News Flights of Wonder closing and replaced by 'UP! A Great Bird Adventure'

RSoxNo1

RSoxNo1

Well-Known Member
Thelazer said:
I couldn't even get past the first 4 mins of this.. good god....
Click to expand...
Admittedly, the first 5-8 minutes are the roughest part of the show. The 30 second voiceover that kicked off Flights of Wonder was replaced with the story being told by Anika, and then she kind of loses her character for about 15-20 minutes. I think they need to decide Anika or Up characters as the storytelling mechanism. They're too different to have both.
 
MisterPenguin

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
RSoxNo1 said:
Admittedly, the first 5-8 minutes are the roughest part of the show. The 30 second voiceover that kicked off Flights of Wonder was replaced with the story being told by Anika, and then she kind of loses her character for about 15-20 minutes. I think they need to decide Anika or Up characters as the storytelling mechanism. They're too different to have both.
Click to expand...

Plus, didn't she say her name was something other than Anika? Sounded like Arissa.
 
B

briangaw

Active Member
RSoxNo1 said:
Admittedly, the first 5-8 minutes are the roughest part of the show. The 30 second voiceover that kicked off Flights of Wonder was replaced with the story being told by Anika, and then she kind of loses her character for about 15-20 minutes. I think they need to decide Anika or Up characters as the storytelling mechanism. They're too different to have both.
Click to expand...

What you and others have said! This is a terrible implementation of trying to combine way too many ideas and honestly just doing it poorly. And why they thought having the pre-recorded stuff being tied to the animals doing things was a good idea is beyond me. Although I do see what they were going for and there is potential. Honestly, if tightened up a bit I like the first 5 minutes. I think Anika as a character is engaging. I think the big problem is where Adam fits in or doesn't. It is like this is a bird show so we just needed a knowledgeable bird guy and trainer to be there so it ends up all being weird and clunky. Here is how I would have written it to fix it:

Anika still comes out first and gives a much more tightened up introduction to Indian culture and sets the place of the great bird sanctuary with the conservation message. Then have the bird walk by, fly by and the land on the arm dynamic interaction. Then Anika would be on one side of the stage tending to something and the attention would shift to the other side of the stage as the UP characters and the male lead/trainer Adam would come around the corner. Through dialogue between Doug and Russell and Adam, we find out Adam is a wilderness guide and bird expert taking Doug and Russell on adventure through India. As they cross the stage they happen upon Anika and she welcomes them and has a comic interaction with Russell and Doug. She also talks with Adam who explains what they are looking for and provides the natural behavior spiel. Anika can tell them that there are many amazing creators here, do you want to go on an adventure and meet my feathered friends?

Then the animal interactions can occur. Where needed Doug and Russell can leave the stage or stay. The big change would be while the bird interactions are occurring there would be no dependent pre-recorded dialogue. Doug and Russell if on stage would be just watching as interested parties. Then as an interaction is complete they can chime in. It seems like the timing will never be right if the actors have to have improv, worry about the animals doing the right thing, and also thinking of the next mark of pre-recorded audio they must hit. Although some of the interactions like feeding the crane can work. Also a big change is that Anika would be the one who knows the birds and their names and is introducing them to a surprised and excited Adam. Anika introduces and names the bird and also tells of the cultural meanings etc, then Adam acts surprised and shocked when the bird lands on him and says hi so and so and explains that so and so is a ________. They do this and gives the bird facts. So the role would be that Adam is a knowledgeable guide for Russell and Doug (a la Guano Joe) while Anika is in her home and excited to share with her visitors her bird friends and tell their cultural story and significance. Makes Adam a bridge between the worlds of Doug and Russell and Anika. Also does a great thing and sets up areas to play off of when things go wrong.

Then end with Doug, Russell, and Adam thanking Anika for showing them her bird friends and how amazing they are. Doug can say he is sad to go but onto the next wilderness adventure. Then Adam can say how there are amazing birds in their own backyards. Anika can end with the great peacock description and the birds back on the stage and scene. So keep the bones, but rework the story around it a bit so there is a better flow to the story.
 
es135

es135

Well-Known Member
I'll parrot what others are saying here. Beyond being "dumbed down", the biggest negative for me is the lack of ability to improv by the Up characters. Prerecorded works well for a show that can happen the same exact way each time (think the MK castle shows). Live animals by their very nature are unpredictable. Whether you liked or disliked Guano Joe, you can't deny that he was able to provide on the spot comments and vamp during the times when the animals weren't cooperating.
 
Kman101

Kman101

Well-Known Member
briangaw said:
What you and others have said! This is a terrible implementation of trying to combine way too many ideas and honestly just doing it poorly. And why they thought having the pre-recorded stuff being tied to the animals doing things was a good idea is beyond me. Although I do see what they were going for and there is potential. Honestly, if tightened up a bit I like the first 5 minutes. I think Anika as a character is engaging. I think the big problem is where Adam fits in or doesn't. It is like this is a bird show so we just needed a knowledgeable bird guy and trainer to be there so it ends up all being weird and clunky. Here is how I would have written it to fix it:

Anika still comes out first and gives a much more tightened up introduction to Indian culture and sets the place of the great bird sanctuary with the conservation message. Then have the bird walk by, fly by and the land on the arm dynamic interaction. Then Anika would be on one side of the stage tending to something and the attention would shift to the other side of the stage as the UP characters and the male lead/trainer Adam would come around the corner. Through dialogue between Doug and Russell and Adam, we find out Adam is a wilderness guide and bird expert taking Doug and Russell on adventure through India. As they cross the stage they happen upon Anika and she welcomes them and has a comic interaction with Russell and Doug. She also talks with Adam who explains what they are looking for and provides the natural behavior spiel. Anika can tell them that there are many amazing creators here, do you want to go on an adventure and meet my feathered friends?

Then the animal interactions can occur. Where needed Doug and Russell can leave the stage or stay. The big change would be while the bird interactions are occurring there would be no dependent pre-recorded dialogue. Doug and Russell if on stage would be just watching as interested parties. Then as an interaction is complete they can chime in. It seems like the timing will never be right if the actors have to have improv, worry about the animals doing the right thing, and also thinking of the next mark of pre-recorded audio they must hit. Although some of the interactions like feeding the crane can work. Also a big change is that Anika would be the one who knows the birds and their names and is introducing them to a surprised and excited Adam. Anika introduces and names the bird and also tells of the cultural meanings etc, then Adam acts surprised and shocked when the bird lands on him and says hi so and so and explains that so and so is a ________. They do this and gives the bird facts. So the role would be that Adam is a knowledgeable guide for Russell and Doug (a la Guano Joe) while Anika is in her home and excited to share with her visitors her bird friends and tell their cultural story and significance. Makes Adam a bridge between the worlds of Doug and Russell and Anika. Also does a great thing and sets up areas to play off of when things go wrong.

Then end with Doug, Russell, and Adam thanking Anika for showing them her bird friends and how amazing they are. Doug can say he is sad to go but onto the next wilderness adventure. Then Adam can say how there are amazing birds in their own backyards. Anika can end with the great peacock description and the birds back on the stage and scene. So keep the bones, but rework the story around it a bit so there is a better flow to the story.
Click to expand...

That's pretty much what I expected to some degree and what should have been done.
 
ᗩLᘿᑕ ✨ ᗩζᗩᗰ

ᗩLᘿᑕ ✨ ᗩζᗩᗰ

HOUSE OF MAGIC
Premium Member
Oof. I could only watch it 'til the 8min mark.

Based on the critiques in this thread I think it's clear the UP characters should have pre-recorded backup dialog for when something does goes wrong. And yes... a bird show without Kevin!? Why bother using the UP characters at all!? The entire thing just feels like a mishmash. Having face characters interact with a costumed Russell... It just doesn't work for me. Hardly a productive critique. Honestly it just looks bad.
 
WDWTank

WDWTank

Well-Known Member
Magicart87 said:
Oof. I could only watch it 'til the 8min mark.

Based on the critiques in this thread I think it's clear the UP characters should have pre-recorded backup dialog for when something does goes wrong. And yes... a bird show without Kevin!? Why bother using the UP characters at all!? The entire thing just feels like a mishmash. Having face characters interact with a costumed Russell... It just doesn't work for me. Hardly a productive critique. Honestly it just looks bad.
Click to expand...
Wait Kevin isn’t in the show?!
 
ford91exploder

ford91exploder

Resident Curmudgeon
Bairstow said:
Wonder if they could replace Russell and Doug with two original "Wilderness Explorer" characters who could serve the same purpose in the show but the freedom to improvise an interact. Maybe even revive the "Joe" character as a hapless scoutmaster of sorts with one or more "scouts" in tow.
Click to expand...

Best idea so far, Because at least for a while there were 'Wilderness Explorer' face characters at AK, Like I said to me the Guano's detracted from the show BUT they were useful when the birds were not cooperating, So Scoutmaster Joe with a couple of WE's would be a great idea.

But of course the prerecorded show was probably a way to get rid of a few Equity actors as foamheads are just regular CM's in most cases.
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom