Disney Planes Fire & Rescue Filmmakers Talk Inspiration at Disney Toon Studios

Hi everyone!

We were invited to Disney Toon Studios to participate in a Planes Fire & Rescue Day. This is the second time we’ve been able to be part of a Disney Planes event, and we were delighted to be able to send our correspondent Brad Card to cover it for us.

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Both Jeff and I have seen Planes: Fire & Rescue, and we look forward to seeing it once more before it opens to the public. While I can’t write a review on it yet, I will say that I enjoyed it MUCH more than the first – and that has been the consensus of everyone we have spoken with. Definitely jot down the weekend of July 18th to see the film!

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Planes was released last year, and everyone seems to be wondering how an animated film sequel was created so quickly. It wasn’t. Planes: Fire & Rescue took 4 years to create, with a 3 year overlap where both films were being made at the same time. The filmmakers for Planes and Planes Fire & Rescue are different, and that shows in the finished product. They have a completely different feel to them, with the first film looking more like it was meant to mimic Cars. Planes Fire & Rescue has a vibe all its own, and kids can learn very important lessons from it.

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John Lasseter had a lot of input into Planes: Fire & Rescue, including what the train should look like. In fact, the film overall has a very realistic feel to it. There are fires every day in California, and Brad has seen them being put out – the fire and smoke progression, as well as the plane scenes have much realism to them. Jeff Howard, head of creative development, said that they spent time with firefighters. The film is based in a combination of Yellowstone and Yosemite park with lodges, and the filmmakers went to both for inspiration.

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Art Director Toby Wilson spoke about how they created 2.3 million distinguishable pine trees for the film, bark that looks like tire tread, leaves that look like something on a plane, and cliffs that look like grills of cars. In addition, Whitewall Falls has whitewall tires and Piston Peak Park includes a piston shaped rock. I hate to say that I didn’t notice all this in the film, so I’m looking forward to seeing it again! Wilson also created very cool movie posters of Piston Peak National Park.

Art Director Toby Wilson

We interviewed Dane Cook at the D23 Expo last year about Planes Fire & Rescue. He said that John Lasseter and Klay Hall (from the original Planes) didn’t want Dusty to sound squeaky clean and brand new, but a little “road-weary”, and with an edge. “You’ve got to have that sound of somebody who, deep down in their heart, wants to triumph beyond where they’re at”.

 Planes Fire & Rescue is about second chances, on how you can find significance in your life, even when you hit a roadblock.

Disney Toon Studios is decorated for the upcoming film, here is a look around the Studio! All photos are Copyright Disney.

We will have more from Planes Fire & Rescue soon!