\n\u201c\u2026[Y]ou, as a teenage prince, awake in your bed to haunting sounds. Exploring the dark castle, you come across a terrifying shadowy creature that you kill in a desperate struggle \u2013 its cries shifting from a supernatural shriek to that of a human woman\u2019s bloodcurdling cry of death. The illusion is then dispelled, and your mother, the Queen, lays dead before you, the bloody knife that killed her in your hand.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
But despite progress being made on the Dwarfs<\/em> film and video game, the pieces were not coming together as DisneyToons execs had hoped. In addition to a fresh take, the film needed a tough director who could keep everything and everyone in line to create a worthy predecessor to Walt\u2019s masterpiece \u2013 not to mention a movie that could move plenty of merchandise. Fortunately, DisneyToons president Sharon Morrill knew the individual to fill the role\u2026<\/p>\nThe Seven Dwarfs<\/p>\n
Mike Disa had recently moved to the story department on the first Tinker Bell<\/em> movie. Stakes on the project were high as the future of the Fairies franchise rested on its shoulders. Under pressure, DisneyToons was unable to settle on a story for Tinker Bell<\/em>. <\/p>\n\u201cPeople would pitch ideas, and she [Morrill] would like them for a while, and then she wouldn\u2019t like them,\u201d recalls Disa. \u201cThat project was just sucking all the air out of the room. They were really having trouble with it. They were going through a lot of writers and directors, and they just could not figure out the first Tinker Bell<\/em> movie. So, I was helping them on that.\u201d<\/p>\nMonths earlier, Disa had made his directorial debut with a short titled The Origin of Stitch<\/em>, co-directed by Tony Bancroft. Released as a bonus feature on the Lilo & Stitch 2<\/em> DVD, the short was meant to bridge the sequel with the Lilo & Stitch<\/em> TV series. As positive buzz spread about the short, some folks at DisneyToons considered Disa ready for the next step: directing a full-length feature.<\/p>\n![\"Disney-Toon-Studios\"](\"http:\/\/animatedviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/Disney-Toon-Studios1.jpg\")
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Morrill approached Disa about Dwarfs<\/em>, requesting he pitch a story for the feature. Disa envisioned the film as DisneyToons\u2019 answer to The Lord Of The Rings<\/em>, exploring the 10,000-year history of the dwarfs and their culture in an epic quest. He met with Evan Spiliotopoulos, then one of DisneyToons\u2019 top staff writers, to develop the pitch. They both knew getting the Dwarfs<\/em> gig would be challenging, especially since they desired to make the film different from DisneyToons\u2019 standard fare. Critics had often bashed DisneyToons\u2019 sequels for rehashing their predecessors\u2019 stories. Disa and Spiliotopoulos wished to create something more original, but they assumed DisneyToons would want to stick with the studio\u2019s tried-and-true template. Then they realized that perhaps there was a middle ground \u2013 a way to introduce a fresh take on that template.<\/p>\n\u201cWe came up with this idea to turn the idea of a Disney sequel on its ear,\u201d says Disa. \u201cWe thought, \u2018There are good stories worth telling here,\u2019 but just doing the same bland, white bread rehash of the original story didn\u2019t satisfy us artistically. So, because neither of us were particularly worried about finding a job, we decided to try something really, really different.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wanting Dwarfs<\/em>\u2018 story to connect seamlessly with Snow White<\/em>\u2018s, Disa and Spiliotopoulos created a list of questions about the classic, for the prequel to answer: \u201cWhy do the dwarfs live alone in the woods?\u201d \u201cWhy do they seem to know the Witch?\u201d \u201cWhy is the Witch afraid to confront the dwarfs?\u201d \u201cWho is that skeleton in the dungeon, reaching for water?\u201d<\/p>\nTo appease DisneyToons, the duo set out to give Dwarfs<\/em> a familiar first act \u2013 before blindsiding audiences with unexpected character and plot developments. \u201cWe came up with a story that, on the surface, looked like we were telling the origin of the dwarfs and how they met \u2013 but it was all a trick.\u201d<\/p>\nThe Seven Dwarfs<\/em> was to begin with Dopey and Grumpy living in a charming village of dwarfs. Through a series of \u201caccidents\u201d \u2013 later revealed as intentional acts \u2013 Dopey and Grumpy are forced to go on a quest together into the Old Lands. Throughout their journey, they meet the other dwarfs, each of whom is drawn into the quest for reasons of his own. Hunted by an evil wizard, the dwarfs are aided by the beautiful young Narcissa, whom they eventually care for and love just as they will Snow White someday. But unlike Miss White, Narcissa gradually shows signs of a dark side. Disney princesses usually make all the right decisions; by contrast, Narcissa makes all the wrong decisions. Still, the dwarfs believe she has a good heart as their adventures lead them to the ancient city of Dwarfenholme. But in a third-act twist, the dwarfs discover the wizard is actually Narcissa\u2019s father \u2013 he and Narcissa have been using the dwarfs to access the Olden Dwarf\u2019s ancient magical power. Narcissa double-crosses her father, leading to his enslavement inside the Magic Mirror. With the Olden Dwarf\u2019s magic, she then turns on her seven companions. Dopey heroically sacrifices himself to rescue his new band of friends. But the dwarfs, with Grumpy at the forefront, are able to save Dopey and escape, immune to Narcissa\u2019s magic. Nonetheless, Narcissa takes the throne from Snow White\u2019s father \u2013 seen in Snow White<\/em> as a skeleton in her dungeon \u2013 and begins her reign as the Evil Queen, with the damned soul of her own father forever encased in the Magic Mirror as her slave. Thus, the dwarfs must live in hiding to protect their families from the Queen\u2019s vengeance.<\/p>\n![\"evil](\"http:\/\/animatedviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/evil-queen-magic-mirror-snow-white.jpg\")
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\u201cThe idea was to add all these layers and complexities to the world, so we could tell stories in it, but also be absolutely respectful to the source material,\u201d says Disa. \u201cIn no way did we want to do anything that could cause any kind of harm to the experience of watching Snow White<\/em>. The main reason I wanted to do the film was to protect Snow White<\/em> from some of the less respectful treatments of original material we had seen. Evan and I loved Snow White<\/em>, and if there had to be a sequel, we wanted it to be worthy.\u201d<\/p>\nThey also did not want to imitate Walt\u2019s classic, even with their film\u2019s music. This meant not making Dwarfs<\/em> a traditional musical, although there were sequences sampling the ancestral music of the dwarfs.<\/p>\nDisa and Spiliotopoulos pitched their Dwarfs<\/em> ideas in a meeting with Morrill and other DisneyToons staff. The response was overwhelmingly positive. \u201cPeople were crying and gasping in the room,\u201d recalls Disa. Morrill agreed to Disa and Spiliotopoulos\u2019 vision for the prequel, giving them free rein. Considering the challenges ahead, they would need it.<\/p>\nHomeless On Venice Beach<\/em><\/p>\nDisa was no stranger to challenges: As a boy, he grew up on the South Side of Chicago, on Sixty-fourth Street right by Marquette Park. \u201cIt was a really nasty area of Chicago; it was tough,\u201d says Disa. \u201cMovies were a great escape. The lives I saw on film were nothing like the lives I saw when I walked outside our door. They were two totally different worlds \u2013 and I liked the world on the screen much better!\u201d<\/p>\n
Disa and his father spent Sunday afternoons watching classic black-and-white movies on Chicago-based TV station WGN. \u201cDad would talk about the directors and the old Hollywood system and how the films were made, and I was just fascinated by it,\u201d recalls Disa. \u201cI always knew I wanted to work in film, even when I was a small child.\u201d<\/p>\n
He carried that fascination with him all the way to college. At Northern Illinois University, Disa studied computers and filmmaking. Then a date with another student changed his life forever, but not the way he expected. Disa took her to a student union\u2019s showing of Ralph Bakshi\u2019s Wizards<\/em>. <\/p>\n\u201cIt was one of my first dates in college. I should have been paying a lot more attention to the girl, but I was mesmerized by the movie. It was the most unbelievable film I\u2019d ever seen. I spent the night talking about it,\u201d says Disa. \u201cI forget what happened with the girl, but I remember I saw Wizards<\/em> and thought, \u2018That\u2019s what I want to do! I want to work in animation!’\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Wizards_Necron\"](\"http:\/\/animatedviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/Wizards_Necron.jpg\")
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The robot Peace in Ralph Bakshi\u2019s <\/em>Wizards<\/span><\/p>\nDisa completed the film-and-animation program at NIU and moved to Los Angeles with his portfolio in 1990. Then the unthinkable happened: He could not find employment. According to studios, his portfolio did not compare to those of folks who attended bigger colleges such as the prestigious CalArts or the University of Southern California.<\/p>\n
For six months, Disa was left with neither a steady job nor a home. Hence, he lived in his car on Venice Beach. To earn money, Disa drew portraits there, accepting donations as payment. He then found work doing digital cleanup for $1.50 a frame, in Santa Monica \u2013 a 40-mile drive from his location in Azusa. \u201cIf I was lucky, I made enough gas money to get home,\u201d jokes Disa.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just had to learn my craft. Some folks learn it in school; others learn it out of school,\u201d he continues. \u201cBut I would suggest learning it in school \u2013 that\u2019s a lot easier than being chased around the beach by guys with baseball bats.\u201d<\/p>\n
Honing his craft, Disa took as many freelance gigs as he could, whether working on video games for Avi Arad at Marvel or cartoons for Joe Barbera at Hanna-Barbera. He worked with Steven Spielberg on Amblin Entertainment\u2019s Casper<\/em>, as a key pose animator. He even landed a job on Bakshi\u2019s 1992 directorial effort Cool World<\/em>, finally able to work alongside his idol. While the jobs did not offer much money, they provided a wealth of knowledge.<\/p>\n\u201cThose low-paying jobs really teach you the craft, which \u2013 in many ways, I think \u2013 is better than coming out of some fancy art college and getting a studio job with a nice office right away,\u201d says Disa. \u201cI got to do every single job at every level, in both live-action and animation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dis(a)ney<\/em><\/p>\nAll of his experience came in handy when Disa joined Disney in the mid-90s. Walt Disney Feature Animation had just reached the height of its popularity, thanks to the mega-success of The Lion King<\/em>. At the studio, Disa worked his way up for 11 years, from a clean-up artist on Pocahontas<\/em> and The Hunchback Of Notre Dame<\/em> to a character animator on Treasure Planet<\/em> and Home On The Range<\/em>. By 2004, Feature Animation had changed: budgets were soaring, while grosses and critical acclaim were decreasing. Disa admired DisneyToons\u2019 ability to keep costs down on the sequels that looked almost as good as their Feature Animation predecessors, such as the Peter Pan<\/em> sequel, Return To Never Land<\/em>. In 2002, Never Land<\/em> grossed $109.9 million worldwide from a budget of about $20 million; that same year, Feature Animation\u2019s Treasure Planet<\/em> grossed $109.6 million from a budget north of $140 million. The problem, according to Disa, had much to do with salaries and crew sizes.<\/p>\n\u201cAt the time, some of the artists at Feature Animation had bloated salaries \u2013 I say this because I was one of them \u2013 and the crews had gotten insanely huge,\u201d explains Disa. He adds that the size of the productions\u2019 clean-up crews exceeded what was necessary, further increasing budgets. \u201cA lot of animators had gotten lazy about the way they drew, and they developed their own styles just to impress each other \u2013 styles that had to be taken out of their drawings by clean-up artists, because all the characters had to be put on model.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Disney](\"http:\/\/animatedviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/Disney-Feature-Animation-Building.jpg\")
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Walt Disney Animation Studios\u2019 Sorcerer\u2019s Hat building<\/em><\/span><\/p>\nDisa also was less than enthusiastic about Feature Animation\u2019s future slate of films. When master animator Eric Goldberg temporarily left Disney to direct the animation in Looney Tunes: Back In Action<\/em>, Disa \u2013 one of Goldberg\u2019s former trainees \u2013 went with him. Warner Bros. offered Disa his own directorial project, Wings<\/em>. But Disa believed \u201cthere wasn\u2019t a commitment to doing animated films\u201d at the studio. He created the TV series Creepwood<\/em> for Warner Bros., though Cartoon Network ultimately passed on the project. When Disney asked their prodigal son to return, Disa obliged.<\/p>\nWith all his experience, Disa knew he was up to the task of directing Dwarfs<\/em>, but only if he could do it on his own terms. As much as he loved DisneyToons, he hated how many of their projects lagged in development purgatory for years. Disa was determined to not let Dwarfs<\/em> fall into that trap, but he had one major hurdle to avoid: development execs.<\/p>\nBlue-Sky Ideas<\/em><\/p>\nTypically, development execs are responsible for overseeing a project\u2019s screenplay, with heavy consideration toward the tone, market and audience targeted for the film. But based on his experiences, Disa describes many development execs in animation a little differently: \u201cThey tend to be these people who come into rooms and pitch ideas without trying to execute those ideas themselves. Then, after you\u2019ve made their changes, they just pitch more blue-sky ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n
Disa credits this \u201cdysfunctional system\u201d as a major reason why many DisneyToon projects were of a lesser quality. Some projects, such as two Dumbo<\/em> sequels and four Wizard Of Oz<\/em> movies, never even reached completion. \u201cOur creative executives used to say, \u2018Let\u2019s make a Snow White<\/em> prequel,\u2019 so people could charge lunches and talk about it without actually starting it. \u2018Maybe we\u2019ll hire a writer; maybe we\u2019ll just sit around and talk to the writer. Maybe he\u2019s not really the writer, but maybe we\u2019ll have him do a treatment. Heck, maybe we\u2019ll have five different treatments done with five different plots. Maybe we\u2019ll read them \u2013 or maybe we won\u2019t.\u2019 As long as these executives stayed employed, they were perfectly happy to keep this going.\u201d<\/p>\nDespite this process, the DisneyToon films that did reach completion were slowly becoming more well-received by the public. One of Disa\u2019s personal favorites was Mickey, Donald & Goofy: The Three Musketeers<\/em>, directed by Donovan Cook. \u201cOccasionally, you would get a strong director who would latch onto something that the other parts of the company wanted to promote for financial reasons,\u201d says Disa. \u201cThat director, writer or producer would get the movie done in spite of the process.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Dumbo](\"http:\/\/animatedviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/Dumbo-II.jpg\")
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Dumbo II concept artwork<\/em><\/span><\/p>\nDisa determined to be that kind of director for Dwarfs<\/em>, as he made clear in an early meeting for the film. \u201cWhen I got there, my job was to say, \u2018Okay, no more screwing around!’\u201d says Disa. \u201c\u2018Here is what we\u2019re going to do: We\u2019re going to do this<\/em> story, right? Everybody shake your head up and down.’\u201d Indeed, the crew members nodded their heads in agreement. The development execs were also on board for Disa\u2019s vision \u2013 at first. Then they began offering suggestions for the prequel, some of which the director would obstruct:<\/p>\n\u201cWhat if we set Dwarfs<\/em> after Snow White<\/em>?\u201d asked a development exec. \u201cFor instance, what if Dwarfs<\/em> were to take place a thousand years after Snow White<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cWell, that would be a great idea, but that would also be a different movie, wouldn\u2019t it?\u201d responded Disa. \u201cThat would be a sequel. This is a prequel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat if the original seven dwarfs weren\u2019t in it? What if we introduced all-new characters?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a great idea \u2013 and that\u2019s also another movie! You should write that down and start the process of making that movie. But we need you to focus on this<\/em> movie for a minute and say whether or not you think it\u2019s working, so we can move it into production.\u201d<\/p>\nDespite the slight resistance, Disa made great progress in moving Dwarfs<\/em> forward. The word of mouth around DisneyToons was positive as the screenplay made its way throughout the studio. \u201cPeople were sneaking copies of it to read because they thought it was so good,\u201d says Disa. Ryan Roberts\u2019 development artwork was equally impressive. Some of Disa\u2019s co-workers suggested Dwarfs<\/em> was strong enough to pitch at Feature Animation, but he and the creative team never considered the idea, preferring the more independent, lower-budgeted route at DisneyToons.<\/p>\n\u201cThe point of DisneyToons was to keep projects as far away from the out-of-control spending at Disney Feature Animation as possible,\u201d says Disa, \u201cso you could let a director and a writer come up with an idea and execute it with very little risk. I never would have expected Disney Feature Animation to make the Dwarfs<\/em> film Evan and I wanted to make, because I think it was a little too risky for a general audience.\u201d<\/p>\nA Change In Leadership<\/em><\/p>\nWith high expectations, Disney began planning three computer animated sequels to Dwarfs<\/em>. The films were to follow the title characters\u2019 return home to families and friends after the Evil Queen\u2019s death in Snow White<\/em>.<\/p>\nBut DisneyToons\u2019 plans for the Dwarfs<\/em> franchise were about to be interrupted. In January 2006, Disney announced its purchase of Pixar Animation Studios for $7.4 billion. Pixar\u2019s creative director John Lasseter became the Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Feature Animation, which he renamed Walt Disney Animation Studios.<\/p>\n![\"Walt](\"http:\/\/animatedviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/Walt-Disney-Animation-Studios1.jpg\")
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Lasseter, as well as Apple Inc. CEO and former Pixar chief Steve Jobs, had made no secret about their dislike of Disney\u2019s direct-to-video sequels. Jobs in particular had shown his disdain<\/a> during a conference call with financial analysts and reporters in 2004, when he said, \u201cWe feel sick about Disney doing sequels, because if you look at the quality of their sequels \u2013 like The Lion King 1 1\/2<\/em>, Peter Pan<\/em> sequels and stuff \u2013 it is pretty embarrassing.\u201d<\/p>\nWith Lasseter now in command of Disney animation, the artists and execs at DisneyToons knew major changes were in store. Several projects in development were about to be cancelled. Lasseter, whom Disa describes as \u201ca very nice guy,\u201d carefully reviewed the studio\u2019s upcoming slate. Among the projects in development, Tinker Bell<\/em>, Cinderella III: A Twist In Time<\/em> and The Little Mermaid: Ariel\u2019s Beginning<\/em> made the cut; The Aristocats II<\/em>, Chicken Little 2: The Ugly Duckling Story<\/em>, and Meet The Robinsons 2: First Date<\/em> did not.<\/p>\nAs for Dwarfs<\/em>\u2026 Lasseter\u2019s \u201cpeople\u201d liked it! Disa and Spiliotopoulos pitched the film to the Pixar creatives. \u201cBelieve it or not, we were told the new regime liked it a great deal,\u201d says Disa. \u201cThey loved the film and our approach to it.\u201d Still, Lasseter needed to see more of the project before he could sign on to it. <\/p>\nThe Gravy Train Stops<\/em><\/p>\nSome of the higher-ups at DisneyToons knew their time was limited at the studio. The new management wanted to see results, not plans for projects already six years in development. As films were cancelled, certain development execs began attaching themselves to projects they believed would be safe. \u201cPeople were falling all over themselves at that point. The gravy train was clearly going to be over. People were going to have to produce or get out,\u201d says Disa. \u201cWe had a couple of guys who were clearly worried that they were going to lose their jobs if they just kept doing what they were doing. So, they tried to attach themselves to our film. They were clearly only interested in survival, not in getting the film done.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was a dark side to how certain people could attach themselves to projects. \u201cThe way that executives and even some directors got onto projects was, instead of coming up with their own ideas and projects, instead of coming up with their own takes,\u201d explains Disa, \u201cthey would go to the executives and scare them by saying, \u2018I don\u2019t think this film is going to work; you\u2019re probably going to get fired because of it. But I can save you \u2013 if you put me on the project.’\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Snow](\"http:\/\/animatedviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/Snow-White-Witch-Apple-001.jpg\")
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During that time, Disa wished he had a producer to handle the political side of filmmaking, so he could focus solely on directing. \u201cIn order to make a film, you had to have a producer willing to get in front of the director and take all of that off their plate,\u201d says Disa, adding that a good producer was a commonality among many of DisneyToons\u2019 better titles. \u201cIf you didn\u2019t have a good producer fighting your battles for you and keeping the project alive, your film kind of got swept up in a development whirlwind that ended up destroying more projects than it finished.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Dopey Idea<\/em><\/p>\nDisa gathered DisneyToon staff to show the latest reels and storyboards for Dwarfs<\/em>. \u201cThey were getting raves,\u201d he recalls. \u201cPeople were laughing and saying they were the best stuff being done at DisneyToons.\u201d One reel that was especially well-received involved Grumpy\u2019s introduction to Dopey. As they begin their quest, Grumpy cannot stand Dopey\u2019s wacky antics, becoming more frustrated while Dopey, without speaking a word, engages in Buster Keaton-inspired physical humor.<\/p>\nBut the fun was about to end. Disa received a phone call from one of the development execs. The individual, whom Disa declines to name, had a note for Dwarfs<\/em>: \u201cMake Dopey talk.\u201d<\/p>\nDisa could muster only one word as a response: \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to make Dopey talk,\u201d the exec repeated.<\/p>\n
The exec explained that he and some of his colleagues did not believe a silent character could carry an animated film. (As Disa notes, Pixar\u2019s WALL-E<\/em>, with its mostly-silent title character, would prove that theory incorrect about one year later.) <\/p>\nFor the most part, Dopey had been a silent character for about 70 years. His voice had been heard in some projects, such as RCA\/Victor Records\u2019 1952 album Snow White & Dopey<\/em>. But critics and fans generally agreed that much of Dopey\u2019s charm came from his silent physical humor and affable personality. The exec\u2019s request was not completely unexpected, considering the studio had also insisted that Tinker Bell speak in her spin-off feature. But Tinker Bell\u2019s transition from silence to speech was easily explainable: the humans in Peter Pan<\/em> could not hear Tink, yet her fellow fairies in the Tinker Bell<\/em> series could. DisneyToons needed a similarly good reason as to why Dopey was silent in Snow White<\/em> but not its prequel. <\/p>\n![\"RCA](\"http:\/\/animatedviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/RCA-Snow-White-and-Dopey2.jpg\")
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Disa argued that audiences had no trouble falling in love with a silent Dopey in Snow White<\/em>. But in that film, Dopey was a supporting character. For Dwarfs<\/em>, the exec believed Dopey should be raised to leading man status.<\/p>\n\u201cWe think we need to make the story about Dopey,\u201d the exec continued. \u201cWe\u2019ll keep your story, but we want the movie to mainly be about how Dopey lost the ability to talk.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow Dopey lost the ability to talk?\u201d responded Disa. \u201cYou mean he\u2019s been wounded?!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, maybe not physically. Maybe just emotionally.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut Walt said that Dopey could talk, he just didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe think that\u2019s an old-fashioned idea,\u201d said the exec. \u201cSo, we want to tell the story of how Dopey had an emotional trauma that keeps him from talking.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you saying you want me to come up with some way that, at the end of the film, Dopey gets scarred emotionally and doesn\u2019t talk?\u201d asked Disa.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, no, no,\u201d the exec answered. \u201cWe should do it at the beginning. Like, maybe Dopey should watch his mother die or something.\u201d<\/p>\n
Disa was horrified that the famously happy-go-lucky Dopey was about to not only get a tragic back-story, but the standard Disney one in which a protagonist loses a parent. But unlike what he did to Dopey\u2019s mother, the exec wouldn\u2019t let the idea die. He was adamant that Dwarfs<\/em> be, as Disa describes, \u201ca light comedy where the comic lead is traumatized into becoming a mute by watching his mother die in the first act, and then goes on an unrelated carefree adventure with his friends.\u201d<\/p>\nThe discussion soon moved to a conference room inside Disney\u2019s Frank Wells Building. Several execs attended the meeting, all of whom agreed that a tragic back-story for Dopey was a great opening act for Dwarfs<\/em>. They also believed the original pitch for Dwarfs<\/em> was a tad too dark, wanting the movie to offer laughs from beginning to end. Disa disagreed that the movie could start with Dopey as the light-hearted comic lead everyone wanted while simultaneously showing his mother\u2019s death traumatizing him into becoming a mute. According to Disa, the responses ranged from, \u201cWell, you don\u2019t have to be dark about it,\u201d to, \u201cIntroduce the comedy and then slip in the mother thing. Kids won\u2019t notice.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"snow](\"http:\/\/animatedviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/snow-white-evil-queen-potion.jpg\")
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The execs waited for Disa to respond. They needed a decision soon, if they were going to pitch the new version of Dwarfs<\/em> to Lasseter. \u201cSo, what do you think?\u201d they asked.<\/p>\n\u201cI literally said, \u2018You\u2019re out of your [expletive] mind! I am not<\/em> walking into John Lasseter\u2019s office and pitching him The Dopey\u2019s Too Emotionally-Scarred To Talk Movie<\/em>!’\u201d<\/p>\nAccording to Disa, their response was simple: \u201cYou should go think about it for a while. We\u2019ll come up with some treatments.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cI was like, \u2018You can come up with whatever you want. I\u2019m not doing that.’\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHeigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, It\u2019s Home From Work We Go\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nA couple of weeks passed; a few more meetings were held. Disa had to decide if he was willing to walk away from the project. The director considered all the work he had already put into Dwarfs<\/em> \u2013 the screenplay, visual development, storyboards and reels. No matter his decision, a year\u2019s worth of labor was about to be scrapped for a vision that was not his.<\/p>\n\u201cAre you sure I can\u2019t talk you out of this?\u201d Disa asked the execs. But they felt strongly about the new direction for the film. \u201cThen I\u2019m going to wish you guys luck with this\u2026 because I\u2019m not doing it.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to do what we tell you to do. You\u2019re a director for us; you work here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, but I don\u2019t want to make this crap. So, I quit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hours later, Disa sat in his office, reflecting on his decision, when a group of co-workers unassociated with Dwarfs<\/em> entered and applauded. Disa appreciated the support but made it clear he was not trying to be a martyr or an egotist. Furthermore, he wanted to remain professional, not making a scene, which meant not going to Lasseter to explain the situation.<\/p>\n![\"snow](\"http:\/\/animatedviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/snow-white-dwarfs-bed1.jpg\")
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\u201cThe deal in Hollywood is clear: You present a vision for a film. The execs at one company or another hire you to make that vision. The process of executing that vision is collaborative, and the project usually improves from input and critique,\u201d says Disa. \u201cBut when a studio changes their mind and doesn\u2019t want that story anymore, then a professional puts away his ego, carefully considers the new direction, and looks in himself to see if he has any real passion for the new idea. If not, then the director should gracefully excuse himself with as little drama as possible and move on to a project he can get excited about. <\/p>\n
\u201cFilms need directors who are passionate about the material, not just collecting a check,\u201d he continues. \u201cThere\u2019s a name for someone who will do whatever he is asked for money. It isn\u2019t \u2018artist.’\u201d<\/p>\n
Disa gave DisneyToons a month\u2019s notice of his leaving. He also offered to personally help the new Dwarfs<\/em> director become familiar with the most recent work on the film, to make the transition as seamless as possible. However, the new director \u2013 being the exec who originally suggested Dopey should talk \u2013 was offended by Disa\u2019s departure and, thus, declined the offer.<\/p>\nStill, Disa had no hard feelings toward DisneyToons, which he expressed on his final day at the studio. \u201cWith love, I told them, \u2018I really hope the film goes well. There are a lot of really talented people working on it. I\u2019m sorry, but I creatively think this is a bad idea. But I hope I\u2019m wrong.’\u201d<\/p>\n
The production team pressed forward on Dwarfs<\/em> for about a month after Disa left. Then they pitched the film\u2019s new storyline to Lasseter. He cancelled the project immediately. <\/p>\nFrom Disney To Zombie<\/em><\/p>\nDisa moved onto other ventures, trying new genres and styles of animation. His first post-Dwarfs<\/em> project was directing sequence material for Rob Zombie\u2019s R-rated, traditionally animated The Haunted World Of El Superbeasto<\/em>. The film \u201cmakes Ralph Bakshi look calm,\u201d jokes Disa. \u201cIt certainly was a great exploration of the dark side of me. I did that mostly to shake off the stiffness of Disney. You start second-guessing yourself like those places teach you to do, and I just wanted to do something where the sky was the limit.\u201d<\/p>\nNext, he directed the computer animated Hoodwinked Too!: Hood Vs. Evil<\/em>, the sequel to the 2005 surprise hit Hoodwinked<\/em>, for The Weinstein Co. However, Disa notes that viewers should not expect to see his version of the film when watching the version released to theaters and home video. He explains that, during post-production on Hoodwinked Too!<\/em>, its producers tried to rewrite and record dialogue to match the movement of the characters\u2019 already-animated mouths. \u201cI\u2019m very proud of the film. It\u2019s a well-executed film, but it wasn\u2019t supposed to be a zany comedy, even from the very first script. It was pitched to me as a witty adventure about a heroine coming of age. You can\u2019t just insert \u2018wacky\u2019 into a film after it\u2019s already been animated. It\u2019s either in the script or not. So, I\u2019m not thrilled with the final product.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"hoodwinked](\"http:\/\/animatedviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/hoodwinked-too-shrek.jpg\")
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Red Riding Hood versus Moss the Troll in<\/em> Hoodwinked Too!<\/span><\/p>\nDisa turned his attention toward video games for a while \u2013 not to play them, but to adapt them into direct-to-video movies. For Electronic Arts and Starz\u2019s Film Roman banner, he directed Dante\u2019s Inferno: An Animated Epic<\/em> before taking the reins on Dead Space: Aftermath<\/em>. Of all his projects, Disa is proudest of Dead Space<\/em>, despite its obvious low budget. \u201cIt really is a terrifyingly disturbing horror film,\u201d he says, \u201cthat I think is structured as well as anything else you see out there.\u201d<\/p>\nNext Spring, UK audiences can check out Disa\u2019s latest directorial effort, Postman Pat: The Movie<\/em>. Disa feels honored to bring the beloved children\u2019s icon to the big screen. \u201cI read the script and thought it had a gentle heart. It has this really clever concept of Pat entering a television talent show and turning out to have an amazing singing voice like Susan Boyle,\u201d he explains. Taking a break from big studio productions, Disa had some reservations about Postman Pat<\/em> when DreamWorks Animation purchased the film\u2019s production company, Classic Media, during its development. Fortunately, he has enjoyed DreamWorks\u2019 style of management. \u201cI have to say the development executives I worked with at DreamWorks were completely different than the guys at Disney. The ones at DreamWorks gave very specific notes. It was a really nice process I liked a great deal.\u201d He adds that Postman Pat<\/em> \u201cis a very funny film. Let\u2019s just say nobody has come in to ruin it, so I\u2019m very happy.\u201d<\/p>\nAfter Postman Pat<\/em>, Disa plans to move into live-action filmmaking, first directing a horror film and then a TV series pilot. \u201cOver the past couple of years, I\u2019ve been approached a lot more about live-action. It\u2019s probably better for me because you don\u2019t spend four years animating a live-action project.\u201d Still, Disa is not leaving animation completely: He has written a film he will direct and finance independently in a few years.<\/p>\n\u201cI just don\u2019t think the big-budget animated studio world is really set up for somebody like me, who wants to make good movies quickly on a reasonable budget without obsessing over every tiny what-could-go-wrong scenario,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019ve got a lot of stories to tell, and I just want to tell them. I don\u2019t want to talk about making them; I want to get the films done.\u201d He jokingly adds, \u201cI want to have a lot of films to show at my funeral.\u201d <\/p>\n
Remembering The Dwarfs<\/em><\/p>\nLooking back on his time at DisneyToons, Disa still wishes Dwarfs<\/em> could have been completed. He hopes his former bosses and collaborators are successful, despite past disagreements with some of them. \u201cThere were a lot of really great, talented directors, writers and development artists at DisneyToons,\u201d he says. \u201cA lot of really beautiful work was wasted. But ultimately, it\u2019s okay. Everybody who left has gone on to do very well.\u201d<\/p>\nIndeed, many of the individuals who worked on Dwarfs<\/em> are still enjoying successful careers, some even still at DisneyToons. Ryan Roberts recently wrapped up his work on Planes<\/em>, a spin-off of Cars<\/em>, which serves as the first entry in DisneyToons\u2019 latest franchise. As for Evan Spiliotopoulos, he went on to write DisneyToons\u2019 critically acclaimed Tinker Bell & The Lost Treasure<\/em>, and contributed screenplays for the upcoming Young Sherlock Holmes<\/em> remake and director Brett Ratner\u2019s Hercules: The Thracian Wars<\/em>. Spiliotopoulos also had the opportunity to write about another band of dwarfs in the screenplay for last year\u2019s blockbuster Snow White & The Huntsman<\/em>, a live-action re-imagining of the Brothers Grimm\u2019s fairy tale.<\/p>\n
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