The Magic Maker: Jennifer Lee’s Plan for Walt Disney Animation

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The Magic Maker: Jennifer Lee’s Plan for Walt Disney Animation

Post by Farerb » January 22nd, 2022, 10:13 am


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Re: The Magic Maker: Jennifer Lee’s Plan for Walt Disney Animation

Post by Ben » January 22nd, 2022, 3:07 pm

I posted this on the front page the other day too! ;)

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Re: The Magic Maker: Jennifer Lee’s Plan for Walt Disney Animation

Post by James » January 22nd, 2022, 4:37 pm

I think the headline of that piece gives away what is wrong with almost every movie released recently: "The Magic Maker: Jennifer Lee’s Plan for Walt Disney Animation — and Finding the Next Frozen" (emphasis mine)

They're not trying to make good films. They're trying to make the next Frozen, for better or worse.

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Re: The Magic Maker: Jennifer Lee’s Plan for Walt Disney Animation

Post by EricJ » January 22nd, 2022, 4:53 pm

And that's exactly what sank Gigantic, when they tried to jam the Kirsten Lopez songs into it.

She's also trying to find the Next Independent/Empowered Elsa, instead of the next unique interpretation of a previously "unfilmable" fairy tale STORY, which worked out so well the last time, when "Tangled" saved the studio's hinder.
She should go back and look at some of the messes the story department was trying to make out of Hans Christian Andersen before she got the project.
Last edited by EricJ on January 22nd, 2022, 4:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: The Magic Maker: Jennifer Lee’s Plan for Walt Disney Animation

Post by Farerb » January 22nd, 2022, 4:54 pm

When Lee stepped up, she decided she would play from her strengths, which lay in the scripting process, and acknowledge Lasseter’s, which were grounded in his background as an animator. When she first wrote for Disney, Lee had wanted more time for iterating — thanks to her, writers now get four drafts before the storyboard stage, whereas before they had only one or two. “I know the part of the process I’m really good at,” Lee says. “I know the part [Lasseter’s] really good at. I know that those two have to go together, and my job is to make sure that we’re well rounded in all areas. I wasn’t trying to be John.”
This didn't seem to be the case with Frozen II as was shown in Into the Unknown if I remember correctly, and to be honest it doesn't come through with the way Raya and Encanto are written, both of their scripts seem to be half baked.
“A filmmaker coming to me saying they are interested in continuing their IP [intellectual property] or someone having a brilliant idea — it has to come from the idea out.”
This sounds like bs to be honest.
1. Dean Wellins and Paul Briggs were the original directors of Raya and the Last Dragon and were removed from the project (probably because their version was supposed to be too serious and mature for kids) so it doesn't seem like their vision was supported.

2. Musker and Clements never asked for continuation for The Princess and the Frog and Moana, yet they still plan continuation for both with different directors without Musker and Clements' involvement. The fact that it is going to be made by WDAS, gives it more gravitas and legitimacy as a continuation unlike DTVA TV shows like Tangled, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, or the DisneyToons' cheap sequels.
Last edited by Farerb on January 22nd, 2022, 4:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: The Magic Maker: Jennifer Lee’s Plan for Walt Disney Animation

Post by Farerb » January 22nd, 2022, 4:55 pm

EricJ wrote:
January 22nd, 2022, 4:53 pm
And that's exactly what sank Gigantic, when they tried to jam the Kirsten Lopez songs into it.
That might be true but Gigantic was cancelled before Jennifer Lee became CCO, so i'm not sure why you keep blaming her instead of Lasseter.

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Re: The Magic Maker: Jennifer Lee’s Plan for Walt Disney Animation

Post by EricJ » January 22nd, 2022, 5:02 pm

Farerb wrote:
January 22nd, 2022, 4:54 pm
2. Musker and Clements never asked for continuation for The Princess and the Frog and Moana, yet they still plan continuation for both with different directors without Musker and Clements' involvement. The fact that it is going to be made by WDAS, gives it more gravitas and legitimacy as a continuation unlike DTVA TV shows like Tangled, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, or the DisneyToons' cheap sequels.
Think the D+ series are the loophole that gets around the Stainton-era idea that every new 00's movie "had" to have a video sequel (which is why we got the movie-canon Lilo & Stitch 2, unrelated to the series, and could have gotten that good-looking Treasure Planet II), so it would "establish" the title as marketable canon, before Lasseter shut down the factory.

Apparently, nothing in the fine print against Disney Channel cartoons, which were still doing well for Lilo, Hercules and Tarzan, so the factory moved elsewhere.

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