What does Disney do with old Audio and Video?

[Figments Friend]

I wish I could find that clip again, partly because I'm curious whether it was one of those puppets that was used to produce the "movie" figment clips shown on your filmstrips.
Interesting how each little clip was doubled up with another one on a single 35mm reel.

What I'd REALLY like to see is salvaged filmstrips of the short animated clips of figment that were shown on the sides of the track as you left the circular "science" room.

Most of the puppets used in the 'Figment plays his dream roles' finale film segments were cable-controlled figures shot against chroma screen.
A few were hand puppets with mechanical enhancements ( eyes and arm movement ) , but all of them looked very much like the finalized Animatronic figures used in the Attraction.

I always found it interesting that the little vinyl puppet version used by Dreamfiner for walkaround visits was not based on that original sculpt..Blaine Gibson's AA Figment 'look' i mean.
I can understand the need for the puppet version to have a larger, shorter neck for operational reasons....but the facial sculpt was completely different.
Still appealing though...just interesting they went with a different version.
If i am remembering correctly, it was Steve Kirk who designed the puppet version of Figment used by Dreamfinder.
Perhaps this is why we see differences in the design.

Regarding the two images per film strip...yes, that was one of the fun discoveries when i came across this.
I had up until that point just assumed they used one camera per scene in the finale room, but doubling up the image by 'squishing' it on the print and then 'expanding' it with a special lens on the camera is just darn clever. And cost efficient, too.
So one camera cranked two separate scenes..in this strips case, 'Cowboy Figment' riding his pretend horse made out of a barrel, and 'Mountain Climber' Figment dressed in his alpine finery.

As Martin noted, that original animated sequence of Figment getting 'caught in the machinery' is still present in the current incarnation of the ride through.
Look at the tv Figment is watching to you left as you enter the Upside Down House scene.
One of the cartoon scenes he is watching is part of that original clip.

 

[Gullywhumper]

Most of the puppets used in the 'Figment plays his dream roles' finale film segments were cable-controlled figures shot against chroma screen.
A few were hand puppets with mechanical enhancements ( eyes and arm movement ) , but all of them looked very much like the finalized Animatronic figures used in the Attraction.

I always found it interesting that the little vinyl puppet version used by Dreamfiner for walkaround visits was not based on that original sculpt..Blaine Gibson's AA Figment 'look' i mean.
I can understand the need for the puppet version to have a larger, shorter neck for operational reasons....but the facial sculpt was completely different.
Still appealing though...just interesting they went with a different version.
If i am remembering correctly, it was Steve Kirk who designed the puppet version of Figment used by Dreamfinder.
Perhaps this is why we see differences in the design.

Regarding the two images per film strip...yes, that was one of the fun discoveries when i came across this.
I had up until that point just assumed they used one camera per scene in the finale room, but doubling up the image by 'squishing' it on the print and then 'expanding' it with a special lens on the camera is just darn clever. And cost efficient, too.
So one camera cranked two separate scenes..in this strips case, 'Cowboy Figment' riding his pretend horse made out of a barrel, and 'Mountain Climber' Figment dressed in his alpine finery.

As Martin noted, that original animated sequence of Figment getting 'caught in the machinery' is still present in the current incarnation of the ride through.
Look at the tv Figment is watching to you left as you enter the Upside Down House scene.
One of the cartoon scenes he is watching is part of that original clip.

Just wondering, do you have any pictures of the walk around Dreamfinder holding the Figment puppet? I do not in particular remember that. If you don't, that's fine as well.

 

[marni1971]

Just wondering, do you have any pictures of the walk around Dreamfinder holding the Figment puppet? I do not in particular remember that. If you don't, that's fine as well.

There's tonnes. Google it.

 

[Gullywhumper]

There's tonnes. Google it.

Thank you.

 

[Figments Friend]

-

Here is one from my own collection....a great photo used for a marketing spread.
Note the 'photographer' pointing his camera out of the window of the monorail....





There was a 'fuzzy' early version of the Figment puppet used in some of the earlier promotional photos.
Here is one of a few i have come across over the years.
If this photo were in color, you would notice the alternative coloring ( his horns were purple on this version )






For the sake of reference, here is a photo of one of the many AA versions of Figment used in the Original Attraction -

 

[Gullywhumper]

-

Here is one from my own collection....a great photo used for a marketing spread.
Note the 'photographer' pointing his camera out of the window of the monorail....





There was a 'fuzzy' early version of the Figment puppet used in some of the earlier promotional photos.
Here is one of a few i have come across over the years.
If this photo were in color, you would notice the alternative coloring ( his horns were purple on this version )






For the sake of reference, here is a photo of one of the many AA versions of Figment used in the Original Attraction -

Thank you. I love how the photographer in the monorail made no effort to conceal his camera, lol.

 

[Bairstow]

How about some video:



The hat-stealing routine was a favorite Figment antic.
Somewhere I've got a series of pictures of 7-year-old me having my hat swiped and returned by the winged rascal.

 

[Gullywhumper]

How about some video:



The hat-stealing routine was a favorite Figment antic.
Somewhere I've got a series of pictures of 7-year-old me having my hat swiped and returned by the winged rascal.

Haha, Figment surely did like his hats!

 

[blm07]

I must wonder if those who have found old reels have done anything to preserve what they have found, aka digitally back them up. I really hope that Disney has all of the old stuff, mostly EPCOT Center-wise, digitally backed up. I hate the thought that some things were just never backed up and rotted away.

I remember years ago Mouse Surplus had a bunch of old laserdiscs removed from resorts and various park places. I wonder if they were preserved.

Another somewhat random question that I've always wondered, how much power do celebrities have when it comes to getting unreleased stuff from Disney? This comes in 2 parts: Back when they were huge and were in a lot of Disney Channel shows, people like Lindsay Lohan and Miley Cyrus, could they go into the archives and request to get something reasonable? What about people like Neil Patrick Harris that are huge theme park fans, especially old Epcot, how much do you think he could sway the people in charge to release old audio?

 

[Figments Friend]

Most of the films that used to be shown in the Parks are kept in the WDI Archives i believe in some format.
The original master tapes for on ride audio and original film negatives are likely stored away, with possible back up copies in various other formats.
These would be, i am guessing, leftover backups from many years ago so i am not sure if current digi-tech copies exist.
Some bits and pieces have been pulled for archival fan event presentations...so it is possible.

As far as outside 'celebrities' having muscle to extract previously filmed footage for their own possession/collection ....
Disney is usually pretty adamant about keeping ahold of their own intellectual property, but i am sure their must be cases where a friend they know with connections within the Company has helped them out.
I know this is the case with some fans....so why not celebs too? Anything is possible.
Besides through said connections, in many cases the only reason various audio and filmed sequences made it 'out' was because fans had scooped them from trash bins and dumpster dives.

I do find it fitting that it is usually the fans that make the point of preserving or saving certain things more seriously then actual companies do in many cases.
How many times have we read about television stations or movie studios searching for old 'lost' episodes or 'lost' film footage?
If it were not for the fans caring about such things, and making a effort to collect the 'trash'...many such things would be lost forever.

Disney does a pretty good job of keeping it's history intact in tangible form, but the stuff that slips through the cracks the fans end up being the shepards for.

 

[neoshinok]

One recording I'd like to get a hold of (which is now probably closed forever) is the binaural audio from the booths in the Sounds Dangerous post-show. I always enjoyed that and wish I had a copy to listen to at home.

 

[Bairstow]

One recording I'd like to get a hold of (which is now probably closed forever) is the binaural audio from the booths in the Sounds Dangerous post-show. I always enjoyed that and wish I had a copy to listen to at home.

Very well...

 

[neoshinok]

Very well...

Nice! Audio quality isn't half bad. Enjoying it now

 

[muddyrivers]

The Horizons audio leak was particularly interesting because you can actually hear each recording start with an audio engineer reading off the track name and take number.

Not sure if you could post a link in this thread, but could you PM me where I could find that along with some of those other "direct from reel" digital copies of the EPCOT Center audio being referred to? Thanks!

 

[Bairstow]

Not sure if you could post a link in this thread, but could you PM me where I could find that along with some of those other "direct from reel" digital copies of the EPCOT Center audio being referred to? Thanks!

As far as I know, all the good stuff is available on Youtube already.
Search and you shall find.
The Horizons tracks I've found have the engineer's voice trimmed off, mostly, to make them more playlist-friendly.

 

[profscottraynor]

I worked at a movie theatre when I was in high school in the late 1980's. A rerelease of Pinocchio came through our theatre and I remember the film broke and spilled onto the floor in the projector room.

We had to clip large amounts of the film and eventually we had to request a fresh copy.

I still have a large amount of Pinocchio film that I've saved. Not sure what I'll ever do with it but it is cool to have.