The Leader of the Club
Well-Known Member
I don’t know if Dave returns for Imagination 4.0 or not. He doesn’t seem to have much attachment to the character, but since Muppets are under WDI he’d be really easy to bring back if they wanted to.
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EPCOT Figment, well, to be replaced by Figment
- Thread starter Walrus from Paris
- Start date
Yeah, and they keep bringing him out, especially at d23
DreamfinderGuy
Well-Known Member
I hope not. A return to form for Journey into Imagination should mean a return to form for Figment's character as well. Something closer to his original voice would really do a lot for that.
Cmdr_Crimson
Well-Known Member
And they did this..
Brer Panther
Well-Known Member
Personally, I prefer Dave as Figment, though I thought what little of Corey's I've heard sounded pretty good as well.
Cmdr_Crimson
Well-Known Member
At this juncture if ai voices can be used to make Walt Disney talk in the 100 exhibition. They can easily bring back Billy Barty back just like this guy did...
Brer Panther
Well-Known Member
AI voices are a bad idea. I'd rather they find an actual voice actor - Dave or Corey or somebody else - do Figment's voice.
FigmentsBrightIdeas
Well-Known Member
Still doesn’t sound right… the vocal delivery doesn’t sound natural. On top of it, really poor choice IMO to use Billy’s voice (let alone it being an ‘artificial’ recreation) for that totally out of character portrayal of Figment since 02 as a mischevious nuisance that farts in your face.. let alone that acronym ‘IFARTS’.. really?? Should be ‘IFOTA’ (I Photograph, for short), fits both the imagination theme, you’re making your own photographs with imagination and the OG sponsor/Kodak reference of photography and it’s association with expressing creative ideas.
Had they been accurate to the disrespectful ‘02 source material they’re referencing, they would’ve used an artificial recreation of Dave Goelz’s voice.. but even in that regard.. that’s completely disrespectful to Dave Goelz as a performer. (Breaks my heart still that they cast him in such a disrespectful “screw you Figment fans for interfering with our admittedly ill-conceived ‘99 Honey, I Shrunk IP-themed revamp” proxy ride basically when he is so great as Gonzo and other Henson characters)
Over reliance on AI & casting human imagination as an annoying nuisance or interference to the creative process is the ‘antithesis’, not a celebration of it.
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FigmentsBrightIdeas
Well-Known Member
Something I should mention too.. especially considering the fact ‘so’ many could perfectly impersonate Walt.. I’ll never understand why they felt like AI was the best choice to showcase Walt Disney in an exhibit. He, again, was a celebration of human imagination & creative talent.. not the antithesis of it. It’s so sad how overly cynical and soulless a once creative beacon of a company in the industry has become over the years. Sad.
FigmentsBrightIdeas
Well-Known Member
Agreed, though I’d absolutely pick Corey if he can still do it. Whoever can best match the sound, flow & cadence of Billy Barty’s original performance.
Hate to say it, but IMO, Dave & AJ don’t quite cut it. No disrespect to them as performers. Could very well simply be the direction.. but their performances feel too forced and too “shouty” IMO. (Maybe to make up for the high pitch of his voice cause they can’t physically reach the pitch any other way??) It should feel natural… he’s a curious fella.. so it should come moreso from inside than outward per se. He actually speaks at normal volume but he’s high pitched. He’s constantly thinking up things, wanting to find out more. He’s enthusiastic (so he’s naturally pretty upbeat & happy) but also a physical representation of both a culmination of ideas come to fruition and our inner childlike curiosity & wonderment. So he’s capable of a lot of emotions actually, but again, he just tends to stick to being optimistic in his pursuit of creative endeavors. He’s less being preachy towards others per se about how “imagination works the best when it’s set free” and moreso wanting to constantly know & learn more himself about his own creative abilities and the abilities of imagination as a whole and how it can help others and the world all around him. That I feel is what the folks in charge either completely misunderstand writing/directing the newer material.. ‘or’ they simply don’t care nor want to understand it.
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trainplane3
Well-Known Member
Agreed. I'd say Corey first, AJ close second, and Dave in a multi-mile distant third. AJ is a good voice that feels slightly classic but having a fresh take on it but Corey is closer to Billy overall. I don't want to think about Dave voicing Figment again, it just isn't great sounding at all.
If they're working with AJ right now, I'd almost expect him to come back for this since it's easier to use talent readily available then trying to find a previous VA from decades ago.
FigmentsBrightIdeas
Well-Known Member
Yup, that was heard in an d23 podcast interview with him. He read that Billy Barty did the voice and initially was gonna do a Billy Barty impression, but the guy directing him at the recording session for the 02 version told him not to sound like Billy Barty but to come up with his own interpretation of the character. Really bizarre choice there, but Agreed, so would I! Everyone deserves a second chance, especially if they’re capable or can do the job right the 2nd time. If he can do something that sounds almost indistinguishable to Billy Barty’s performance like Corey did, then he absolutely should have another chance in regards to new Figment content
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FigmentsBrightIdeas
Well-Known Member
Ultimately, I think the best course of action going forward for new Figment/Journey Into Imagination/related works would be to hold another audition for Figment and give the direction to really hone into the original 83-98 Billy Barty performance of the character as close as possible. Bring Corey, Dave, and AJ back if they’re interested in auditioning again. Whoever can sound the closest and does the performance justice should get the role and continue voicing the character going forward, for as long as they can still do him.
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Haymarket2008
Well-Known Member
Sitting here in this sub forum waiting for @Henry Mystic to make an appearance
He did a week or so ago, he said figment had a bright future. That’s it
Moth
Well-Known Member
I was about to make the same comment here HAH.
If it means anything I haven't heard anything D23 for Imagination, but I also don't like commenting on D23.
No.
Would a general "Figment will be at D23 in some form" soothe yall?
nope.
Would a general "Figment will be at D23 in some form" soothe yall?