ANDRE: Today we'll be talking about the new animated series,
"Chip 'n' Dale: Park Life," and celebrating
a very merry anniversary of Disney Animation's "Alice
in Wonderland."
We will also be speaking with director
Kate Herron of Marvel Studios' "Loki," and so much more.
I'm Andre.
And I'm Jenny.
And this is, "What's up, Disney+"--
where we talk all things Disney+.
[UPBEAT MUSIC]
JENNY: Everyone's favorite odd duo is back.
And we're getting ready with some "Chip 'n' Dale:
Park Life" trivia brought to you by Geico.
Switch today and see all the ways you can save.
ANDRE: "Chip 'n' Dale: Park Life"
follows two tiny troublemakers trying
to live the good life in a big city
park with some giant-sized, sky-high adventures.
Disney's beloved chipmunks, nervous warrior
Chip and laid-back dreamer Dale, make the perfect odd couple.
They're best buddies, and they drive each other nuts.
In their perpetual pursuit of acorns,
these ultimate underdogs are joined by Pluto, Butch,
and other iconic Disney characters as they face down
bullies great and small.
Now, Andre, you are our resident expert on all things Chip 'n'
Dale, OK?
I know you probably didn't know you had that title, but you do.
I didn't know I had that title, but OK.
So we're going to test your knowledge with some trivia.
Are you ready?
Like a chipmunk packs its mouth with acorns,
I have packed my brain with Disney knowledge.
And it's time to chip away at it.
Let's do this!
JENNY: What year was Chip 'n' Dale first introduced?
I had a feeling you were going to ask me this.
So I looked it up.
1943.
JENNY: You are correct, my friend.
1943, though they weren't given names yet.
JENNY: Which of the duo has a gap between their teeth?
Hey, that's why I relate to you, Dale.
We both got that gap.
I feel you, man. - Hey!
Or chipmunk.
Dale!
JENNY: Which classic Disney character
did they first appear with?
OK, they're usually with either Pluto or Donald Duck.
I feel like the first one might have been a little more silent.
I'm going to go with Pluto.
JENNY: Yes!
JENNY: What was the title of the short they first appeared in?
OK, so if they were with Pluto,
I feel like it's got to be like, Pluto--
it's like, "Pluto's Garden?"
[BUZZER]
"Private Pluto."
Ah!
JENNY: What color were their noses
in their first appearance?
I think they had the same color nose.
Like, brown-black nose at first.
And then, eventually, Dale got the red nose.
Is that right?
You're absolutely correct, my friend.
They both had black noses.
JENNY: Chip 'n' Dale are named after who?
OK, I know this one.
So there was a guy named Thomas Chippendale.
He was like a furniture person.
And so there used to be Chippendale Furniture.
And so they changed Chippendale, his last name,
to Chip and Dale.
And that's how they got their name.
Well, you're right on the money there, my friend.
It is Thomas Chippendale, a 1700s furniture designer.
JENNY: How many episodes are in "Chip 'n' Dale:
Rescue Rangers" (1989)?
Usually, an animated series--
weekday afternoon animated series--
usually has 65 episodes.
So I'm going to to go with that. - Woo!
[DING DING]
Yes!
Syndication, baby!
JENNY: True or false, Chip 'n' Dale have appeared
on "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse"?
ANDRE: Oh, hot dog.
Hot diggity-dog, they have.
[DING DING]
Pow, pow, pow!
JENNY: What color was Dale's hat in "Chip 'n' Dale:
Rescue Rangers?"
Why y'all trying to trick me?
Why you pulling a Loki on me?
Dale don't wear a hat!
Well, congratulations, Andre.
You will keep the title of our resident Chip 'n' Dale expert.
I might need to go refresh a little, a couple
of courses in my Chip-ology.
Oh, you're so humble.
You're so humble.
ANDRE: Be sure to check out "Chip
'n' Dale: Park Life," streaming July 28 on Disney+.
And here's what's new.
[EPIC MUSIC]
JENNY: Discover more about your favorite Disney Parks
attractions in "Behind the Attraction."
The first five episodes of the original series
are now streaming on Disney+.
ANDRE: Risking it all is no stunt.
Witness the larger-than-life story
of Eddie Braun in "Stuntman," streaming tomorrow, July 23,
on Disney+.
JENNY: The greatest stories are going on a roadshow.
The Disney+ "The Stories Continue"
Summer Tour 2021 is kicking off this month.
Visit Disney.com/disneyplustour for more details.
[MUSICAL TRANSITION]
ANDRE: Marvel Studios' "Loki" is finally here on Disney+.
And I got to talk to the Director, Kate Herron.
Take a look.
So hi, Kate.
Great to talk to you today.
Hey, no.
Thank you for having me.
How did you get to be involved with "Loki,"
and what drew you into that character?
I guess what drew me into the character was,
I suppose, like everyone, right?
Like, I saw "Thor," and I completely
was, like, fascinated with, you know,
the character and Tom's performance.
And I'm always kind of drawn, I think,
to-- kind of-- outsiders.
KATE HERRON: And I also love villains.
Like, I think that you don't necessarily have to agree
with what they're doing.
But you have to understand why they're doing it.
And I think Tom brought such empathy.
From "Thor," he's gone on this incredible journey and become,
you know, like an anti-hero, really, like, across those,
like, those films.
And I found, obviously, that we're making a TV show.
And I love Marvel.
Like, I used to--
I think my first thing I fell in love with with
Marvel was the "X-Men" cartoon.
And I just have always, you know, been like,
oh, I'd love to work on a Marvel project.
And Loki's, like, my favorite.
I just, basically, asked my agent.
I was like, look, I know I've only done,
like, a teen comedy-drama.
But just see, just see.
Call them up and just see.
And I'd love to speak with them.
So they met with me.
And they sent me, like, Michael's first script,
which was fantastic.
And I just kind of went big with it.
I was just like, I'm going to give them,
like, a full download of everything
I'm excited by in the writing.
And also, just where I'm excited where we could take the story.
And they liked what I brought to them. So here I am.
Oh, that's so great.
And as a '90s cartoon fan, I appreciate the "X-Men" drop.
That was appreciated. (LAUGHING) But I was actually
going to ask you about that, about how you bring your voice
into this series, into the Marvel Cinematic Universe,
because it has a timeline of its own.
So how did you have that balance between what's been set
and how to bring your voice into it?
I think, for me, like, even just stylistically,
it was quite different, what I was pitching them.
Because, you know, there's a mystery
running through our show.
And I was really inspired by, like, film
noir and detective stories.
And I was like, oh, it'd be so cool to kind
of bring that look to it.
And how do we make this feel like a new part of Marvel?
Because obviously, they've done so much already.
And I think it was a real challenge in doing that,
which was very exciting to me.
Now, you have a background in filmmaking, but also in comedy.
And so I would just love to know,
what brought you to both of those things?
What made you fall in love with filmmaking and with comedy?
I think, for me, comedy, in a weird way, I was quite--
I'm quite shy.
And I think-- and my writing partner's a comedian.
And I think I just kept--
I was like, you know what?
I'm just-- I wanted to make comedies.
And I needed to meet comedians.
So I just started doing, like, improv comedy honestly
as a way to meet comedians.
And it really put me out of my comfort zone.
And then, filmmaking, I actually came to quite late,
to be honest.
I love movies, and I love going to the cinema with my friends.
And I think, in my head, I was like, oh, I'll be an actor.
But I never really knew what directing was, to be
honest, or, like, as a job.
And I had amazing teachers when I was around 17, 18.
And they just kind of opened my mind up to what cinema can be.
And they introduced me to, you know, like, just the greats.
I think I didn't realize you could have a voice
and make a film.
Which, I know, sounds silly.
But I just hadn't really thought about it in that way.
And I love storytelling.
And I felt like it was kind of a job where
I could take all these things I love and put them in one place.
Were there any challenges that you faced with putting
this series together, whether it was just
the pressure of making it or just the actual process
of putting it all together?
I suppose there's a challenge in a sense that,
you know, we filmed this like a six-hour movie.
We weren't filming episode by episode.
Marvel wanted to run it like a film in the sense
that normally, with television, obviously,
you do, like, the showrunner system.
And it's very different.
And this was, like, a very big undertaking.
So I think, for me, the challenge was, you know, like,
doing a good job and wanting to take care of Loki
the character, because he's very beloved.
What did you expect?
Would you have any advice for any aspiring filmmakers?
I had this thing where when I graduated,
I didn't film anything straight away.
And I think part of it was confidence,
because I was like, oh, I have to be,
like, perfect at this job before I can actually do it.
And I would say, just, like, throw yourselves into the fire
and just go and make something.
Don't wait for things to be perfect or a giant budget.
Just go make something.
Well, this series, everything I've seen so far
has looked amazing.
I appreciate all the work that you've put into it,
directing it.
So thank you so much.
And it was so great to talk to you today.
This was so wonderful. - No, it was fun.
Cheers.
Oh, that was so cool, to talk to Kate Herron.
ANDRE: Marvel Studios' "Loki" is now streaming on Disney+.
Disney Animation's "Alice In Wonderland"
is celebrating its 70th anniversary.
ANDRE: We are joined by Tamara Khalaf from the Disney
Animation Research Library to talk
about the film and the contributions
of Disney legend Mary Blair.
Welcome to the show.
We are so happy to have you here.
Oh, thank you.
It's a pleasure being here.
And it's a pleasure meeting you both.
JENNY: Mary Blair is an iconic Disney concept artist.
For those who may not be familiar,
can you tell us what a concept artist does?
So concept artists are responsible for bringing
the idea of the filmmakers and writers
to life by visualizing the environments, the characters,
the props, and sometimes even visual effects,
and imagining what they could look like.
They're the world- builders, if you will,
who interpret the concept of a film
visually so that the filmmakers can begin to build
that roadmap for what will ultimately lead
to the final look of a film.
JENNY: What should we know about Mary Blair?
TAMARA KHALAF: Mary started in the studios in the 1940s
in the Story department, and worked
on a couple of short films that, unfortunately,
never saw the light of day.
She also worked on a feature film
that you would be familiar with, "Dumbo."
And in 1941, Walt took notice, and wanted her working
on several projects.
So she found herself contributing
to "Cinderella" and "Peter Pan" and "Melody
Time" and many others.
But it was, particularly, her work on "Alice in Wonderland"
that bears that trademark touch of her unique style
and influence that can be seen and felt, from her concept art
all the way through to the final film.
Here's an image from the March of the Cards sequence,
where you can see the sharply contrasted white, black, and
red that punctuates the scene.
It's such a great example of Blair's use of strong geometric
shapes and patterns that draw the viewer's
eye that single focal point.
One of the things that I love about her art
is, it seems so simplistic.
But when you really study it, you can see a craftsmanship
and sophistication behind them.
Well, the simplicity works for those cards.
Because it's like, when you start seeing them in motion,
they feel more flat than the other characters.
But it's very, also, interesting to see,
how do you make a two-sided card move around so much.
And then, of course, when they start
stacking on top of each other and being in a crowd like this,
it shows how they feel a little bit
different than the other characters in the film.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 10, Jack!
TAMARA KHALAF: So this is another favorite of mine
from "Alice in Wonderland."
ANDRE: Oh, wow!
It's getting mad up in here!
TAMARA KHALAF: Blair's use of exaggerated perspective
in this piece just accentuates the whimsical nature
of the scene.
There's something in her art that's so evocative that you
just-- you feel the intent behind the whimsy,
the absurd, and even the humorous elements
that Mary wanted to convey.
That's one of my favorite Disney scenes.
I love, just all the teacups and everything,
and just how mad that party is.
And that picture definitely demonstrates that that is not
going to be a normal tea party.
Ah, yes, indeed.
The tea!
You must have a cup of tea!
So Tamara, what do you love about Mary Blair?
I think there's a lot that I take away from Mary.
One is, her work ethic.
She was commuting across the country from New York to LA.
She was raising a family, taking care of the home in a time
when not too many women in the 1940s
would be trying to handle all of that.
And then, also, she's just-- she's an incredible artist.
Her technical abilities, being able to look at a scene
or look at a character and to be able to draw that out.
It's quite inspiring, as both a female and an artist on my own.
It was absolutely lovely getting to learn
about you and Mary Blair.
And you truly exude so much joy, and you love what you do.
So thank you for sharing all of this with us
and for being here today.
Well, thank you so much for having me.
It was such a pleasure meeting you both.
You can stream Disney's "Alice in Wonderland" right now
on Disney+.
[MUSICAL TRANSITION]
That's it for us today.
Be sure to head on over to Disney+ to stream
all of your favorites and more.
We'll see you next time.
And a very merry unbirthday to all of you watching.
Unless it's your birthday.
Then, happy birthday.
But not the same.
No, no.
We're only celebrating unbirthdays here.
Yeah, it's written on the cake.
Sorry.
[MUSICAL STING]
I think today's my unbirthday too.
It is?
What a small world this is!
[FUNKY MUSIC]