Disney’s 50th Animated movie, Tangled, arrives on Disney 3D Superplay, Blu-ray Double Play & DVD on Monday May 23rd, and Movie Muser was lucky enough to participate in an interview with the directors of the movie, Bryron Howard and Nathan Greno.
Howard has worked with Disney since 1990 working on the likes of Mulan, Lilo & Stitch and Brother Bear. He got his first directing gig with the movie Bolt, was nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature Film. Greno joined Disney in 1996, working in story department for projects such as Brother Bear and John Henry. He served as a screenwriter, story artist and voice actor on Meet the Robinsons, and was Head Of Story on Bolt, as well as directing the short, Super-Rhino, which was included on the Bolt DVD. Tangled is his first feature-film as co-director.
So what did the duo have to say about Disneys Rapunzel tale, take a look below to find out
Did you meet each other while working on Mulan?
Byron Howard: Nathan and I knew of each other while we were working at the Florida studios. Nathan went through his training internship a year or so after me, but we really became friends during the production of Bolt. Nathan was our head of story on that project and I was one of the directors. At the end of Bolt, Lasseter handpicked Nathan to direct the Bolt short (for the DVD) and that led to him becoming a director and teaming up with me on TANGLED.
What was the involvement of John Lasseter in this film?
Nathan Greno: John is fantastic to work with. He approves everything we do, and he helps with brainstorming. John is an amazing mentor. I have really learned a lot from him. I can’t say enough great stuff about the guy!
In the trailer you used several sequences that didn’t end up in the movie. Why leave them in if they weren’t part of the finished product?
Byron Howard: Very observant! That’s very true: in the initial teaser trailer we created an “alternate reality” version of how Flynn and Rapunzel first meet. This was because many of those scenes were experimental scenes to test the hair and animation technology that we were developing. We liked the tone of the pieces and thought they would be a great first look for the public.
What was the hardest sequence to deal with in this movie and why?
Nathan Greno: I’ll be honest — EVERYTHING was a challenge in this film. Rule of thumb: If it comes easy, it could probably be better! We pushed ourselves hard to make every sequence as great as it could be.
You have Bolt, which is an action movie, and TANGLED, which is a fairy tale. What would you like for your next movie?
Byron Howard: Nathan and I started work on our next project about six months before we finished TANGLED. It’s got action movie elements, definitely, but most importantly it’s got a strong emotional core… that’s really the first thing we go after when creating these stories. The actual subject of the film is top secret but believe me when I tell you that if you liked what you saw in TANGLED, you will love our next film.
What was your reaction when TANGLED got a PG rating instead of the G rating most Disney princess films get?
Nathan Greno: We feel like the film sits on the shelf next to Beauty and the Beast. We aren’t sure why it got the PG rating — but we went with it. We didn’t feel like there was anything to “fix”.
What does the line ‘chameleon babies’ mean in the very end of the titles?
Byron Howard: I love that people stick around until the end of the credits and see the “Chameleon Babies” credit. Pascal, our chameleon hero in TANGLED, is actually based on a real, live chameleon named Pascal. The real lizard is owned and cared for by Kellie Lewis, an animation artist here at the studio. It just so happened that when we were putting together our traditional “Production Babies” credits, Pascal became a father! His chameleon life-partner laid six eggs which hatched into tiny baby chameleons. My favorite is “Nathan Jr.”.
Is there a sequence you’re most proud of, and why?
Byron Howard: The way Nathan and I work is that initially, we will have favorite sequences and characters in the film. At that point, we say “Great, these are working; now how can we bring everything else around it up to the same level?” That way, by the end of production, the entire film is rock solid, which makes it very hard to pick a favorite. That said, the lantern sequence is a real milestone for sheer breathtaking beauty here at Disney. I’m also very, very proud of the incredibly subtle emotional acting in the final sequences of the film.
Let’s talk about some of your casting choices. What was it about Zachary Levi and Mandy Moore that made you think they could be Flynn and Rapunzel?
Nathan Greno: Casting was a long process. We went to hundreds of auditions for both Flynn and Rapunzel. When Mandy came in, we knew we had our Rapunzel. Mandy IS Rapunzel. Same with Zac. We wanted our characters to feel real… we wanted them to be relatable. I feel like Zac and Mandy provided that. They were easy and fantastic to work with.
Since John Lasseter took over as Disney Animation’s creative director; all your films have been “princess” films. Why is this?
Byron Howard: Actually, there have been a few that weren’t, like Meet the Robinsons and Bolt. That said, there was a period where we had three fairy tales lined up in a row, Princess and the Frog, TANGLED, and Snow Queen. That kind of release slate felt too crowded with those types of stories and the decision was made to postpone Snow Queen to break it up a bit. It’s important that the audience know that Disney Animation is diverse. Disney should be able to release an animated action movie one year, a sci-fi film the next, and a musical fairy tale the year after that. Ultimately, the quality of the films is what matters.
Given that so many studios are making CGI animated films these days, what is Disney doing to stand out in an increasingly crowded market?
Nathan Greno: Our goal is to tell great stories. Our goal is to create believable worlds and fantastic characters. We want our audience to laugh and cry. We want them to be entertained. We can’t worry about all the other films out there — we just focus on making our films work. We believe if you make a great film, the audience will show up to see it. That’s our focus.
When was it decided to make TANGLED more about Flynn Ryder and less about Rapunzel? Did it have anything to do with the perception that the Princess and the Frog was considered “too girly”?
Byron Howard: As we were working on the film, we discovered that this story was about both characters. The film doesn’t work without Rapunzel, certainly, but it also doesn’t work without Flynn Rider. We worked very hard to balance our hero and heroine; sometimes Flynn would steal the show so much that we’d have to go back and re-board some of Rapunzel’s scenes to make her character more dynamic. What we love is that the final film feels balanced and appeals to both the male and female sides of our audience.
What, in your opinion, makes Rapunzel different than all the other Disney heroines?
Nathan Greno: Rapunzel is a princess that doesn’t know she’s a princess. That makes her different. She’s not a girl who sits around waiting to be rescued. She’s a tough, smart person — we wanted this film to be full of ‘girl power’. Even though this film takes place in the past, we wanted the characters to feel modern and relatable. We wanted Rapunzel to be a role model for people of our generation.
Can you talk about which films have influenced you?
Nathan Greno: Well for me it’s Dumbo. It’s one of my favorite films of all time. It works EVERY time you watch it. It makes you laugh and cry EVERY time you watch it. I saw Dumbo when I was a kid and I knew I had to work for Disney. I was in first grade. I didn’t understand how animation was made – but I knew I wanted to work for Disney.
Can you tell us about the upcoming Blu-ray? What’s your favorite aspect of the Blu-ray?
Byron Howard: Blu-Ray allows you to see TANGLED as Nathan and I saw it during its creation. The colors are perfect, the resolution is unbelievable, and the sound is as rich and full as when we mixed it on our recording stage. I love digital media because it preserves the beauty of these films so accurately. Not to mention extensive extras that take you behind the scenes of TANGLED.
Almost every Disney story has a second message. What do you think is the underlying message in this film?
Nathan Greno: There are a number of messages in this film. “Live your Dream” is one of the messages we hope will really hit home with people. I grew up in a factory town in Wisconsin. I remember some people from my hometown thought my dream of working for Disney was nuts. I believed in my dream. I worked hard to make it happen. Our studio is filled with people who have stories like mine. Rapunzel believes in her dream. She won’t let anything stand in her way to achieve it. We hope TANGLED inspires our audience to live out their dreams too!
Did you expect that TANGLED would be that successful?
Byron Howard: It’s the best feeling in the world when audiences really love your work. We make these films to entertain, and to move people emotionally, so when your film becomes a hit, you know that you’ve done your job right. TANGLED’s massive success was very welcome news, and we know that Disney Animation’s future will be full of strong films like this.
How long did it take to make this project?
Nathan Greno: Usually you have 4 to 5 years to create and finish an animated film at Disney. We did it in about 2 years. The film had been in development and it had a release date — and we were brought on to direct, the studio asked us to hit the release date. Now if we couldn’t do it, they would have moved the date… but Byron and I thought it was possible. We work with an amazingly talented crew. A VERY devoted crew. The schedule was hard on us. We worked though most of our weekends and skipped holidays. It was a crazy time. We had a story we wanted to tell and we wanted the film to be great. We made a film in 2 years that looks like it took 5 years to make. That’s pretty incredible. I thank the crew for that. We made a film we are all very proud of.
What were the biggest challenges in the development of this film?
Nathan Greno: The hair was the biggest challenge. Without a doubt. Long realistic hair had never been done in a CG animated film before. Never. CG hair is usually in a ponytail, or cuts off at the shoulder because anything longer than that is a tech nightmare. Lucky for us, we work with some incredibly smart people! Byron and I were in the story room coming up with this wild stuff, “The hair is going to be used a bullwhip! She’s going to tie people up with it! It’s going to glow! It’s going to get wet!” –all this stuff that hasn’t been done before. Our crew got a little pale when they heard our pitch… but they figured it out. They believed in our story. They wanted to bring that story to the big screen. I can’t thank our crew enough. They made the impossible work.
What is with the name change from Rapunzel to TANGLED?
Byron Howard: During the first year of creating the film, it became clear to Nathan and I that the film was about both characters. It felt weird to us to keep the name of the film as RAPUNZEL. For example, you wouldn’t rename “Toy Story” as “Buzz Lightyear”, because Woody is as much a part of that story as Buzz. Knowing that, we started looking for alternate titles. TANGLED really appealed to us as a title because it felt smart, and sophisticated but still made it clear that the film was going to be a fun ride.
Every animation movie, today, has a 3D version. Is this something that changes the way of imagining and directing a cartoon?
Byron Howard: You have to be very careful with 3D. It’s very easy to distract from the story by throwing too many eye-popping effects at the audience. The trick is to balance the amazing depth that 3D gives you with the emotion and clarity of the story. Every 3D effect you produce should help the story, not
I know you have been working in Disney Studios for many years but I guess you felt a lot of responsibility and pressure in accepting to direct the 50th Walt Disney movie, didnt you?
Nathan Greno: Yeah it was a TON of pressure. We wanted to make a great film and that is a giant challenge. On top of that, we are working with John Lasseter. Lasseter only accepts the best. On top of that, we found out that this was going to be the 50th animated film from the Walt Disney Animation Studios! Ok! Enough! Are you trying to kill us?? It was a ton of pressure and a ton of work… and we couldn’t be happier with the results!
What advice would you give to anyone who wants to pursue a career in the animation industry?
Byron Howard: Do what you love, and do it with passion. Passion and dedication will carry you far in any occupation, and especially in the creative arts. When John Lasseter chooses you as a director, it’s because he’s seen that you have a fire in your belly, so to speak, a burning need to tell these stories and tell them well. Also, write to your heroes. I wrote to Chuck Jones years ago, and he wrote me back! Amazing.
When selecting the type of music for this movie, were you inspired by other Disney films? Because there are some songs that sound very much a like in style to some of the ones in Enchanted or The Little Mermaid.
Nathan Greno: We wanted the film to relate to the classic films of the Disney legacy, but we wanted to also do something fresh, new and different. Alan Menken was a perfect choice for the music. He has written some of the best Disney music of all time and he was on board for doing something fresh and different. We love that our songs have the same great feeling of The Little Mermaid or Aladdin… but are very different than anything you have heard before. It’s exactly the mix we were going for!
Any final thoughts on TANGLED?
Nathan Greno: I just wanted to say thanks for all the great questions! I just wish I could type faster. This has been a lot of fun for me. Also: a BIG thanks to all who support the film — TANGLED has been a true labor of love for us!
Byron Howard: We’re delighted that TANGLED has made such a big splash in the world. Wait till you see what we have in store next!