Disney Extra Credit - Fall 2013 - (Page 18)
research and storytelling
exploring the story behind the story leads to authenticity
J
ournalists know the importance of good research when
it comes to the credibility of their stories. And when you
think about your favorite novel, movie or television show
you can see just how important research is to bringing
those characters, and the world they inhabit, to life in a
way that makes them feel authentic. As a student in any
field of study, research is just as important when it comes
to understanding and more accurately exploring the issues
placed before you.
In fact, research is part of what makes the Disney
Theme Parks and resorts so extraordinary. Step into
Adventureland® at Magic Kingdom® Park and you’re
suddenly transported to a faraway jungle landscape. Or
visit the “Wild West” in Frontierland®. At Epcot® you can
wander through World Showcase and be immersed in the
culture and surroundings of 11 different countries. All of the
scenery, costumes, theming and environments designed
for these locations were heavily researched to ensure that,
from the moment you step inside these lands, you’ll feel like
you’re in another place.
Walt Disney Imagineering, the design and development
arm of The Walt Disney Company, is responsible for the
creation and construction of Disney Theme Parks, resorts,
cruise ships and other entertainment venues worldwide.
Imagineers not only provide the creative ideas that
eventually become new attractions at Disney Parks, they’re
also tasked with exploring the back story of the worlds
they create.
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Joe Rohde, Senior Vice President and Creative Executive
at Walt Disney Imagineering, is a master at creating a
compelling story for Disney guests. Joe led the team
that conceptualized, designed and built Disney’s Animal
Kingdom® Theme Park at the Walt Disney World® Resort,
a project that required a great deal of research. While
creating the Park’s attractions, Joe traveled to remote
corners of the world to ensure authenticity, including
making trips to Nepal for one of the Park’s most popular
attractions, Expedition Everest®.
“The setting for Expedition Everest we had decided would
be an area of the Himalayas in Nepal,” Joe said. “And so we
went there and our primary interest was to do architectural
research. When you get to this place and you stand there
in the real place, it becomes clear that the wind and these
flags are a major part of what makes that place itself. The
movement of air through that place and the fact that it
moves all these flags and that those flags make all this
noise is not something that you would ever get from a
photograph. You only get it from being there. That kind of
thing happens a lot. What makes a place feel emotionally
like itself is very often not the visual quality of the place.
But the visual quality is all you can get from a photograph.
So, when you go to a place you feel things about it that are
simply not in the photograph.”
It’s also important to understand the deeper cultural
aspects of a place.
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Disney Extra Credit - Fall 2013
Disney Extra Credit - Fall 2013
Contents
Welcome
Walt Disney, Educator
Career Spotlight
A Touching Reunion
Engineering for Today
Career Spotlight
Research and Storytelling
Center Stage
Disney Dreamers Academy
The Path to Newsies
Creativity in the Classroom
Educational Field Trips
Inspiring Through Theatre
Festival Disney Turns 10
New Learning Opportunities
The Visual Musicians
Beyond the Bright Lights
Music Education Excellence
Focus on the Future
Poetic License
Spotlight On: The Disney Honors
Disney Performing Arts Alumni
Mickey’s Education Adventure
Disney Performing Arts Opportunities
Disney Youth Education Series Opportunities
Students Get the “Scoop”
The Fundamentals of Finance
Advertisers and Thank You
Travel Planner Honors
Mickey’s Mind Teasers
Disney Extra Credit - Fall 2013
http://www.disneyextracreditmagazine.com/spring2014
http://www.disneyextracreditmagazine.com/fall2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/disneyyouth/extracredit_2012fall
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com