How Talking Mickey Works??

the.dreamfinder

the.dreamfinder

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
http://www.disneyresearch.com/resea...g_Conversations_drp.htm?v=y&rnd=1317086862533

Recently, I was browsing Disney Research, the R&D group of TWDC that encompasses WDI, WDAS, Pixar, and a group of university affiliated branches, and I saw this project that Disney has been working on with Carnegie Mellon. The project is a "tongue joystick" that can be used by fur character performers to speak in real time. While I'm not quite sure if this has been posted, I thought it might be interesting to discuss.

With that said, does anyone know if this is the technology that they use for talking head Mickey or have they developed something else that is better than this?
 
the.dreamfinder

the.dreamfinder

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
BigThunderMatt said:
This seems like it could be the answer to how the canned response Mickey worked. However, the dynamic responses using names suggest something different. I personally don't think it's voice modulation. Technology hasn't gotten far enough along yet to perfectly emulate all the nuances of one specific voice that is incredibly recognizable.
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I agree that modulation technology hasn't advanced to the point that disney would feel comfortable putting it in the characters. However, when looking through the videos online of talking mickey, it appears that they use the tongue joystiq sometimes(http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=rVXtqPlOcIc) and something else more recently(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1xNeyNC0rc&feature=related). So the question remains, how are they doing it?
 
SpenceMan01

SpenceMan01

Well-Known Member
I was under the impression that it was this patent that was behind the dynamically talking Mickey.

As far as the characters in Dream Along with Mickey, at least *some* portion of their head animation is controlled with sensors in the gloves of the costume. Most of the time they'll place their hands out of sight of the audience to hide the motion. Watch closely and you'll see their fingers bending in sync with their mouths/eyes.
 
Z

zulemara

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
the moving heads in the stage show are definitely controlled by the performer's hand motions. It's carefully choreographed to pull your eyes away from it most of the time.
 
wilkeliza

wilkeliza

Well-Known Member
I wonder could it be the same kind of technology as what is used with Talking Crush? Perhaps there is someone hidden somewhere in the theatre that is using voice modulation or is a Mickey voice actor who pipes it into the costume through a wireless receiver? After watching a few videos what happened at WDW was much more spontaneous then the responses at DL.
 
Timekeeper

Timekeeper

Well-Known Member
E.T. over at universal has said goodbye to guests by name without the use of a "voice modulator" or other live voice performer for decades.

The Mouse could easily pre-record a bank of "Hi [name]" for most existing names in a matter of days. Think of it like accessing your favorite song in iTunes. I could have thousands of songs in my library, but if I want to listen to "Horizons Theme Song," I just start typing "h-o-r" into the finder and the file will immediately present itself for playback. It's nothing new, and it's nothing complicated.
 
Gregoryp73

Gregoryp73

Active Member
wilkeliza said:
I wonder could it be the same kind of technology as what is used with Talking Crush? Perhaps there is someone hidden somewhere in the theatre that is using voice modulation or is a Mickey voice actor who pipes it into the costume through a wireless receiver? After watching a few videos what happened at WDW was much more spontaneous then the responses at DL.
Click to expand...

I think you are right on the money with this...Actually if you watch the making of Team america, they talk about voice syncing the puppets words with dialog of the actors. It's a process that has been out there, just not married with live action. Granted they didn't do on the fly in that movie, but it's a close comparison.

The most reasonable response ifor me would be:

It's a remote voice actor, just like monsters laugh floor and turtle talk with crush...the software used mechanizes the formation of the words in the mouth in a virtual real-time matter (so fast that the lag isn't noticed), and the rest (blinking eyes and such) are random. Really all they have to do is use reference plot points on the software for turtle talk and assign them to servos in a mouses head and presto!! Magic.

The one wearing the head would be just a cast member that would normally wear the characters garb, albeit with a heavier head. I would likely gather that the suit has a combination of speakers inside the head transmitting wireless, and audio piped into the room they are performing.
 
saxamoophone

saxamoophone

Active Member
wilkeliza said:
I wonder could it be the same kind of technology as what is used with Talking Crush? Perhaps there is someone hidden somewhere in the theatre that is using voice modulation or is a Mickey voice actor who pipes it into the costume through a wireless receiver? After watching a few videos what happened at WDW was much more spontaneous then the responses at DL.
Click to expand...

As a Engineer, that would be my guess.
I know the interactive Pixar meet & greets (Crush, Laugh Floor, etc) all have a cast member behind the stage using a video feed of the room, and a ps3 remote control to move the animation around.

Virtual Mickey is likely the same thing. Look for cameras/mics around the room!

Very cool technology.

Can't wait for the RFID tags, so Mickey will be able to know your name, ask you about your day, remind you about fastpasses/dinner/etc, and really blow kids minds away.

Fun Stuff!
 
PaisleyMF

PaisleyMF

Active Member
Also the Original Mr. Potato Head was to work on the same manner, A set of eyes and a Cast Member doing the voice triggers. Now he just runs in automatic mode.

And as for Mickey, sorry but that's Mickey Mouse Talking, No cameras, no puppets no magic, Just a Talking Mouse.


:lol::ROFLOL::lol::ROFLOL::lol:​
 
AswaySuller

AswaySuller

Well-Known Member
Ok... So If it's a voice actor is there any modulation involved or just a good voice actor?

If its the latter it has to be pretty rare to find and pretty expensive to hire one...

I also thought the Mickey's voice was pretty good.

Surely people know as some can tell the difference between even Wayne and Bret.
 
Brian_WDW74

Brian_WDW74

Member
AswaySuller said:
Ok... So If it's a voice actor is there any modulation involved or just a good voice actor?

If its the latter it has to be pretty rare to find and pretty expensive to hire one...

I also thought the Mickey's voice was pretty good.

Surely people know as some can tell the difference between even Wayne and Bret.
Click to expand...

I was at an event where Bret confirmed that he was involved with the creation of the Talking Mickey, but he wasn't allowed to give any further details. I took his response to mean that he created a bank of pre-recorded names and phrases for CMs to choose from.
 
TP2000

TP2000

Well-Known Member
There are several versions of this talking character out there, and most seem to be obviously canned or pre-recorded.

But there was a version tested at Disneyland's Toontown that was amazingly reactive, and it absolutely has to be something controlled from inside the character because the body movements go along perfectly with what Mickey is saying. Making fun of the teenage boy was a total riff for Mickey, and his body motions are perfectly in sync with the adlibbed joshing Mickey is giving the guy.

It's hard to explain, but this short YouTube video demonstrates it well. At the 30 second point in this video when the teenagers show up for their meeting with Mickey, you can tell the adlibs and perfectly synced body motions of Mickey have to be coming from the same person inside the costume. Amazing! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iONrsvk9kg
 

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