I was very curious to know how the movie Planes came about. Thinking about it now, after the success of the “Cars” franchise, you could really make any line of vehicles come alive and create a great kids movie with the best writing which is what Disney always has to offer! Turns out many vehicles have been and will continue to be in animation negotiations!
Director Klay Hall was working on a “Trains” movie idea when it occurred to John Lasseter, as he was flying down from Northern California, to do a Planes movie! Which was fortuitous as it turns out that aviation was in the blood of Klay Hall. His granddad and father were both pilots and he developed his own passion for flying. Klay – :So in a lot of ways, this was like a dream come true for me to be able to do an animated movie about airplanes. My second passion was to draw, as I mentioned, and certainly into animation, so to have those two worlds collide was really unbelievable, a dream come true.” This movie was a natural for him and he explained that the research that went into this was an extra bonus for him, to participate in flying on real fighter jets and several other types of planes.
Disney, again known for their extensive research into every detail of all of its movies (which I learned on my press trip last year!), Klay and some of the writers even got to go on an aircraft carrier. The Navy had gotten involved and believed in the project enough to extend that invite to, again, keep the movie as authentic as possible. I could sit for hours and hear about the way these folks research a film, even animation!
The traveling that they were able to do, from my local airport, JFK, to the Taj Mahal in India, experiencing local cultures is one way to get an authentic touch int the screen play. In this movie, the planes from the various countries of course have the characteristics of their local folks, the Disney research staff have to make sure they are on the ground getting the real information on how the locals behave ad think so they can translate that to their Planes personalities!
I must also tell you one thing that fascinated me was that Klay shared that many countries made specific requests as to what planes they wanted representing them. Wow. Whole countries involved in the authenticity! How ma I not boiling over with excitement!
This movie took 4 1/2 years to produce from concept to completion per Producer Traci Balthazor-Flynn, with almost 600 hundred folks involved in the project at different points. I guess you don’t just plug an idea into a computer, CGI it up, and come out with a finished product. Members of this flight crew went on between 10-12 research trips. Dusty made his journey around the world after the staff checked out almost all those same places in real life.
And hundreds of pilots were interviewed, from commercial pilots to fighter pilots, to amateur pilots to crop dusters. Every different kind of pilot has a different type of method and this is the authenticity that Disney puts into everything it produces.
Planes on the ground above, in the air below!
Lastly, we discussed how many kids will be inspired and there is a real belief that there will be an increase in folks signing up as these young viewers get older. Klay – “but we have heard that from a pilot that they think there’s gonna be a spike of kids wanting to be pilots. So that’s pretty cool.” And this will be reinforced by next years Planes movie, Planes: Fire & Rescue! I can’t imagine the dangerous research that is currently going on for that movie!
“Like” Disney’s PLANES on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DisneyPlanes
“Follow” Disney’s PLANES on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DisneyPictures and #DisneyPlanes
Visit the website: www.disney.com/Planes
But wait! We were treated to a video extra of Klay and his sons, “Klay’s Flight Plan,”, bonus extra on the DVD soon to be released! (next week, November 19th!)
Disclosure: Disney invited me on a press trip and paid all of my expenses. No other compensation was received. All opinions are always 100% my own and honest. Some pictures courtesy of the on-site Disney photographer.
I love those group pictures! We loved Planes and I can’t wait to see it again on DVD!
That is really interesting that many countries wanted to have their say in which planes represented them. I’d love to be in on Disney’s research trips! Sounds like they had fun visiting the world. And yes, take any form of transportation and my kids will be there to watch the movie about them! Cars, planes, we love it all.
Such behind the scene coverage! I loved reading this and hearing about how each country had an input & made specific requests as to what planes they wanted representing them. And might I add that I think you are the spiffiest plane in that photo above?
I love this movie..and I love it even more after reading your coverage of the film
Those group pics are just so much fun! I am so glad this will be available on DVD soon.
It sure was a great movie and has already been added to our Christmas wish list. I had heard that it was originally going to be a straight to DVD movie, but they saw how good it was and changed their plans!
That’s so amazing that you got to go on this trip! I haven’t seen the movie yet but I’m buying the Blu-ray as soon as it comes out!
This experience was so much better than I could have imagined. It gave me a brand new perspective of what it took to make Planes. I loved every moment there! 🙂 However I miss you!
Planes is such a good movie, my boys love it!
I seriously can’t wait to see this!! My little girl is crazy-excited about it. We were such big fans of the Cars movies, I’m sure this will be just as amazing 🙂 Love getting the “behind the scenes” peek in your post here too!
I love reading how much time and energy Disney puts into each of their movies. How cool to know they traveled to each of the airports and an aircraft carrier to make sure the movie was as true to life as possible.