your Home Theater”), “The Ballad of Nessie” is animated in classic Disney hand-drawn style. Written by Wermers-Skelton, Deters and Regina Conroy, the film is produced by Dorothy McKim and Tamara Boutcher, and features a musical score by Oscar®-winning composer Michael Giacchino (“Ratatouille,” “Up”). Animation on “Nessie” was supervised by five of Disney’s top talents: Andreas Deja, Mark Henn, Randy Haycock, Dale Baer and Ruben A. Aquino. Scottish comedian Billy Connolly narrates the film.

“The Ballad of Nessie” hits the big screen with Walt Disney Animation Studio’s latest feature film “Winnie the Pooh,” which opens in theaters in select international markets in Spring 2011; the U.S. release date is July 15, 2011.

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First Look: Disney’s ‘The Ballad of Nessie’ (chipandco.com)
Coming Soon: Disney Short ‘The Ballad of Nessie’ (chipandco.com)

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A Chat with Tangled Directors Byron Howard and Nathan Greno Part 2

Friday, March 18, 2011 Aljon No comments

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Here’s part two of my chat with Tangled directors Byron Howard (Lilo & Stitch, Brother Bear) and Nathan Greno(Bolt, Prep & Landing). Enjoy!

What were three main challenges you faced making Tangled?

Nathan Greno: The schedule was terrible. Usually you have 4 to 5 years to make one of these films. We only had 2. It was crazy. Lucky for us, we were working with a very devoted, hard working, talented crew. We all worked around the clock. We worked through weekends and holidays. We all believed in this film. We basically did the impossible. The film looks like it took 5 years to make… and it only took 2!

2010 was really, according to many, a great year for animated movies… Were you a little bit disappointed when that movie wasn’t nominated for an Oscar. Especially this year, where many claimed that there should have been five nominees.

Byron Howard: Yes, we were initially very disappointed when TANGLED didn’t recieve an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature. However, the day before the Oscar announcements we had shown the film at the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London, and the reaction from those kids and their parents is worth more to us than one million Oscars.

Seven years of research went into the creation of Rapunzel’s hair. Were you satisfied with the final result?

Nathan Greno: Without a doubt, YES! The hair looks amazing. You’ve never seen anything like it in any animated film. It’s just incredible. I have no idea how our tech crew made that hair work. I know it was a nightmare to figure out. I couldn’t be more proud of the results and of our team. They did a great job.

Do you know how many layers of animation were involved to create Rapunzel’s hair?

Byron Howard: Rapunzel’s amazing head of hair has over 100,000 strands.

How was working on Tangled different to working on Bolt?

Nathan Greno: For Bolt I oversaw the story department. I worked with a team of artists – we came up with story and character ideas and sent them on to the next department. On Tangled, I am one of the directors. I now get to follow those story ideas through the creative process. I love my job. I still get to storyboard from time to time… I’d never want to give that up.

Family plays a very strong role in this film. What prompted you to explore the mother/daughter dynamic through the character of Rapunzel?

Byron Howard: Nathan and I were fascinated by this bizarre relationship that Gothel had created between herself and this kidnapped girl. To try to find out more about mother/daughter relationships, we asked a bunch of women from our studio to stay after one evening to have a chat about their relationships with their mothers. It turned into a therapy session! We were amazed at how brutal some of the things that their mothers would say to these women, but it was always coming from a place of “I know what’s best for you” or “I’m trying to keep you safe”. This push/pull that happens between parents and children is a rich, rich area to explore with classic tales like this.

Do you think that home viewers will miss out on some of the delights of seeing “Tangled” on the big screen with all the bells and whistles?

Byron Howard: The Blu-Ray looks extraordinary, so beauty-wise, I think the experience will echo the theater experience nicely. I do think there will always be something about viewing a film in an audience, hearing people all around you laugh, cry, and react to the story playing out in front of you. It’s a social, human thing that I don’t think will ever go away completely.

Why do you think it’s easier for some to look at stylized characters like the ones in “Tangled” instead of the motion capture ones like in “Polar Express?”

Nathan Greno: I personally enjoy the more stylized design because it’s not reality… if done well, it’s better than reality. You have more control over the appeal of the characters. I see the real world everyday, it’s fun to watch a movie and be taken on a journey that feels believable… but isn’t real. It’s all a matter of taste, but I really like stylized characters better. It’s just more fun.

How did you arrive at 70 feet of hair for Rapunzel? Is that length something that you guys settled on after some visual tests? Or is that how long someone’s hair would get if they didn’t actually cut it for 18 years?

Byron Howard: Actually, seventy feet is how long the hair had to be to reach the bottom of the tower. It was that simple. That said, there are times in the film where we add or subtract a little length depending on the needs of the scene.

Are there any hidden nods to other films included in Tangled that you can tell us to look out for?

Byron Howard: Look for Pinocchio hidden in the pub and in Rapunzel’s tower, each newell post on her staircase is painted with the symbol of Disney’s previous five princesses.

What advice do you have for kids who dream on one day directing?

Nathan Greno: Go for it! I grew up in a small, factory town in Wisconsin. It took a long time to get where I am, but I worked very hard and my dream came true. It’s possible to do whatever you want in life if you work hard enough.

At what age did you decide you’d like to work with Disney?

Nathan Greno: I was in 1st grade! That was a looong time ago…

The scene in the gondolas is a show-stopper. Where did the idea of the lanterns come from?

Byron Howard: The idea for the lantern scene came from John Ripa, one of our story artists. We needed something that Rapunzel could see from miles away, locked up in her tower, that would draw her out to the kingdom. We thought “Fireworks?” But that didn’t seem quite right. Then John mentioned this lantern ceremony that they do in Indonesia. We brought it up on YouTube and that was it, we knew that had to be in the movie. It’s perfect for CG as well, because we can actually create thirty to forty thousand of these beautiful things for the audience to marvel at.

How were you, as a storyboard director, considered as another director for Tangled?

Nathan Greno: John Lasseter asked me to direct the BOLT DVD short film. Byron helped me on that short — there were departments I never worked in before and Byron showed me the ropes. Lasseter really liked the job I did on the short and asked if I would like to direct a Rapunzel film for the studio. Yes! Of course! He asked if I would like to direct with anyone or by myself. I asked for Byron. Byron said yes… and today we have Tangled!

How was directing this feature with another director beside you? Were there any difficulties or is it a normal occurrence?

Byron Howard: I really prefer directing as part of a team. Nathan and I have very good chemistry together and we are constantly pushing each other to make sure the film is as good as it can be. The thing that saves us from any huge disagreements is our shared philosophy that whatever is best for the story, wins.

“Hi everyone, thanks for the tons of questions! We are trying to get to as many as we can in the next 20 minutes. To help that along we will stop receiving new questions now and work to answer the ones already submitted.”

Why do you think you were able to get boys interested in a “Disney Princess” film?

Nathan Greno: Mostly because I don’t feel we made a “princess film”. Honestly, I feel we made a movie that has princess elements in it — but I wouldn’t call it a princess film. Tangled has a ton of action, a ton of humor, a ton of heart and emotion. It’s a film for everyone. Yes, we have a princess… but she doesn’t know she’s a princess. It was easy to get boys interested in the movie because we made a movie for everyone to enjoy.

Other than Tangled, what is your favorite Disney movie?

Nathan Greno: I love Dumbo! Best. Film. Ever.

What were three main challenges you faced making Tangled?

Byron Howard: 1. The schedule 2. The schedule 3. The schedule. Honestly, the film was challenging in a hundred ways, but the fact that we had to make this film in half the time of other features was the real bear. Happily, the film looks more amazing than we could’ve ever hoped for, but our poor crew really took a beating trying to hit those deadlines with Nathan and myself being so slavish to quality. We love our crew, and the fact that their work has made such a splash in the world really justifies all their hard work and sacrifice.

Did you get much sleep throughout the making of Tangled?

Nathan Greno: Zzzzzzz… what? Sorry. I missed the question…

Byron & Howard at the premiere of Tangled

Was there a character that was initially in the story, but was removed because they no longer fit within the story?

Byron Howard: We had a fortune-telling monkey that was very popular, but eventually we found that he wasn’t part of where the story needed to go. You can see a hint of him in the end credits.

Do you think you and Byron will become a directing duo from now on?

Nathan Greno: We already pitched new ideas to our boss, John Lasseter and we are currently working as a team developing one of those ideas into a feature film. So… YES!

Who thought up Flynn’s “smoulder” face? Was it based on anyone in particular?

Byron Howard: The smoulder is based on my directing buddy, Nathan. He has a way with the ladies.

Nine versions of Rapunzel were created before you settled on the final version. What were some of the other versions like?

Nathan Greno: Really? Nine? The idea of a Rapunzel movie has been around the Disney Animation Studio since the 1930′s… I bet there has been more than nine.

Who came up with the idea of the Rapunzel emotional whipsaw scene, where she’s jubilant to be out of her tower one moment and in tears because she’s betraying her mother’s trust the next. As any parent of a daughter will tell you, that moment in the movie such Rapunzel such a real. relateable character. So who came up with that story concept?

Byron Howard: That scene was storyboarded by story artist Marc Smith. That was one of the earliest scene we boarded in the film and it held fast as one of the key moments for the audience to connect with this young woman. Many people have commented on how true-to life that scene is.

What is your favorite song in Tangled?

Nathan Greno: I really love them all. I guess if I had to pick one… I would go with the pub song “I’ve Got a Dream”. It’s just silly and fun and crazy. It’s always wild to watch.

There’s some concept art in “The Art of Tangled” that shows Rapunzel’s love interest as more of a muscular commoner / farm boy, rather than a handsome rogue like Flynn Rider. Was this story idea seriously explored? Or just something that was considered?

Byron Howard: The burlier leading man was from a previous version of the movie. Nathan and I knew we wanted a dashing thief from the get-go, so Flynn, as you see him in the movie, evolved from that idea. And also from the “Hot Man Meeting” where we asked dozens of women at the studio to bring in pictures of their favorite hunky men to help us design Flynn. Being a guy in that meeting was brutal. Those ladies have high standards!

What was your favorite animated film growing up, has it inspired you up and until today?

Byron Howard: The animated film that made me want to be an animator was THE LITTLE MERMAID. Ariel was the first Disney heroine I had ever seen where there seemed to be a real soul behind those eyes. As soon as I saw that film, I knew I wanted to be a part of Disney Animation. Little did I know that I’d wind up working on TANGLED with Ariel’s creator, legendary animator Glen Keane. Life’s good.

Ariel & Rapunzel Concept Art

How was the did the idea for “hot man” meetings come up?

Nathan Greno: We had a great design for Rapunzel. She was super cute and incredibly appealing. We needed Flynn to be up to that level, so we had this crazy idea to bring all of the women of the studio into a room and ask them what they thought made up a “hot man”. It was a crazy meeting. Crazy. Photos of all the hottest men in Hollywood being thrown around a room. Photos being torn in half and pasted back together. Eyes were ripped from one picture and put on another. Heads were torn from photos. I’ve never seen anything like it. I’m happy to be alive.

In what way was Rapunzel inspired by Ariel in The Little Mermaid?

Byron Howard: I think Rapunzel is like Ariel in that they come across as very real young women. That was very important to us for Rapunzel, because the more you can relate and identify with these characters, the greater your emotional response will be to the journey that they take on screen.

Was Flynn’s facial hair based off your own?

Nathan Greno: It was in my contract… one of the Tangled characters had to have my facial hair.

Had you two ever worked together on a film before? You two seem to work very well together.

Nathan Greno: We fight all the time when the cameras are off. Nah. We get along really well. It’s hard to find someone you can work with everyday. I guess we got lucky.

How do you think Tangled has changed the future of Disney films?

Byron Howard: I think that TANGLED proves that this studio can make smart, contemporary films that still retain everything that the audience loves about traditional Disney filmmaking. The slate of upcoming projects coming up from our studio excites me because they’re not what you would expect. It’s a great time to be a part of this studio.

What is your favorite song in Tangled?

Byron Howard: Mine personally, is “I See the Light”. The moment we heard Alan Menken’s demo we knew that one would be a classic.

Were there any traits in Rapunzel that were directly from Mandy Moore such as her being barefoot constantly, or the short brown hair at the end of the film?

Byron Howard: Mandy and Rapunzel definitely have similarities. They’re both incredibly smart, funny, artistic young women, and unbeknownst to us, Mandy jumps out of airplanes! Just like Rapunzel leaps off cliffs and swings from the rafters. Adventurous young women as well.

How involved is John Lasseter during the whole process?

Nathan Greno: John has to approve everything we do and that guy only wants the best. It’s amazing working with him. I’ve learned a lot from John. He lets you get your vision of the film up on the screen… and he brings out the best in you and your work. What could be better?

What advice would you give to people who want to break into the entertainment industry?

Byron Howard: Do what you love and do it with passion. Passionate people really push every industry ahead, including animation.

Did you get much sleep throughout the making of Tangled?

Byron Howard: Nope.

BOTH: How long did you need to prep for the roles of Thug #1 and #2 and Guard #1 and #2

Nathan Greno: It takes YEARS of practice to pull off roles like “Thug #1″ and “Guard #1″. Kids, please don’t try that at home.

Do you know how many layers of animation were involved to create Rapunzel’s hair?

Byron Howard: Rapunzel’s amazing head of hair has over 100,000 strands.

What were three main challenges you faced making Tangled?

Nathan Greno: The schedule was terrible. Usually you have 4 to 5 years to make one of these films. We only had 2. It was crazy. Lucky for us, we were working with a very devoted, hard working, talented crew. We all worked around the clock. We worked through weekends and holidays. We all believed in this film. We basically did the impossible. The film looks like it took 5 years to make… and it only took 2!

2010 was really, according to many, a great year for animated movies… Were you a little bit disappointed when that movie wasn’t nominated for an Oscar. Especially this year, where many claimed that there should have been five nominees.

Byron Howard: Yes, we were initially very disappointed when TANGLED didn’t recieve an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature. However, the day before the Oscar announcements we had shown the film at the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London, and the reaction from those kids and their parents is worth more to us than one million Oscars.