There’s a scene in
For what purpose was the change made? The difference between the film facing ignominy and becoming another blockbuster, according to Walt Disney Animation Studios president Andrew Millstein.
“The emotional cornerstone of the film is the relationship between Tadashi, the older brother of Hiro, and Baymax the robot,” says Millstein.
“Early on, there was a scene where Baymax was introduced by his inventor, Tadashi, at a science expo and it was a public affair. We were late in the process when we realised that there was a scene that was not resonating at the emotional depth that we needed.
“Based on feedback and the collective problem-solving of a large group of people working together to make the film together, we decided that it would be better if Baymax as a character was introduced in a much more intimate setting.
“So in Tadashi’s home lab, he introduces Baymax to Hiro with just the three of them there. That introduction sets up the emotional relationship later between Hiro and Baymax because Baymax ultimately becomes like a surrogate brother to Hiro. There was that shift. Though the characters were the same, the context in which one of the characters was introduced changed the emotional resonance of the film.”
A new way of working
It doesn’t sound much of a change, particularly to someone who hasn’t watched the movie, but Millstein is adamant that it made a huge difference.
Neither is it a one-off, with the Walt Disney Animation Studios president citing this switch as evidence of a new way of working that helped Disney emerge from its decade of relative famine after the success of The Lion King in 1994
After that, the animated arm of the Walt Disney empire appeared to have lost its way. It was also losing money to such an extent that there was talk of it being closed down. However, the studio rediscovered the hit-making formula after the acquisition of Pixar nine years ago, making blockbusters including Frozen, the highest-grossing animated film of all time.
Millstein, who joined Disney in 1997 as a production executive in is modern pictures group, guided the studio as executive vice-president and general manager when it released Frozen and also oversaw Tangled, Wreck It Ralph and Big Hero 6.
He says Frozen’s success would not have been possible without the changes introduced following the barren years.
"We had lots of great talent at the studio before Disney acquired Pixar," he says. "It was a challenge for us to learn what their DNA was and how we could extract that and apply it in the unique culture, history and institutional longevity of Disney Animation. We were not firing on all cylinders at a creative level. The environment we had created or were operating in was such that we were not getting the most out of everybody who was there and I think our films suffered because of it."
Disney Animation, which has 850 staff, is part of The Walt Disney Studio alongside Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and Disney Live-Action. It completes one film a year, though at any point in time it has about four movies in production.
Letting creativity lead
Last month. Mr Millstein told the Advertising Week Europe conference in London, that Disney’s first change following the Pixar acquisition was to recognise that the Disney’s famously magic legacy could be a burden as much as a springboard to more success if it inhibits innovation.
"The key difference that helped motivate the change at Disney Animation is the idea that our studio and films are filmmaker-led,” he says. "Our directors, producers, writer and heads of story are now responsible for driving forward the creative process, in contrast to what happens at an executive-led studio where key executives are strongly suggesting, or in some cases, dictating the direction a film should go in."
A second shift came when Disney began empowering its creative leaders to take collective ownership of each others' films, making suggestions borne from their own experience about potential improvements.
"In this way, the creative leadership of any one film come to rely on the feedback and wisdom that other key creatives in the organisation are expected to give," says Millstein. "We call that the story trust, the group of writers, directors, heads of story who are responsible for helping deconstruct and rebuild each others' films, they have to give notes to their colleagues.
"It's a deep collaborative environment. Our creative leads throughout the studio will pivot to support each other, dropping what they're doing to help carry water on another film and the results are evident.
"You've got to see the films' progression creatively from Tangled to Wreck It Ralph, Frozen and Big Hero 6. In the past, the expectation that this should happen was never established. Often, films were produced simultaneously and there may have been more of a competitive ethos than one of collective ownership. Today, they are not competing with each other."
Millstein also credits the new collaborative approach with the success of Frozen. “Getting the film to where it was ultimately released depended on the collective approach,” he says. “There was again a holistic ownership and participation in the creative process. There was the willingness to modify scenes late in the game.
“There was the focus on holding onto certain scenes not knowing what the lead-up would be to those scenes. So there was deep collective participation and creative risk-taking and an incessant focus on elevating the film every step along the way.
“But it also had to do with the universal themes of the film, the twists and turns in the story-telling, which were very surprising, the music, the look of the film, which was very beautiful. Together it all adds up to great cinema. The film itself with its universal appeal, beauty and surprising entertainment made it work for every country and every culture in the world.”
As for the idea that allegedly saved Big Hero 6, Millstein still isn’t letting on who made it. "I don't know who made the suggestion,” he says. “It doesn't matter now. We all work together."
Can Disney's new way of working succeed outside the Magic Kingdom? What are the power and pitfalls of collaborative creation? Do let me know your views.
