Holy Articulated Heads, Batman!

[innerSpaceman]

It's about time.



I've been thinking Disney should have been on to this decades ago. And not just in stage shows ... but for the characters that interact directly with guests.



If you look back at the characters circa opening day, it's a wonder they didn't scare the bejesus out of kids. They were primitive and pathetic.

Great progress was made with the characters through the 1960's ... and that's where state of the art has basically stalled (though there were design improvements until the 80's). No technological progress, however, has been made in 40 years. I think the video clip demonstates some real progress that should have hit the Parks at least a decade ago.


(and I think the ability to blink is just as important as the mouth movement in creating a wonderful illusion of life for these characters)







.

[RStar]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

... but for the characters that interact directly with guests.
.

I've often thought about this, but the voice would need to be recorded, making it very awkward to carry on a conversation.

Little Billy- "Mickey, were you born in Toontown?"

Mickey- "Hey pal, having a good time at Disneyland?"

Billy to mommy with tears in his eyes- "Why didn't Mickey answer me?"

Unless they get to the point that the motorized mouth works by the movement of the CMs lips, and the voice is done the way they do Turtle Talk With Crush, I don't see this happening in a non-structured setting.

But this is a really cool step in between!

[Disneyphile]

Originally Posted by RStar

I've often thought about this, but the voice would need to be recorded, making it very awkward to carry on a conversation.

Unless they combine the technology with that of Push.

[RStar]

Originally Posted by Disneyphile

Unless they combine the technology with that of Push.

I don't know what Push sounds like, but I don't think he sounds like Mickey or Goofy. That's why I said if they could use the type of techno that Crush the Turtle has in DCA. It changes the CMs voice to sound like Crush, and a CM could be near by doing the voice.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Originally Posted by RStar

I don't know what Push sounds like, but I don't think he sounds like Mickey or Goofy. That's why I said if they could use the type of techno that Crush the Turtle has in DCA. It changes the CMs voice to sound like Crush, and a CM could be near by doing the voice.

Ummmmmm.....I am pretty sure that Crush is simply voiced by a guy who can do the surfer dude voice. They don't have a voice filter.

[RStar]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

Ummmmmm.....I am pretty sure that Crush is simply voiced by a guy who can do the surfer dude voice. They don't have a voice filter.

Really? With all of the hours Crush operates they would need quite a few CMs to be available. And to build an attraction hopeing they could have someone available with the turnover rate they have, seams like a strech to me.

I assumed they had a computer with a bank of words or phrases that as the CM spoke, the computer voice would put it together. The voice is always spot-on, and the conversations are pretty similar each time (at least each time I went- only 3 or 4 times). Which is why I always thought they had a digital aspect to it.

That's part of the Disney magic- the "How'd they do that?" factor.

[Isaac]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

It's about time.

Ditto.

We probably won't see these type of masks on the characters inside Disneyland for another 5 to 10 years but at least we know Disney is working on it.

Originally Posted by Not Afraid

You know, now that the mouth moves, it makes the excessive gesticulation seem ridiculous.

They are excessive & ridiculous but keep in mind they're doing a stage show and in most stage shows body movements & jestures are always a bit overdone. Take for example the gay choreography aboard the Columbia during Fantasmic.