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Film Gecko

Behind the Scenes with "Bolt"

by Jane Boursaw on September 15th, 2008

The folks at Coming Soon had a chance to go behind the scenes with the upcoming Disney film Bolt, starring John Travolta (or rather, his voice) as a dog who’s the superhero star of a TV series. When he accidentally gets shipped across the country, Bolt embarks on a cross-country journey to be reunited with his owner, Penny (Miley Cyrus).

More after the jump…

Highlights from the Coming Soon tour:

  • For the first time, Disney developed the 3-D effects throughout production, rather than adding it after the fact. It allows 3-D to be used to tell the story, rather than as an after-thought. Not a big fan of 3-D here, so I’m curious to see if it makes a difference.
  • A number of elements are used to trick the viewer’s eye — including one known as a “floating window” — allowing objects to drop off the edge of the screen. Clearly, I don’t get this, since 3-D is all about stuff dropping off the screen at the viewer.
  • Bolt’s American journey was inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper and the cinematography of Vilmos Zsigmond (especially his work in Robert Altman’s McCabe & Mrs. Miller). Art Director Paul Felix and Lighting Director Adolph Lusinksy actually traveled across the U.S. to find appropriate looks and area-specific details for the film.
  • Mark Walton, who voices the part of Rhino the hamster, has worked for Disney for years as an animator. It’s a common process for animators to step in and voice characters for temporary tracks. Sometimes the voice fits so well that the actor sticks. Walton was doubtful he’d get the role, one day, he was brought in for a recording session and given a script that included the line, “…and Mark Walton is the voice of Rhino!”
  • Every production gets to design the look and feel of their workspace, so the upstairs offices are decked out with a “Bolt” theme. This one includes a number of tributes to Hopper-esque Americana, including a diner-styled (and fully operational) cereal bar. Cool!
  • Bulletin boards include images from the film, photos of staff pets, and “Production Babies” — 37 babies born during the film’s production. Another charts a “Beard Off,” featuring male crew members who grew their beards during the production process.
  • The office is also home to Doink!, a crew hamster who helped animators make Rhino’s movements seem real.

Images: Bolt, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2008

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POSTED IN: Action/Adventure, Animation, Celebrity Pictures, Coming Soon to Theaters, Family, Film Genres, Film Industry, Movie Stars, Personalities, Posters & Production Stills

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