Wednesday, October 10, 2007

At Diz Sonora

Tuesday was my day to amble through the Disney Sonora building in bustling Glendale. (Disney TVA has the big downstairs space, and Disney Toons resides on the second floor...)

The joint has multiple security doors, which work very well. If you don't have a magnetic card -- and I don't -- you get to call operations to let you through the outer door. After which, you walk four feet, and call operations to let you through the inner door.

If you're lucky, there's somebody at the other end of the line to check you out and allow you to enter. My batting average is wonderfully good. Half the time I get in, and half the time it's "Hi, I'm away from my desk right now, leave a message ..." and I cool my heels.

Tuesday, my feet were frosty for only a short while. Disney TVA (now a sub-set of the Disney Channel) is humming merrily with My Friends Tigger and Pooh, Emperor's New School, and Mickey's Clubhouse (there are additional shows -- Phineas and Ferb, The Replacements, and others -- on the main lot in the Frank Wells Building.) I got some questions about possible layoffs at Fox Animation and Starz Media if the WGA goes out, and answered in my usual informative way. ("Maybe the WGA will walk in November, maybe they'll strike in June. Who knows?").

I'm a fount of information.

Upstairs at Disney Toons, they've done their third pass of the Tinkerbell feature, and John Lasseter is allegedly happy with the way it's shaping up. As a couple of artists said:

"We're moving fast on the project, and they've already shipped big chunks of it overseas for production, but John seems to be into it..."

The first of the three sequels beyond Tink The Movie is already into its second pass and racing right along. The initial feature is, I believe, due to hit a Wal-Mart or video outlet near you the last quarter of 2008. The next three will no doubt be released in the years thereafter.

7 comments:

David Gilson said...

So curious to see the Tink movie, even more if Lasseter is now okay with the new version...
Any news about upcoming Disney Features such as Bolt, Princess n the Frog and most of all Rapunzel?
That's weird to not "hear" anything about Bolt knowing it must be released in nearly one year...
Anyway, thanks to you for sharing the news Steve! ;))

Anonymous said...

So have they started construction of the new animation building yet? When will it be done and what style will it look like? Thanks for all the 411 btw, Steve.

Steve Hulett said...

Any news about upcoming Disney Features such as Bolt, Princess n the Frog and most of all Rapunzel?

Bolt is starting production; P & F is in a new pass of story work; ditto for Rapunzel.

So have they started construction of the new animation building yet?

I don't think so, but I haven't been paying close attention.

Honor Hunter said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

No construction yet? Really? I thought I saw something going up when I was over in Glendale the other day. It must be something else I guess. Keep up the good work, Steve.

David Gilson said...

Thanks Steve for the infos about upcoming movies! Hope you'll get more in the future! ;)

Anonymous said...

When are they supposed to move into this new animation building? I remember reading somewhere that it would be late 2008-2009, how is this possible if they haven't started building yet?

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