So yesterday I shared the first few hours of my day as it’s been planned by Disney for Thursday (6/16/11) at the Disney/Pixar Blogger Event (follow the hashtag #DisneyDreamWorksEvent on Twitter for updates).  All that craziness happens between breakfast and lunch.  The day continues with a fun mock recording session conducted by Winnie the Pooh Producer Peter Del Vecho. He’s going to attempt to get us to do our best Piglet voice for a scene which they’ll send to me to post here.  Now, for the life of me, I can’t remember what Piglet sounds like.  I’ll be doing some research on that soon!

Peter Del Vecho Producer Winnie the Pooh MoviePrior to venturing into the Hundred Acre Wood, PETER DEL VECHO (Producer) served as producer of Walt Disney Animation Studios‘ 49th full-length animated feature, “The Princess and the Frog.” The film reunited him with directors Ron Clements and John Musker, creators of “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin.” Del Vecho joined Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1995 and came to the studio with a wealth of production experience in theater. Having worked at numerous theaters in New York and on the East Coast, Del Vecho eventually joined the renowned Guthrie Theater before leaving in 1995 as the associate producing director. It was his passion for a collaborative artistic environment that brought him to Disney. As the production manager of “Hercules,” he was responsible for guiding a production team of 300 artists and helping to bring this epic adventure to the screen. His next credit was as the associate producer of the 2002 animated film “Treasure Planet.” Del Vecho also served as associate producer on the 2005 animation adventure “Chicken Little,” for which he was creatively involved in the production of the studio’s first full-length 3D animated feature. Born and raised in Boston, Mass., Del Vecho developed an interest in music and theater at an early age and he went on to study theater production at Boston University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. From there he worked as a stage manager in various theaters on the east coast before a nine-year stint at the renowned Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minn. In addition to his accomplishments as a filmmaker, Del Vecho is married to a loving and supportive wife, Jane, and is father of twin 13-year-old children, Gregory and Georgina. He holds an FAA Sport Pilot certificate and flies his own weight shift trike in and around the Los Angeles area. – Source Disney.go.com

I was intrigued after reading his bio – I was very curious about what a weight shift trike was, so I Googled it.  So fun!  They’re lightweight, powered flying craft for single-riders also called an ultra-light.  As for what a producer’s duties are on a film like Winnie the Pooh?  I don’t know, but is that a stupid question to ask?  If you were interviewing him, what would you want to know?

Then we’re off to Animation Research Library (ARL) in Glendale where we’ll take a tour and then interview with its Creative Director Lella Smith.  From the information I’ve been able to put together on Lella, she’s been preserving the Disney memories for some time now.  She’s got a terrific insider’s knowledge on movies, memories, and more and is helping to preserve them all.  I’ve found several times she’s noted the intention of the ARL is to give the animator’s of today reference to past material and to also pull from that material to produce new products.  For instance, old movie art can be used to create products and art for the cruise line, parks, hotels, and even new consumer products.

Interview with Lella Smith (video – part 1 of 3)

I’m really looking forward to the ARL tour.  I love history and all the hands that touched an item before I did.  I will likely shed a tear or two – there are so many happy memories tied up in watching Disney movies from every stage in my life. I’m not sure what to ask Lella about.  She’s see knows so much about the Disney history.  Perhaps what her favorite piece of art is from the entire collection?  Or is that like asking a mom which child is her favorite?  What would you like to know about the ARL?

I thank you all for taking this journey with me.  Putting this out makes me take a few minutes to focus on each event, before it happens, so I’m more prepared.

Links:

:disneypixarevent:

PHOTO CREDITS:  Unless otherwise noted, Photos by Eric Charbonneau. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved, Edited by MiscFinds4u

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