Captain Hank said:
American Adventure is among my favorite attractions. It's combination of AA's, projections, and great set pieces, along with a great script and theme song is absolutely amazing. Did you, by chance, notice that Ben Franklin actually "walks" up a set of stairs during the Declaration of Independence scene? It's actually kind of subtle, but really cool.
So many of the "effects" in American Adventure are so subtle most people don't really notice them. But the fact that it took a lot of planning and design to get them to look right...
Some of my favorites are how the animatronics (and set pieces) are coordinated with the film background. When the snowy scene at Valley Forge is shown, the view of the village pans down, and the animatronics ride up at the same rate, and they all stop panning/rising at the same time. Then at the end of the scene, the animatronics lower as the camera pans upward. The camera doesn't zoom in until the animatronics are out of view. The overall effect is very 3-dimensional. (And have you noticed Washington's horse's mane blowing gently in the wind?)
Same thing with Fredrick Douglas on his raft. He "floats" onstage with the background going the opposite direction. The raft and film change speeds to make it appear the raft is still going the same speed along the river, even though it's actually stopped and it going backwards slightly. (This one's harder to describe, you have to see it)
Oh, and the Fair sets in Philadelphia do the same thing, too.
There's always something new that you've never noticed before. It took me forever to notice the point when "Jane" lowered down into the submarine toward the end. Because the gas station set is there, and it transitions right into the WWII scene with Jane in the submarine already. But you don't see her until the end of that scene. (And have you ever noticed the Navy sailor saluting the audience as his scene lowers out of view?)
I like the continuing use of the "New World Bound" theme. Not just at the very beginning, but also in the background of the Philadelphia fair scene and the cartoon montage right after it.
-Rob
