I am prepping to produce and direct a documentary on the Disney Animation Studio that was in Florida and thought I'd revisit a doc that was done about the California Studio. I haven't seen it since it's first release in 2009. WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY is produced by prolific producer Don Hahn (BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - both animated and live action, THE LION KING and so many more blockbusters). What struck me more on this viewing is how relevant it is to where the feature animation business is right now with the threat of technology (and how it used to be welcomed) and the slump the Disney company is in. There are a lot of nuggets in this that not only give incredible back stage insights to the truth of the company but can help in pitching and understanding what goes into a feature animated film. You can also see a lot of Katzenberg, and Roy Disney (a sweetheart that is sorely missed), as well as a very young Tim Burton and how Pixar was born. It's on Disney + if you have that, but if not, it is also on sale on Amazon to rent for $1.74 -- a bargain, and highly recommended if you are into animated features.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B004EKDVTO/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r
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Wow! I didn't know about this doc, but I'm excited to check it out! I love learning about the history of Disney. Thank you for the recommendation, Laurie Ashbourne. Also, I'm excited about your documentary project!
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Love this doc! Can't wait to see yours!
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Laurie Ashbourne Sounds exciting! Are you working with Disney on the doc, or is it strictly independent?
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Sounds great!
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Congratulations, Laurie Ashbourne! I plan on checking out "Waking Sleeping Beauty" and can't wait to watch your documentary!
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Hi Bob Harper - I am working with the team that was instrumental in building that location from the ground up (myself included). It came about because a Youtuber for the parks called me for a documentary interview about the studio there (it was both studio and park attraction -- and is now a Star Wars attraction). And as with anything I did some due diligence to see if he was a nut job, and found that he had reached out to a few of the other influential staff members and was legit. Which brought up the question, why the hell aren't WE doing a (real) documentary on that studio? To which I was immediately appointed.
If you have seen Waking Sleeping Beauty, imagine that environment in paradise with a bunch of very young crew. It was a much different culture than the dusty jaded facilities in Burbank, in which many of us also worked. It was Camelot for a long time -- until it wasn't.
Anyway, I am sure I will lean on Don Hahn as it comes together, and if we do it justice, he has a pretty good track record with docs and Disney. even though he is no longer with the company either.
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I'm a big fan of Waking Sleeping Beauty. It's an amazing documentary. The Sweatbox is another tremendous documentary about Disney animation that Sting's wife put together about the making of The Emperor's New Groove.
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Yes! The Sweatbox is a true behind the scenes -- but you won't find it online, except in bootleg sliced up portions on youtube. Disney takes it down every time there is full version. EMPEROR'S started off much like THE LION KING, a mess of turnover to say the least, and was for a very long time called KINGDOM OF THE SUN (as focused on in the doc). All of which to say is, none of these movies started with a good script. They were hashed out in the storyboard process.
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I'd never heard of this , sounds like a worthwhile documentary to have on my radar thanks Laurie Ashbourne
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if you’re looking for people to interview, be sure to reach out to Aaron Blaise and the Bancroft Brothers.
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Mike Boas Aaron is one of my very good friends. Tom and Tony are certainly a part of that story.
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I was working in the Burbank studio on Atlantis when word came down that the new title of Kingdom of the Sun was now The Emperor’s New Groove. We all thought it was a joke until some very angry New Groove folks confirmed it to be true.