Archives for : Walt Disney

Toon-In Talk Episode 16: Interview with Bruce Reitherman

Hello and welcome to sixteenth episode of Fanboy Nation’s Toon-In-Talk, your rendezvous for animation interviews. Have you ever wondered what happened to kid voice actors when they grow up?  Whitney Grace has!  After watching Walt Disney’s The Jungle Book, Whitney wondered what happened to Mowgli.  It turns out that Mowgli is Bruce Reitherman, son of Wolfgang “Woolie” Reitherman, one Disney’s Nine Old Men!  Bruce was more than happy to discuss his experiences voicing Mowgli and growing up at the Walt Disney Animation Studios in the 1960s.

Episode 16

 

 

  • Bruce voiced Mowgli in The Jungle Book and he is also the son of Wolfgang “Woolie” Reitherman, one of Disney’s Nine Old Men.
  • Growing up in the Disney Studios was like being alive during the Renaissance.
  • Some of his earliest memories include that it was a very family oriented place and some of the people he ran into.
  • Whitney praises the Ink and Paint Club.
  • Bruce delves into the creativity he witnessed at the studio, including how individuals added to the big picture.
  • Woolie took over the art department after Walt Disney passed away. He was always eager to go to work  everyday, was a great father, intelligent, and talented.
  • Bruce stresses that all animators had the same attributes as his father and this made them great animators able to capture the illusion of life.
  • Woolie was in charge of the Xerox age of Disney animation. Whitney loves this era, because you can see the original pencil sketches and the animation process. Bruce gives a history of the Xerox process, why Disney implemented it, and what he enjoys about this animation process.
  • Bruce talks about his experience voicing Mowgli in The Jungle Book and the fun he had.
  • Whitney wonders how The Jungle Book changed from the original concept and Bruce explains how Disney was interested in making an enjoyable character film and take it in a new direction from the original story.
  • When Bruce got the Mowgli role, he wasn’t a child actor. His dad needed a regular voice from a regular kid and Bruce was in the right place: living under the same roof as Woolie Reitherman.
  • Bruce shares his views on Mowgli’s different relationships with the animals.
  • Whitney wanted Mowgli to go back to the jungle and live, while Bruce likes the ending where Mowgli goes back to the man village. He likes this ending, because it shows that Mowgli accepts growing up.
  • Bruce “wants to be like you!” and he has never seen The Jungle Book 2.

Links

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Toon-In Talk Episode 14: Interview with Jai Husband

Hello and welcome to fourteenth episode of Fanboy Nation’s Toon-In-Talk, your rendezvous for animation interviews.  Whitney is joined by animator, director, writer, and producer Jai Husband.  Jai comes from a great animation legacy, his father is famous Walt Disney animator Ron Husband.  Growing up in the animation industry inspired Jai to pursue animation as his own career.  Jai has been successful so far with is own projects inspired by African-American culture.  He directed Kasha and the Zulu King, but even more exciting is that he is working on an African princess trilogy with his dad!

Episode 14

  • Jai is a second-generation animator; his father was Walt Disney animator Ron husband. Since Jai grew up in the animation industry it feels very normal to him, while someone, like Whitney, geeks out when he describes his childhood.
  • Jai’s dad gave him advice, but didn’t hinder his individual creativity. Jai’s first animation job was in Disney’s CAPS department and he wanted to stay on at Disney, but his mom asked him to return to college.
  • Straight out of college, Jai was hired by Turner Broadcasting and he now has his own company where he produces his own and other people’s projects.
  • While Jai was at Turner, his show The Fabulous Ambitions of Vaughn Chocolat Éclair, starring RuPaul, got picked up by a new channel called Super Deluxe. However, Turner pulled the plug.
  • Jai left Turner, so he could have more creative control over his ideas and BET also wanted him to make a show.
  • Going out on his own wasn’t an easy decision for Jai, but wanted to try, even if he failed. He succeeded, however, and won a NAACP award.
  • Jai wrote his Academy Award speech when he was twelve-years old and he plans to still use it someday.
  • He formed his own studio in Atlanta, because he went to college in the city, had a job at Turner, he wanted to step away from his father’s legacy, and he wanted to live in an area with stronger African-American ties.
  • Kasha and the Zulu King is a South African take on The Prince and the Pauper. Jai wanted to make a movie with characters that have very colorful skin tones, ranging from light to dark.
  • Whitney and Jai want to see more animated characters from diverse ethnicities. They go into details about beauty aesthetics from different cultures.
  • Jai and Ron are working on an animated trilogy, starring African princesses. They are researching individual African cultures for inspiration.
  • Whitney recommends Jai watch Michael Ocelot’s Kirikou and the Sorceress, another animated film inspired by Africa.
  • The African princess trilogy will have a Disney look, because Ron worked at the Walt Disney Company for years, but it will also contain influences from some of his favorite styles.
  • Jai discusses his own individual style and how he pulls from other sources.
  • He hopes to release the films sometime in 2017 or 2018.

 

  • Links

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