How Disney Built and Programmed an Animatronic President 97
An anonymous reader writes with this interesting look at how Disney created realistic animatronic figures in a time before programming languages and systems on a chip. Animatronics have powered some of sci-fi and fantasy cinema's most imposing creatures and characters: The alien queen in Aliens, the Terminator in The Terminator, and Jaws of Jaws (the key to getting top billing in Hollywood: be a robot). Even beloved little E.T.—of E.T.: the Extra-Terrestrial—was a pile of aluminum, steel, and foam rubber capable of 150 robotic actions, including wrinkling its nose. But although animatronics is a treasured component of some of culture's farthest-reaching movies, it originated in much more mundane circumstances. According to the Disney archives, it began with a bird.
Among the things Walt Disney was renowned for was bringing animatronics (or what he termed at the time Audio-Animatronics) to big stages at his company and elsewhere. But Disney didn't discover or invent animatronics for entertainment use; rather, he found it in a store. In a video on Disney's site, Disney archivist Dave Smith tells a story of how one day in the early 1950s, while out shopping in New Orleans antique shop, Disney took note of a tiny cage with a tinier mechanical bird, bobbing its tail and wings while tweeting tunelessly. He bought the trinket and brought it back to his studio, where his technicians took the bird apart to see how it worked.
Among the things Walt Disney was renowned for was bringing animatronics (or what he termed at the time Audio-Animatronics) to big stages at his company and elsewhere. But Disney didn't discover or invent animatronics for entertainment use; rather, he found it in a store. In a video on Disney's site, Disney archivist Dave Smith tells a story of how one day in the early 1950s, while out shopping in New Orleans antique shop, Disney took note of a tiny cage with a tinier mechanical bird, bobbing its tail and wings while tweeting tunelessly. He bought the trinket and brought it back to his studio, where his technicians took the bird apart to see how it worked.
According to the Disney archives (Score:5, Funny)
everybody's heard about the bird.
Well... (Score:2, Funny)
This seems to explain the issues with Obama's birth certificate.
the poor bird (Score:1, Funny)
From the Disney diaries:
>south
Forest
This is a dimly lit forest, with large trees all around. One particularly
large tree with some low branches stands here.
>climb large tree
Up a Tree
You are about 10 feet above the ground nestled among some large branches.
The nearest branch above you is above your reach.
On the branch is a small birds nest.
In the bird's nest is a large egg encrusted with precious jewels, apparently
scavenged somewhere by a childless songbird. The egg is covered with fine
gold inlay, and ornamented in lapis lazuli and mother-of-pearl. Unlike most
eggs, this one is hinged and has a delicate looking clasp holding it closed.
The egg appears extremely fragile.
>take egg
Taken.
>drop egg
Dropped.
The egg falls to the ground, and is seriously damaged.
>down
Forest
There is a somewhat ruined egg here.
There is a golden clockwork canary nestled in the egg. It seems to have
recently had a bad experience. The mountings for its jewel-like eyes are
empty, and its silver beak is crumpled. Through a cracked crystal window
below its left wing you can see the remains of intricate machinery. It is
not clear what result winding it would have, as the mainspring seems sprung.
>jump
Have you tried hopping around the dungeon, too?
>jump
Do you expect me to applaud?
>jump
Are you enjoying yourself?
>jump
Wheeeeeeeeee!!!!!
>profit!
That's not a verb I recognise.