Storytelling Through Characters at Disney Parks I SXSW 2023

Disney Parks

10 Mar 202308:58

Summary

TLDRJosh, a representative from Disney, discusses the company's innovative efforts to bring characters to life at South by Southwest. He introduces Tinkerbell, who engages with the audience in a unique, interactive experience. Disney Imagineers Morgan Pope and Tony Dohi present a cutting-edge robotic project, showcasing a dynamic robot designed to connect emotionally with guests through motion capture and high-performance materials. The presentation highlights Disney's commitment to pushing boundaries in robotics and storytelling.

Takeaways

🎉 Josh is at South by Southwest to discuss the future of happiness and inclusivity, emphasizing Disney's commitment to creating welcoming environments.
🌟 Disney characters are central to guest experiences, with the goal of making these interactions as joyful and real as possible.
🧚‍♀️ Tinkerbell makes a special appearance, showcasing Disney's ability to bring characters to life in innovative ways.
🤖 Disney has a history of using robotics in storytelling, with the aim of creating dynamic and emotionally engaging characters.
🚀 The presentation introduces a new robot that can perform daring stunts, demonstrating Disney's push for technological advancements in character animation.
🎭 The Imagineers, Morgan Pope and Tony Dohi, discuss the challenges and aspirations of creating robots that can connect emotionally with audiences.
🤹‍♂️ The robot's performance is part of a developmental phase where Disney explores the character's flaws and insecurities to elicit audience empathy.
💡 The process involves a 'backwards machine learning' approach, where robots are built and then lessons are learned from their behaviors.
🌈 Disney's Imagineering team is committed to taking risks and trying everything to push the boundaries of what's possible in character robotics.
👏 The audience's reaction highlights the success of Disney's efforts to create characters that resonate emotionally with people.

Q & A

What is the main theme of Josh's speech at South by Southwest?
-The main theme of Josh's speech is about inventing the future by drawing in a range of voices and perspectives to create happiness around the world where everyone can feel welcome.
Why are they at South by Southwest according to Josh?
-They are at South by Southwest because it is a crossroads of science, art, innovation, and business, which is an ideal place to spark conversations about the future.
How does Josh describe the interaction between Disney characters and guests?
-Josh describes the interaction between Disney characters and guests as moments that spark joy and happiness, with the aim to make the characters feel as real as possible to deepen the connections and happiness.
What is the challenge with bringing certain Disney characters to life?
-The challenge with bringing certain Disney characters to life, especially those who are very big or very small, is that they require extra imagination and effort to make them feel real to the audience.
Why is Tinkerbell featured in Josh's speech?
-Tinkerbell is featured in Josh's speech to demonstrate the joy and happiness Disney characters bring and to showcase a new, innovative way of presenting her that the audience has never seen before.
What is the significance of Tinkerbell's appearance with Josh at South by Southwest?
-Tinkerbell's appearance signifies Disney's commitment to innovation and the use of technology to create more realistic and engaging character experiences for their guests.
What does Josh imply about the relationship between Tinkerbell and Peter Pan?
-Josh implies that while Peter Pan might get some of the limelight, Tinkerbell is the one who truly captures everyone's attention and is the main focus.
Why does Tinkerbell wear green according to the script?
-Tinkerbell wears green because it is her favorite color.
What is the purpose of the robotics project discussed in the script?
-The purpose of the robotics project is to create dynamic robots that can perform like Disney characters, making them emotionally connect with guests and tell stories in a more engaging way.
What is unique about the robot's design that is discussed in the script?
-The robot's design is unique because it combines high-performance materials for toughness with motion capture data to embed emotion into its performances, aiming to create an emotional connection with the audience.
What is the current phase of the robot project that is being showcased?
-The current phase of the robot project is a developmental stage where the team is playing with the robot to identify its flaws and insecurities, which are intended to make the audience care about the character.

Outlines

00:00

🎭 Disney's Innovative Approach to Character Interactions

Josh, likely a Disney representative, opens the discussion at South by Southwest, emphasizing the importance of diversity and inclusion to invent the future and create happiness globally. He highlights the joy Disney characters bring to guests in their parks and the significance of making these interactions as real as possible to deepen connections and happiness. The conversation shifts to the challenges of bringing certain characters to life, such as Tinkerbell, who is then introduced in an unexpected, interactive manner. Tinkerbell engages with the audience and Josh, demonstrating a more tangible form of the character. The dialogue continues with a Q&A session involving a guest named Austin, where Tinkerbell's presence is explored, including her dynamic nature and iconic color, green. The segment concludes with a teaser for upcoming Disney projects that utilize robotics to enhance storytelling and guest experiences.

05:02

🤖 Introducing Disney's Dynamic Robotic Characters

In this segment, Josh introduces Tony and Morgan, Disney Imagineers, who discuss a new project involving dynamic robots inspired by the lively nature of Disney characters. They aim to create robots capable of performing daring stunts seen in Disney films, like being hurled into the air or dropping from heights. The Imagineers explain the importance of precision, repeatability, and the challenge of imbuing robots with personality to make them emotionally connect with guests. A demonstration is given, showcasing a robot attempting a daring stunt, which is met with applause. The process is described as a 'play time' phase, where the team explores the character's flaws and insecurities to make the audience care about the robot. The segment ends with a sense of excitement and the promise of more innovative projects from Disney's Imagineering team.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Invent the Future

The term 'invent the future' refers to the act of creating or designing new ideas, technologies, or methods that will shape the future. In the context of the video, it relates to the theme of innovation and the pursuit of creating new experiences that bring happiness and a sense of belonging to everyone. The speaker, Josh, mentions this at the beginning, emphasizing the importance of diverse voices and perspectives in this creative process.

💡South by Southwest (SXSW)

South by Southwest, commonly known as SXSW, is a conference and festival that celebrates the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries. In the video, it serves as the venue where the conversation about the future is taking place, highlighting its reputation as a platform for discussing innovation and creativity.

💡Crossroads

A 'crossroads' is a place where paths or roads meet, often used metaphorically to describe a point of decision or a place where different elements come together. In the video, it is used to describe SXSW as a meeting point of science, art, innovation, and business, indicating the event's role in fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.

💡Happiness

Happiness, in this context, refers to a state of well-being and contentment. The video's theme revolves around creating happiness through the invention of new experiences and technologies. It is mentioned multiple times, emphasizing the goal of making people feel welcome and joyful through the characters and stories shared by Disney.

💡Disney Characters

Disney characters are the fictional beings from Disney's vast array of movies and stories. In the video, they are central to the discussion as they are used to create emotional connections and joy for the guests in Disney parks. The script mentions how making these characters feel more real enhances the happiness and connection of the audience.

💡Tinkerbell

Tinkerbell is a well-known Disney character, a fairy from the Peter Pan stories. In the video, she is used as an example of a character that requires 'extra imagination' to bring to life. The script includes a segment where Tinkerbell is interacted with in a unique and innovative way, demonstrating the company's efforts to make characters more real and engaging.

💡Imagination

Imagination refers to the faculty or action of forming new ideas or images or concepts of external objects not present to the senses. In the video, it is highlighted as a key element in bringing Disney characters to life, especially those that are fantastical or require a 'little extra' to be believable, such as Tinkerbell.

💡Innovation

Innovation is the process of translating an idea or invention into a good or service that creates value or for which customers will pay. The video discusses innovation in the context of Disney's efforts to create new technologies and experiences that bring joy and enhance the connection with their characters.

💡Robotics

Robotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, and application of robots. In the video, robotics is discussed as a key technology that Disney uses to create dynamic and emotionally connected characters. The script includes a demonstration of a robot that can perform daring stunts, showcasing the potential of robotics in storytelling.

💡Emotional Connection

An emotional connection refers to a bond or relationship that involves feelings and emotions. In the video, the goal is to create robots that can form emotional connections with guests, making the interactions more meaningful and memorable. The script mentions the use of motion capture data and high-performance materials to achieve this.

💡Risk-taking

Risk-taking is the act of choosing to engage in an activity with an uncertain outcome, often with the potential for loss or gain. In the video, risk-taking is portrayed as a necessary part of innovation, as the team discusses the challenges and successes in creating robots that can perform daring stunts, reflecting the company's commitment to pushing boundaries.

Highlights

Josh expresses excitement about inventing the future at South by Southwest, emphasizing the importance of diverse voices and perspectives.

The goal is to create happiness around the world and make everyone feel welcome.

Walt's quote about dreams coming true with courage is mentioned as a guiding principle.

Disney characters are discussed as a source of joy and happiness for guests.

The challenge of bringing characters like Tinkerbell to life with extra imagination is highlighted.

Tinkerbell makes a surprise appearance, promising a unique experience for the audience.

Austin is introduced as a guest who interacts with Tinkerbell, adding a personal touch to the event.

Tinkerbell's humor and wit are showcased in her conversation with Austin.

The importance of character's dynamic nature in storytelling is discussed.

Disney's history of using robotics to create characters is mentioned, dating back to the 1964 World's Fair.

The introduction of a new project in development that aims to push the boundaries of robotics.

Morgan Pope and Tony Dohi are introduced as Imagineers working on the robotics project.

The concept of dynamic robots that can perform stunts like being hurled into the air is presented.

The idea of creating robots that can have an emotional connection with guests is explored.

The use of motion capture data to infuse emotion into robot performances is discussed.

A live demonstration of a robot performing a stunt, aiming to make the audience feel anxious for the robot.

The project's current phase is described as 'play time,' focusing on discovering the robot's flaws and insecurities to evoke care from the audience.

The importance of taking risks and learning from the robots themselves is emphasized.

Josh concludes by expressing his admiration for the Imagineers and their innovative work.