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Taking a gentle turn to the left, your
tram enters the Props Boneyard and travels through a thick forest
road populated with props, animatronics and vehicles from movies gone by,
waiting for another chance in the spotlight. Amongst props from Dinosaur
(2000), 102 Dalmatians (2000) and Armageddon (1998) lie long-forgotten pieces
from non-Disney productions.
“In the early days of cinema almost
everything was filmed on studio sets. This changed when French New Wave
directors like Truffaut and Godard took their camera to the streets.”
Your tram rounds the corner and the
towering Art Nouveau palace of mythical kingdom Dinotopia comes into
view, with two enormous statues either side of the towering entrance gate.
Film and sound equipment including a curved camera track is already in
place, but this is only half the story...
“But shooting on location is not always
practical. After all, not many cities will give you a permit for a tidal
wave or an alien invasion. So, today, many filmmakers still use the
controlled environment of the studio Backlot, like the set you see here from
the dinosaur production Dinotopia.
“They only build what they need for the
actors, but to make this mythical city even more spectacular the filmmakers
brought in visual effects artists armed only with imagination… and powerful
supercomputers. They also added the story’s biggest stars – the dinosaurs.”
On the video screens, final shots of the
epic production are played to show the backlot palace set in its
CGI-enhanced starring role, before the tram continues to its next location.
Passing through a small safety gate to the day’s hottest set and back into
the world of reality.
“When only the real thing will do the
physical effects department goes to work, to create fire, explosions… and
rain.”
As CGI rain falls on Jeremy Irons, you
pass by countless Egyptian props and scenery items in Props Boneyard 2,
such as detailed backdrops and murals, ancient giant statue heads and
recreated canyon walls.
“Will you tell those computer guys to
give it a break please? We’re talking about physical effects here. Our
director said they’re shooting a scene that’s loaded with special effects,
it’s extremely dangerous and completely off limits. Shall we...?”
The tram rolls slowly past the
thundering water pumps and enters into the vast steel scaffolding
construction of Catastrophe Canyon.
One through the lighting rig, the scene is set – a canyon in the wilds of
the USA, a treacherous thunderstorm and an oil tanker in distress – and
you’re travelling right through the heart of the action! Suddenly,
your tram stops in the centre of the shoot. “Prêt?” the director
yells, from off-scene. “Oui!” “Vrai!” “Roger contrôle!” shout back the assistants.
Wait, you aren't the extras! Too late,
heavy rain is pouring down on the catastrophe about to unfold and within
seconds a thundering road has ripped through the backlot. As props shudder
and shake in synchronisation, the tram and all its guests are thrown into
the action as the canyon floor gives way and each carriage rocks up and down
in a thrilling piece of movie magic. As the trembling continues, a
telegraph pole comes loose on-cue and smashes into the tanker, causing
sparks to fly all over! Soon, these aren’t the only sparks – the rear of
the tanker is quickly engulfed by shooting flames, followed by the oil pipes
and tower around the set.
As the burning blaze proves the ultimate
acting tool for your talented group of startled extras, the scene isn’t over
yet! A distant rumble builds to an immediate thunder, and in an instant the
fires are extinguished with the help of 265,000 litres of water coming
hurtling down the canyon edge, right towards your tram, bringing the
sizzling oil tanker with it. As the flash flood
continues, your tram teeters over the edge of the rock face and hundreds
more gallons of water fly over the roof of the set and into the canyon,
missing you by mere millimetres. This is special effects precision at its
best. ...And cut! Oh dear, the director wasn’t pleased with us overrunning
his one and only take – time for your tram to make a hasty departure!
“I can’t understand it, I thought you
all did a great job of looking terrified but apparently you didn’t get the
part. Pity.”
The tram rounds the back of the set and
the full system of scaffolding, scenery, pipes and control equipment can be
seen its all its bare detail.
“Now that you’ve passed your trial by
fire and water – and earthquake, I suppose you’re entitled to see just how
those effects were put together. After the earthquake and fires, we opened
three gates at the top sending 265,000 litres of water crashing into the
truck. And us. Well, you. I’m in a dry studio.
“Did you know that the water pumps used
in that scene are strong enough to launch someone a hundred metres into the
air! Any volunteers? Physical effects can get very complicated. Just
imagine how many were in a movie like Pearl Harbor. One scene called for a
row of 17 battleships to explode on cue. Now, that’s a hot set!”
Takings its cue from Jeremy Irons, the
tram next heads past a series of real aeroplanes from Touchstone’s Pearl Harbor (2001) epic, complete with bullet holes and a small military base
backdrop.
“The aeroplanes on this route were used
in the movie Pearl Harbor and are stored here on the lot ready to be drafted
into service for a future film.”
Turning a sharp right back towards the
main Studio courtyards, the next stop on the tour is the grand Costuming
Workshop. Passing right by the building through an enclosed canopy, you’ll
first get a glimpse at costumes from productions such as CinéMagique and The
Chronicles of Narnia, before the full costuming workshop is presented to
you.
“Few things help actors to get into
character as much as their wardrobe. It’s one of the most important tools
we use for our work… after our mobile phones of course. [Calls Irene Jacob]
Excuse me, where’s my costume? [Is magically given a brightly coloured
Jester costume] I was thinking of something a trifle more understated…
Well, anyway… Try to imagine the most famous actors in film without their
costumes. No, you know what I mean…”
The tram continues past the loading
station, with the impressive skyline of Disney Studio 1 and the other
soundstages to your left and the Hollywood Tower Hotel filmset up ahead. As
you pass the Disney Character Topiary garden, part of the studio backlot’s Greenery department, the guides take a moment to honour the four other
Disney Studios before Paris – Hollywood, Los Angeles, Burbank and Orlando.
“Do you recognise those famous movie
stars? They’re great to work with. They never steal your scenes, they
follow directions and they don’t need make up… just a little bit of wax.”
En route to the final London filmset,
this is the Star Cars Garage, home to over twenty classic cars from
blockbuster movie productions. Everything from horse-drawn carriages to
NYPD cop cars is covered, including dalmatian-spotted London taxi from 102
Dalmatians, period cars from Pearl Harbor, a submarine from Dinotopia and a
moon buggy and ice cream truck from countless comedy productions.
“The beauty of a Backlot is that you
can turn a corner and be anywhere – London for example. But London as
you’ve never seen it before – scorched, by dragons.”
Up ahead is Hayne Street tube station,
this is London, England! A faithfully recreated, full-scale film set vision
of jolly old Brittannia... but wait – not everything here is jolly.
This an intricate set from Touchstone's Reign of Fire (2002)! A
building has collapsed, a car windscreen smashed, a construction site in
chaos – a railway carriage scorched! With an angry rumble and a gentle
cloud of smoke floating from the tube line construction pit, it all becomes
clear... too clear! Suddenly, a fiery blast of fire bursts out from deep
underground and narrowly misses your tram.
This is special effects stunt work at
its most intense, followed by a drive through the tense warm-up area of
Moteurs... Action! past armoured vehicles from The Rock and more.
Phew –
time to call it a wrap?
“And with that, we fade our time on the
Behind The Magic tour. We hope you share our admiration for the amazing
draftspeople, writers, directors and all who help us actors make dreams…
real. Even though our tour is over, keep your eyes open. You never know
who you might run into at the studios. And if you see any real dragons out
there – slay them for me.”
“That’s a wrap!”
Fun Facts & Footnotes
The Props Boneyard doesn't just feature props from Buena Vista movie
releases - amongst the memorabilia you might also spot items from past
Disney attractions around the world, such as Epcot's old Horizons pavillion
(a Solosub (now in Backlot Express) and Hovercraft).
The Dinotopia palace set isn't the exact model used for filming the
miniseries and series, but rather a reproduction built at the same time as
the original to the same specifications. Animatronic alligators and
other props can be seen in the Props Boneyard just before the set.
During the park's opening month, US group Destiny's Child shot performances
of several songs on the set at night, for use on the Disney Channel and as
park publicity footage.
Catastrophe Canyon is truly a wonder of Imagineering. It was designed
in 1987-89 for both the Paris and Florida Studio parks and is totally unique
in the world of Disney theme park attractions. After shaking props,
tilting the trams and setting fire to an oil tanker and two petrol towers,
they release 265,000 litres of water to come crashing down the canyon from
four huge storage tanks, causing the truck to slide down the canyon with
it... only to then reset the whole show in four minutes for the next
tram-load of eager guests. All the water is recycled, using water
pumps powerful enough to lift someone 100 metres into the air to
redistribute the water to the three canyon tanks and finally the fourth tank
above the tram. The fire is created by igniting propane gas, but -
since propane burns transparent - a small carbon additive is included to
give the flames their fiery orange appearance.
The Costuming building doesn’t actually produce costumes for movies – this
is infact the workshop for costumes worn by Cast Members throughout the
entire resort. Those on show in the live workshop, however, are
usually from the resort’s key seasonal entertainment productions. Look
out for Savannah animals, CinéFolies dresses or Halloween horrors!
Hayne Street
Station is the fictional London Underground station used for the scorched
Reign of Fire set. A name is never given to any Tube station in the film,
and the reason for this title remains unknown to this day. A real-life Hayne Street can be found in London EC1 near Barbican Station, above a
railway line. And, incase you’re wondering – the ticket barriers are an old
style and won’t accept Oyster cards! Infact, they don’t appear to be
barriers from London at all.
Merton Street EC1, named with a small sign as
the tram travels under the railway bridge, doesn’t appear to be a real
London street. Many of the advertisement posters are also fictional,
displaying products from soap to musicals, cars to magic shows. The red #13 Routemaster double-decker bus (now largely replaced by more modern versions
in London), however, features one real advertisement – for Disney’s The Lion
King at the Lyceum Theatre. The entire set is also authentic down to
British postboxes, traffic lights, road crossings and number plates. The
only unharmed cars in the scene are provided by Vauxhall, the UK division of Opel,
a park sponsor.
The fire in the Reign of Fire scene is created using the same
methods as that at Catastrophe Canyon, albeit with a “blast” method of
shooting the flames towards guests. The gas is stored in two large
towers behind the sets. The set was constructed using parts of the
Dublin original.
History Studio
Tram Tour is one of very few key attractions remaining from the original
Disney-MGM Studios Europe masterplan for the second park of Disneyland
Resort Paris. Designed in conjunction with the Backlot Tram Tour at
Disney-MGM Studios Florida, the late 1980s version saw trams departing from
a station in the Backlot (roughly where Moteurs... Action! is today) for a
tour through the Studios' real production stages and sets, including the
trademark Catastrophe Canyon and several New York and European street sets.
Whilst Disney-MGM Studios opened at Walt Disney World in Florida in 1989,
the European version (originally scheduled for 1995) never made it from
sketch to reality. In 1999, when
Disneyland Paris was through the worst of its financial difficulties and
management decided a second park was feasible, the Backlot Tram Tour again
became a key attraction in the revised plans for the new Studio park.
Given prime position right outside Disney Studio 1, the tram tour would now
pass through the park's small forest to a displaced Catastrophe Canyon,
before doubling back on itself past the already-under-construction Costuming
building to an undecided final set-piece. With no real studio
production at the new park, the Imagineers would need to create all the
movie magic themselves. Lost concepts
for the attraction include an ape-inspired film set in the middle of the
forest, an in-depth tour of the Stunt Show backstage and a set of military
props between the station and Costuming building, which likely became the
Pearl Harbor set after Catastrophe Canyon. The design of the final
loading station is remarkably similar to the original Disney-MGM Studios
Europe design. Catastrophe Canyon was
finished and operational as quickly as early 2001, but many of Studio Tram
Tour's elements did not even make it to the drawing board until the same
year. With one year to go until opening, resort management shook up
the park plans, replacing a Sound Effects Show in
Production Courtyard with
Flying Carpets
Over Agrabah in Animation Courtyard,
and, for Studio Tram Tour, the highly detailed Reign of Fire set. The
film Reign of Fire itself, produced by Disney's Touchstone label, was not
even released to cinemas until July/August of 2002.
Studio Tram Tour: Behind the Magic officially opened with the rest of Walt
Disney Studios Park on 16th March 2002, with four six-carriage trams
designed and built especially for the park. Unlike Disney-MGM Studios
Florida's Backlot Tram Tour, the Parisian version does not feature live
commentary by a Cast Member. Instead, LCD video screens were installed
in each carriage of the trams to provide a video commentary by famous faces
from European (and Worldwide) film.
Originally, six languages were
available: English (Jeremy Irons), French (Irène Jacob), German (Nastassja
Kinski), Dutch (Famke Jansen), Spanish (?) and Italian (Isabella Rosselini).
Each carriage presented two languages at once - English & French, Dutch &
German or Spanish & Italian - and the setting of languages for each carriage
could be controlled by the Cast Member at the front of the tram based on
guest demand, with English/French usually featured in at least 3 to 4 of the
6 carriages. Separate queues were provided for each of the three
language groups, creating a true maze of queue lines and some disappointed
guests, should one language group have a longer queue than others.
After three years, in April 2005, the Dutch/German and Spanish/Italian
versions were lost, leaving Jeremy Irons and Irène Jacob to commentate for
all guests and solving many queue nightmares.
In addition to the three different language queues, Studio Tram Tour also
originally featured Disney's
Fastpass, with a mirrored queue system on the left of the entrance,
giving a grand total of six queues for the attraction. With 168 guests
per tram and departures every 7 minutes, it was decided before the end of
2002 that Fastpass simply wasn't needed, and so the old Fastpass queues were
then used by the standard Dutch/German and Spanish/Italian lines, leaving
the entire right-hand queue system for French/English. Currently, the
standard Fastpass clock is still visible, and the machines themselves are
still in place and connected to the park's computer systems. The white
metal canopy is usually now used for stroller storage whilst guests take the
tour. The left-hand queue and even much of the right-hand queue is
never used. The windows of the
Costuming Workshop are regularly updated with the latest, real costumes from
big Walt Disney Pictures productions. Upon opening in 2002, the
costumes featured were from Pearl Harbor and 102 Dalmatians. From
2004, costumes from CinéMagique replaced those of 102 Dalmatians. The
latest change, in December 2005, saw both windows be replaced by a large
collection of costumes from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch
and The Wardrobe (2005). Studio Tram
Tour now closes around once every 12 months for a full clean-up of its
props, sets and trams. It was not until 2005 that the first major
refurbishment took place, however, meaning some of the original Props
Boneyard items had become too weathered to remain outside. They were
instead moved to Backlot Express. Besides the filming equipment added
to the Dintopia set in August 2002, Studio Tram Tour has yet to receive any
major additions to its collection of props and sets since opening.
The attraction poster for Studio Tram Tour on Disney Studio 1 declares the
attraction to be located in Backlot, despite its Production Courtyard
placement since opening. Is this a mistake, or simply a hint to the
future? It is widely believed that, eventually, the loading station of
Studio Tram Tour will be displaced further back, towards the Backlot, to
allow for greater expansion of the park, explaining its temporary
appearance. The same concept was used in Florida, with the tram tour
station originally placed to the right of the Great Movie Ride before later
moving further into the Backlot. |
Armageddon:
Special Effects
Pirates
of the Caribbean