Mike McMaster, a member of the R2 Builder's club ( a group that builds movie-accurate R2-D2 droids), built an amazing WALL-E robot that is incredibly expressive and life like. WALL-E even has his roach companion sitting on him! This is an amazing accomplishment, made all the more impressive by the fact that it was built entirely from scratch.
I am envious of the people who have the skill to build things like this. I hope I meet a real life WALL-E someday. The link to the WALL-E Builders club message boards is HERE.Below this video is another video of another WALL-E, at Disneyland in California.
The Disney History Institute has an incredible collection of home movie clips from Disney Land from 1955, including a rare look at an intimate apparel shop in the park that lasted only six months (imagine buying lingerie at Disney Land!!)
See The Disney History Institute for more information about this clip and other Disney goodness.
The blog Imagineering Disney has an incredible series of photographs of Space Mountain being constructed, in 1974.
Space Mountain is one of the most popular Disney attractions, and these pictures offer a glimpse of what it looked like as it was being built from the ground up. It's easy to forget what an engineering feat the whole Space Mountain complex is.
At the bottom of the post are other cool links from Disney days gone by.
Enjoy this mini production shot at Walt Disney World, complete with soundtrack, with my clunky eight year old camera. When I am able to upgrade my equipment I will be shooting and producing more videos.
An entire day at Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom distilled into three minutes. Enjoy!
One of the things I want to start doing is time-lapse photography, which takes a lot of patience. Time lapse photography is the art of taking a picture every couple of seconds and then stringing them together, to make things look like they are moving much faster than they really are. The results are incredibly cool, and here are some fantastic examples. Enjoy!
This video is mind blowing! Photographer Danielle Navarette spent a year taking 30,000 pictures of Disneyland in Anaheim, Calafornia and created one of the coolest time-lapse films I have ever seen.
This is another time-lapse film done to simulate a tilt-shift lens. Tilt-shift photography makes everything look miniature, as if you're looking at a realistic model landscape, by having an extremely narrow zone of focus and blurring everything else out.
With the last of the Disney passes I received for marching in Star Wars Weekends at Hollywood Studios last year, Deb and I made one last trek to the Animal Kingdom and EPCOT theme parks. Since I have been to both so many times before, I decided to look for the little details scattered throughout the parks, small flourishes that most people do not consciously notice, but serve to give the park its distinctive atmosphere.
It's amazing what you see when you really look.
First up: Animal Kingdom
Next...
Don't know where this shot was taken?
It was taken inside the huge golf ball that dominates EPCOT, Spaceship Earth. The slow shutter speed caused light trails as the ride moved through the sphere
Below pictures: park visitors jockey for space to watch the impressive nightly fireworks display
As my last blog post of 2011, I'll end with a link to a very interesting blog called Long Forgotten, a blog about Disney's Haunted Mansion, and about Disney artist Claude Coats.
Coats was an unassuming Disney artist who painted backgrounds for Disney films, and later was responsible for the spooky atmosphere of the Haunted Mansion. He had a knack for creating the illusion of huge space inside small attractions. This blog post has lots of interesting pictures and facts about the design of Disney attractions, and Coats' contribution.
When it comes to putting on holiday spectacles, Disney sets a very high bar, and is the best at showmanship. This year Deb and I hit Hollywood Studios with some friends of ours, and finished the evening with the Osborne Family Light Spectacular, a holiday light display that has to be seen to be believed.
But, if you can't see it, I've got you covered. I took pictures and video.
If you've been following this blog, you're aware that it's been an interesting year, particularly with the whole Found Slides, A Life Remembered adventure (which will soon be a graphic novel). Thanks to everyone who has written me, followed the blog, and told their friends about it. A very happy and safe holiday season to you and your loved ones. Thanks for reading!
Now enjoy the pics and video!
Waiting in line for Star Tours, the recently re-designed Star Wars ride
My friend Sarah feeds the dinosaur
A French street performer, they are always entertaining
A tired visitor
The Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular is the longest running live show at any of the Disney parks. After all these years, it still packs the house, show after show!
Above and below: the back lot turn includes a disaster sequence
The auto stunt show has been updated; no longer does Herbie the Love Big split in two; a new mini skit involves Lightning McQueen and one of the villain cars from Cars 2 (in this case a 1974 AMC Gremlin)
The Fantasmic show is one of the best shows Disney puts on, with pyrotechnics, flames, fans of water used a s projection screens and of course, lots of costumes.
If you go, my suggestion is to go to the first show, and get there early, because it is a packed arena every time. The line for the second show stretched down the street.
The Osborne Family Spectacle of Moving Lights is something to be seen if you can. Check out the video below:
Here's another video of the spectacle. There was actually snow falling, generated by ice machines on the rooftops to enhance the Christmas atmosphere
Magnum Arts is Michael K. Lyman, an artist, photographer and instructor who teaches cartooning & drawing in Pinellas County and is publishing his first graphic novel based on real events from 2011. He is also a member of The 501st Legion, a global Star Wars costuming organization that participates in parades and raises money for charity. See magnumarts.net for more information.
