Scriptwriter And Creative Development Director Both Have A Love Of Aviation

By Maria Morrison

Just hours before the world premiere of the new Disney movie "Planes" at AirVenture last Friday, I met with Scriptwriter Jeffrey M. Howard and Creative Development Director Paul Gerard in the performer’s tent at AirVenture. With the afternoon air show in the background, we discussed inspirations for this movie, and how they mixed their love of aviation with their roles at Disney.

On Jeffrey's 16th birthday, his parents surprised him with his first flight lesson in a Cessna 152. He always had a love for aviation, and planned to become a Navy pilot along with a friend. Jeffrey grew up at Hamilton Air Force Base in California, and a love for flying ran in his blood. However, his aviation prospects were sidelined when military vision requirements got in the way. He turned his attention to his love of animation and writing, which took him to film school and ultimately Disney Studios, although he never forgot his dreams of becoming an aviator.

When Paul was a teenager, he went to a Stearman Fly-In. His father grew up on a farm next to a flying circus with Stearmans, and Paul had adopted his dad's fondness of the beautiful biplane. Like Jeffrey, he was surprised by his father with a ride in the 1936 airplane. They did loops and wing-overs, and Paul had the time of his life.

When asked about what things he will tell people at home about, Jeffrey replied; "I'm definitely going to tell people about running into Jetman and Michael Goulian and talking with them. It's amazing how many people you randomly run into here." He also talked about the Wall of Fire and the Shockwave Jet Truck. Paul elaborated on Jeffrey's initial answer, regarding running into people from all walks of aviation. "There are people who flew in on their own, with a jetpack or in a Citation luxury jet. But they all join up here because they all love aviation."
 
"If I could fly any plane here, it would be the Corsair. I really like the design. Plus, it's in the movie. I remember Klay [Klay Hall, Director] saying that there must be a Corsair in the movie," Paul recalled. "I think I would want the Harrier. That way I could land it in my yard like Luke Skywalker," Jeffery stated. He also likes FIFI the B-29 Superfortress. The movie crew flew in FIFI in preparation for the movie, with a P-51 Mustang escort. They wanted to experience the sound and feel of some of these monumental planes. They also found out about the "emotional and personal connection that these people have with their airplanes." They traveled extensively, talking to aviators about themselves and their planes.

About four years ago, when Planes was in its infancy, Jeffery Howard, Paul Gerard, John Lasseter (Executive Producer), and Klay Hall (Director) sat in a small room and started brainstorming. There were some planes, like the Corsair, that were definitely going to be in the movie. Then they would have figured out what sort of characteristics the plane would have. Other times, they had a set of attributes that needed a plane to go with. They would then look at planes that fit the personality, sometimes altering the aircraft a bit. They always knew that Dusty would be a type of aircraft not commonly used in racing. His nemesis would be some plane that was built for nothing but racing. This is how the antagonist, Ripslinger, was created. Dusty became an Air Tractor-400 with a 550 horsepower PT6-20A. In their research, Jeffrey and Paul found out that many of the skills used in racing are the same for agricultural flying, and that many air race pilots are also crop dusters.

Once characters are developed, voices are added. In the casting process, they would take clips of the potential voices and animate the planes to say those things. Many of the voices are comedians because they "A) Know how to deliver a funny line, and B) can ad lib," says Jeffrey. They know what sounds good and what goes with the plane's personality. Now, when Jeffrey and Paul hear Teri Hatcher's voice, they automatically think of Dottie, Dusty's mechanic.

To understand more about air racing, Jeffrey and Paul talked to airshow personalities like Patty Wagstaff, as well as military and civilian pilots. The pilots helped explain how planes move and work. Movie producers got to feel what it's like to be in an air race and show. Board artists watched air race footage as a reference of how planes fly. They also learned 'pilot speak'. For instance, in the scene where Dusty is taking to the controllers in New York, Air Traffic Controllers there were consulted and asked if it was correct. They learned such phrases as; "trade altitude for airspeed" and "airspeed is life, altitude is life insurance" ... although the latter didn't make it into the movie. Jeffrey sent revisions of the script to his friend, a Navy pilot, to find out how things work on an aircraft carrier. They also learned about following the "Iron Compass", (railroad) which became a sequence in the movie. Jeffery said that they were turning "stories into story points".

Although they can't say anything definite, Paul and Jeffrey hope that secondary characters shine in this movie, and they might be developing further in Planes 2: Fire and Rescue. Disney wanted to show the movie to us at AirVenture because this audience "deserves to see it first". From this reporter's perspective, it was the biggest turnout for a Friday night movie at the Fly-In Theatre.

FMI: http://movies.disney.com/planes/