No compensation was received for this post. I attended a press junket, which facilitated the writing of this post.
If we can believe in ourselves, step out of our comfort zones and get past whatever fear is holding us back, we’d be surprised with the results
-Klay Hall, Disney’s Planes
I’ve always been fascinated by aviation. As a young girl, I remember sitting mesmerized at Dockweiler State Beach as I watched the planes take off from LAX. And while I’ve read a bit about the physics behind the ability of an object so large and so heavy to stay in the air for so long, the concepts are still perplexing. Given the complexity and intricacy of aviation, I can’t imagine the amount of research that went into creating Disney’s latest animated film Planes.
During my time at DisneyToon Studios, I had the privilege of sitting with Director Klay Hall and Producer Traci Balthazor-Flynn to discuss the origin of the story and what it took for the filmmakers to bring this movie to the screen. Hall is a self-proclaimed aviation enthusiast and began drawing airplanes at an early age. Both his father and his grandfather were aviators and Hall himself has flown in a variety of aircraft including World War II bombers and Vietnam-era Huey helicopters.
The film follows the story of Dusty, a crop-duster with ambitious dreams of competing as a high-flying racer. But having never flown above 1,000 feet due to his fear of heights, Dusty is faced with an internal struggle. He must overcome his fear and find the courage to become more than what he was built for. “Disney’s Planes…is a great underdog story. It has a lot of heart and a message we can all use: If we can believe in ourselves, step out of our comfort zones and get past whatever fear is holding us back, we’d be surprised with the results” (Hall).
I love to delve deep into a film and traditionally my favorite interviews are those with the director and the producer. In anticipation of Disney’s Planes theatrical debut, I thought I’d share 5 interesting facts I learned from Hall and Balthazor-Flynn.
1. Planes was originally conceived as a story about Trains.
For the six months leading up to the conception of Disney’s Planes, Hall was working on a film about trains. He had researched and developed the idea of a story set in the American frontier. This world would be filled with steam locomotives. Executive Producer John Lasseter was involved from the beginning of the project, and at one point suggested shifting the focus of the film towards planes. “I told him that if there’s one thing I love more than trains and the wild west, it’s planes” (Hall). While that project was not developed, I wonder if perhaps we’ll see it realized in a future film.
2. Although the movie was inspired by Cars, the story is original and Pixar had very little involvement in the filmmaking process.
From the trailer and stills, the semblances make it easy to assume that Planes is simply a continuation of the Cars films. But apart from the film’s visual aesthetic, Planes is better classified as a spin-off, rather than a sequel. Pixar was not directly involved with the film but the team was able to tap into the studio’s resources, referencing artwork to provide continuity between the world of Cars and the world of Planes.
3. The filmmakers sought the expertise of aviation experts to bring realism and authenticity to Disney’s Planes.
I have very little knowledge about aviation, but as I watched the film I knew with absolute certainty that the filmmakers spent time researching this complex and fascinating mode of travel. Four years in the making, the team consulted with a variety of aviation experts including Jason McKinley, the creator, producer and director of the Dogfights series. McKinley served as the flight specialist for the film and worked to ensure the flight scenes were authentic-looking.
Research for Disney’s Planes was extensive and included all types of flight including helicopter flights, hot air balloons, World War II bombers, and various jet and civilian aircraft; visits to air shows, museums, and small-town airports; numerous conversations with aviation pioneers, fighter pilots, Korean War vets, and civiliant test pilots, and a visit to the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier. “We needed to know airplanes inside and out, how they fly, how they react to different forces of nature, and how they sound [since] authenticity is everything in a movie like Disney’s Planes” (Balthazor-Flynn).
4. The Midwest served as the setting for Disney’s Planes, in part because of the vast amount of aviation knowledge found in this part of the country.
The filmmakers visited a variety of towns in Ohio, North Dakota, and Minnesota as part of their research and two characters in particular arose out of that trip. A conversation with a retired U.S. Navy Pilot inspired the development of Skipper (the Navy vet who helps train Dusty) while Chug was fashioned after an old fuel truck they found near a cornfield. Those who live or have visited the Midwest will likely notice semblances in the rural backdrop and weathered buildings of Propwash Junction.
5. The cast spans the globe.
India, Britain, Mexico, and Canada are just some of the cultures represented in Disney’s Planes and these characters will likely resonate with audiences worldwide. Much of the film focuses on the around-the-world-race so it made sense to incorporate characters with diverse personalities.
Disney’s Planes packs in high-flying adventure, humor, heart, and an important message about reaching high to achieve the impossible. See it in theaters on August 9th, 2013.
Images: Disney
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Wow! I didn’t realize this wasn’t a Pixar movie! Learned something new.
That movie looks so cute