Posts Tagged ‘disney’

Earth Day 2010: Disneynature’s OCEANS – Donations Made to Save Coral Reefs Tuesday, April 20th, 2010 Last year at this time, Disneynature, celebrated Earth Day 2009 with the incredible debut of their movie EARTH.  This was an adaptation from the award winning series “Planet Earth” series from The BBC and Discovery Channel.  This year, they are releasing OCEANS, a second installment of the series to ring in Earth Day 2010.  Directors Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud dive deep into the very waters that sustain all of mankind, exploring the harsh reality and the amazing creatures that live within. Featuring spectacular, never-before-seen imagery captured by the latest underwater technologies, OCEANS offers an unprecedented look beneath the sea in a powerful motion picture. The film comes out this Thursday, April 22nd.   Not that you need an added incentive to see this film, but during the opening week, Disneynature will make a donation to save coral reefs for every person who attends Oceans.  They did a similar deed last year when EARTH was release by planting a tree for each ticket sold.  Millions of trees were planted during that week and continue to be planted ever since.  Please visit the link below to learn about the film, watch the trailer, see some amazing photos, download wallpaper and screensavers (just did mine), and get involved.   In addition, there is section for educators/parents with excellent downloadable materials and ideas for additional learning. http://disney.go.com/disneynature/oceans/ Please forward this link on to others who might be interested. Every ticket sold will have a positive impact in the efforts to help save coral reef around the world. Tags: april 22, bbc, change, changes, children, climate change, conservation, disney, disneynature, earth, earth day, earth promise, earthpromise, education, environment, environmental, environmental issues, global warming, green, green changes, green living, Jacques Cluzaud, Jacques Perrin, oceans, planet earth Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Disney’s Got The Power Wednesday, August 26th, 2009 “Help Save the planet, one drop at a time!  Just imagine what we can do, send it on….” These inspirational words and lyrics are the quintessential mantra from Disney these days.  A small scale, tweeners Band-Aid-esque group (remember, We are the World?) has been formed, called, Disney Friends for Change: Project Green.  Their environmental message, via song (Send It On) is the eco-zeitgeist.  Disney knows what it’s doing.  They have the ideal captive audience using their most popular talents.  Demi Lovato, Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, and Selena Gomez are the star power behind this green initiative.  Using all media forms to invite young people to make a difference, Disney Friends For Change can be seen and heard on Disney Channel, XD, Radio Disney Channel and Disney.com. So what is this tweener’s green initiative all about?  It is a new program that encourages kids to pledge to change their daily habits to help the environment.  It’s quite simple: you go to the site , register and make pledges (or promises) to make our earth a better place.  Hey, if these hip youngsters are doing it, why not you?!  At least that is Disney’s thought process.  The pledges to choose from are under specified headings: climate, water, waste, and habitat.  After making your initial “pledges,” kids can  then “Send it on” (to other friends to spread the word.)  Disney’s Worldwide Conservation Fund receives 100% of the proceeds when people purchase  the song, Send It On through iTunes. As well as learning bits of environmental information and tracking their pledges, kids can have a voice by deciding how Disney will donate one million dollars to charitable environmental projects.  So far to date as a result of their votes: • $100,000 will help protect arctic wildlife, including polar bears, from the effects of climate change (to be implemented by Wildlife Conservation Society). • $50,000 will be contributed to the Children’s Forest in Los Angeles, where kids can help plant new trees (to be implemented by San Bernardino National Forest Association). • $50,000 will help protect endangered tropical forests in the Philippines (to be implemented by Birdlife International and its partner, Haribon). • $25,000 will be donated to help end deforestation and introduce fuel efficient stoves to protect local habitats in Rwanda (to be implemented by CHF International). • $25,000 will go towards helping end the deforestation in Central Mexico’s Oyamel forest (to be implemented by ECOLIFE Foundation). • $10,000 will help replant trees in wildfire-damaged Florida state forests (to be implemented by Arbor Day Foundation). If spreading environmental stewardship utilizing top talents helps the planet, then Disney’s doing a good job. Come to Earth Promise, a grown-up version, to make your promises (pledges)!!! Tags: carbon footprint, change, changes, children, climate change, conservation, Demi Lovato, design, disney, Disney Friends for Change, earth, earth promise, earthpromise, eco-friendly, education, energy, energy efficient, environment, environmental, environmental issues, environmental movement, global warming, green, green changes, green effect, green hour, green impact, green living, green practice, green practices, green revolution, green tips, habits, Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, outdoors, pledge, recycling, recycling bins, Selena Gomez, tree hugger, water bottles Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

Earth Promise “21 in 21″ Interview Series – George Newall – Creator of Schoolhouse Rock! Tuesday, April 14th, 2009 George Newall – Creator of Schoolhouse Rock! and Schoolhouse Rock! Earth In 1970, George Newall became the catalyst in the creation of ABC’s Schoolhouse Rock. The McCaffrey & McCall President, David McCall, asked him to help develop the concept of setting rote learning to rock music. Newall found Bob Dorough, a composer of uniquely eccentric jazz tunes and lyrics and introduced him to McCall and Newall’s creative partner, Art director cartoonist Tom Yohe. Later that year, the group took their educational idea to Disney CEO Michael Eisner, then Director of Children’s Programming at the ABC Television Network. Eisner immediately bought the idea and in 1972, 3-minute Schoolhouse Rock! segments starting running on ABC seven times each weekend. In 2002 The Walt Disney Company released a Schoolhouse Rock! 30th Anniversary Edition DVD featuring the complete library of episodes. Newall composed a new song for the event, I’m Gonna Send Your Vote College, an explanation of the electoral college. Disney filmed the recording session for the new song for inclusion in the “behind the scenes” section the two-disk set. Over one million copies of the DVD were sold over the Christmas holidays. And now in 2009, George Newall and company have released Schoolhouse Rock! Earth. Taking care of the environment rocks! The original creators of the classic ABC TV series SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK have put heart and musical soul into 13 songs that educate and celebrate what makes our planet so great! SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK! EARTH features all-new songs and animation plus appearances by iconic characters Interplanet Janet and Mr. Morton. These fun and high-energy songs will teach a new generation of fans all about recycling, biodiversity, solar energy and more. The beloved voices that sang timeless classics such as “I’m Just a Bill” and “Conjunction Junction” are back to sing again in these all-new tunes! Think green and do your part to rock the Earth! It’s the only Earth we’ve got! To purchase the DVD, here are two places to visit – Amazon and Disney. Earth Promise: What changes, or Earth Promises as we call them, have you made in your lifestyle to be more green?  Changes in home, travel, work, with your kids and community? George Newall: My whole family is more attentive to switches and faucets. We’ve kept our thermostat set lower this winter.  And will keep it higher during the summer months. My wife buys vegetables from a local farm co-op.   I bought a hybrid car. EP: Unrelated to the environment, can you tell me how Schoolhouse Rock! Got started?  I am sure the readers would love to hear. GW: Schoolhouse Rock began as an idea for an educational phonograph record to help teach kids multiplication tables. My boss, Dave McCall, President of McCaffrey & McCall Advertising, had a son who was having trouble memorizing them, even though he could sing every Rolling Stone and Jimi Hendrix lyric. Knowing I had a musical background, he asked me if I could find someone who could set the tables to rock music. I introduced him to Bob Dorough who came back to us three weeks after our first meeting with “Three is a Magic Number.” My partner, Tom Yohe, who was head of our art department, was a wonderful cartoonist and a compulsive doodler. Tom thought the lyrics were very “visual” and, while listening to Bob’s song, started sketching. Our agency’s largest account was ABC Television. And the head Account Executive on ABC, Rad Stone, noticed Tom’s sketches and asked if Tom thought he could set the sketches to Bob’s music and turn “Three is a Magic Number” into a short animated film. Rad knew ABC was looking for a short form answer to CBS’s new “In the News” series. So Tom drew a storyboard and he and Rad and Dave took it to ABC and showed it to the young head of ABC Children’s Programming, Mike Eisner. Also present in the meeting was animation immortal, Chuck Jones, who was producing children’s television material for ABC at the time. After hearing the song and following along with the storyboard, Eisner, obviously intrigued, turned to Jones and said, “What do you think?” Jones replied, “Buy it, as long as Tom draws it!” And that’s how we got what was to become Schoolhouse Rock on network television. EP: I watched Schoolhouse Rock! all the time as a kid and now my two daughters, ages 10 and 6, watch the DVD all the time.  What do you think are the key reasons why Schoolhouse Rock! is timeless in terms of interest from generation to generation. GW: The big reasons why Schoolhouse Rock has been timeless is the quality of the concepts: “Conjunction Junction” and “Unpack Your Adjectives” are unique examples of taking an easy to understand concept and rendering it in a musically and visually memorable way. We drew on several talented sources for music and animation design. Bob Dorough tapped his huge reservoir of jazz musician friends, like Jack Sheldon, known more as one of America’s best jazz trumpeters, who is the singer of “Conjunction Junction,”" I’m Just a Bill,” and “Energy Blues.” Dave Frishberg, who wrote “I’m Just a Bill” has been called America’s greatest living lyricist. Lynn Ahrens, who has gone on to become a leading Broadway composer/lyricist (Once on this Island, Ragtime, Seussical the Musical) was working as a secretary in the agency’s copy department.  Lynn’s Schoolhouse Rock hits include “The Preamble,” “Interjections,” “Telegraph Line” and “The Great American Melting Pot.” The late Blossom Dearie lent her unique voice to “Figure Eight” and “Unpack Your Adjectives.” Besides Tom Yohe’s wonderful styling, we called on artists like Rowland Wilson and Arnold Roth, both of whom were regular contributors to The New Yorker Magazine. Jack Sidebotham, designer of the heralded Bert & Harry Piels advertising campaign (featuring the voices of Bob & Ray) was a frequent contributor. The animation itself was produced by Phil Kimmelman Associates and Kim and Gifford, Inc., two of the leading producers of animation for advertising. Working together, we produced films that are as timely and instructive now as they were in the seventies. Each has its own individual sound and unique design — with no two alike. And perhaps most importantly, we didn’t have a “continuing character” whose personality and back story would limit our creative possibilities. Of course, our grade school target audience renews itself every year! And Schoolhouse Rock has been used by teachers in classrooms since the “get go.” EP: Schoolhouse Rock! was an effective education tool for millions of kids (me being one of them) thirty years ago when TV was an emerging media.  Today, the Internet and video games are the emerging media for the educational message.  How can Schoolhouse Rock! fit into those forms? GW: Today’s new media is an opportunity we’re just beginning to explore. Network television, the “on-air” environment on which we thrived, has changed drastically. ABC has no plans for utilizing us in the immediate future. But there is the possibility of our running on one of the Disney Channels (We were on Toon Disney briefly three years ago). And, the new Schoolhouse Rock! Earth, to be released by Disney Educational Productions does have a significant amount of interactivity built in. As far as video games are concerned, I’d be surprised if Disney would consider creating a video game economically feasible. EP: Last month, you released Schoolhouse Rock! Earth.  When did the team start to think about putting this together?  Who was involved with the decision and who were the driving forces of the songs and animation?  Were those involved the same as the original? GW: Actually, Schoolhouse Rock! Earth grew out of our proposal to make a geography series back in 2001 or 2002. Tom Yohe and I did quite a bit of research including meeting with experts from National Geographic, etc. Tragically, Tom died soon after we made our first proposal. Then, after his death, when Disney decided to produce a “thirtieth anniversary” DVD we produced “I’m Gonna Send Your Vote to College,” to be the featured song. In the meantime, I had revised the geography presentation a couple of times. Finally, I presented an updated version labeled “Earth Science” to John Hanna of ABC business development in June of 2007. During that meeting we agreed that I would put some “green” topics on the song list and present it to ABC/Disney in October. Coincidentally, Lisa Clements had become VP and head of new product development at Disney Education Productions and was already planning to re-release the original series with teachers guides, etc. through Disney Education’s catalogue and website. When we got the green light to do Schoolhouse Rock! Earth for Disney Education, we turned to the same people who had produced the original films in the seventies (in fact, some of us are now in our seventies and eighties!) Phil Kimmelman directed all the animation. Lynn Ahrens, Bob and myself wrote most of the songs, but we also tapped two new composers: Andy Brick, one of today’s most successful composers of symphonic video game music and Sean Altman whose work I had first heard with the acapella singing group Rockapella. EP: Tell me about the inspiration for doing a show dedicated to the environment? GW: You don’t need much more “inspiration” to do a show on the environment than the fact that without serious intervention, the earth as we know it will cease to exist. EP: What are some of the environmental topics you touch on and what are the key messages? GW: The topics are pretty evident from the song titles: Report from the North Pole is a dire weather forecast delivered by a polar bear reporters at the North Pole. The Little Things We Do presents suggestions for all the everyday little things we can all do to conserve energy. Don’t be a Carbon Sasquatch defines carbon footprints and what we can all do to make our smaller. FatCat Blue — the Clean River Song follows a cat and mouse on a raft trip down the Mississippi during which they identify the many sources of river pollution and suggest ways the polluters can stop the environmental damage. You Oughta be Savin’ Water is a doo wop song performed by Dewey Drop and the Drips. Solar Power to the People was written by Lynn Ahrens and features Interplanet Janet of Science Rock fame. Windy and the Windmills is about the potential of wind power and how it fits into the energy grid. Trash Can Band.  A box, a bottle and can sing about reducing, reusing and recycling — with a guest appearance by “Dolly Carton.” In Save the Ocean Schoolhouse Rock meets rap and a more contemporary sound. It’s sung by a walrus, a shark, a turtle and a operatic choir of tropical fish. Tiny Urban Zoo. How a backyard garden can become its own mini environment. The Rain Forest. We use a completely unique animation style to explain the composition and importance of the rain forest. The Energy Blues is a song I wrote during the energy crisis of the seventies. Ironically, at the time I was executive creative director on the Exxon account!  Jack Sheldon has said it’s his favorite of the songs he has sung for Schoolhouse Rock. There is also a music video performed by Mitchel Musso one of the stars of Disney’s Hannah Montana, who sings a “reduce, reuse, recycle” song based on an adaptation by Jack Johnson of the melody of Bob Dorough’s “Three is a Magic Number.” EP: Were you “green” as a child? GW: I was always interested in nature. Particularly the marshes surrounding the fresh water stream that eventually becomes the Metedeconk River on the New Jersey shore. I would spend hours sitting on our neighbor’s dock watching Ospreys fish. Then came DDT. Result: fewer mosquitoes but suddenly, no more Ospreys. EP: What was your first, ah ha! Green moment? GW: I’ve had “ah ha! green moments” for as long as I can remember. EP: What is the one Earth Promise you are going to make in the future that you have not done yet, either personally or professionally? GW: The Earth promise I make is to convince Disney to do a Volume II of Schoolhouse Rock! Earth covering the subjects we didn’t get to do in this first one (geothermal energy, tidal energy, a hydrogen economy, etc.). EP: Final question.  Of all the Schoolhouse Rock! songs, which is your favorite(s)? GW: Favorite Schoolhouse Rock song? The minute I heard Bob first sing, “A man and a woman had a little baby, there were three in the family,” my favorite has been Three is a Magic Number. EP: I want to  thank you for being a part of this series.   It has been an honor. Tags: 21 in 21, carbon footprint, change, changes, children, climate change, conservation, disney, earth, earth day, earth promise, earthpromise, eco-friendly, education, educator, energy, energy efficient, environment, environmental, george newall, global warming, green, green changes, green interviews, green living, green practice, green practices, green roof, green tips, hannah montana, hannah montana movie, mitchel musso, mitchell musso, school house rock, schoolhouse rock, schoolhouse rock earth, students, teacher, Three is a Magic Number, tom yohe Posted in interviews | 1 Comment »

Disney is Turning Green Wednesday, March 25th, 2009 Disneynature, Walt Disney’s new green sector, will celebrate Earth Day, April 22, 2009 with the debut of, Earth .  This miraculous, environmental adaptation is from the award-winning British producer/director Alastair Fothergill, who created the “Planet Earth” series (BBC and The Discovery Channel) and “The Blue Planet.” Narrated by James Earl Jones, Earth follows the astonishing year-long journey of three animal families: the Polar Bears, the African Elephants and the Humpback Whales.  The cinematography captures wildlife in its intimate moments in unimaginable scale. Even if you’ve rented this documentary series on DVD, watching on big screen will be a great visual experience. If you purchase a ticket  for the first week of the showing, Disney will plant a tree in your honor in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, considered the most endangered rainforest in the world. Jean-François Camilleri, executive vice president and general manger of Disneynature, said: “The public is looking for films like EARTH that are entertaining, educational, show nature’s beauty and are environmentally conscious. What better way to celebrate the opening of this epic film than by planting trees on behalf of our moviegoers!” Tickets are now on sale through the film’s website at http://www.disney.com/earth.  And don’t forget to make some promises – be a part of the Earth Promise community and become a member.  It’s free and easy!  Tags: african elephants, Alastair Fothergill, Brazilian Atlantic Forest, carbon footprint, climate change, disney, disneynature, earth, earth day, eco-friendly, environmental, global warming, green, green living, green practice, humpback whales, planet earth, plant a tree, polar bears, rainforest, the blue planet, tree, walt disney, wildlife Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

SCHOOLHOUSE ROCKs The Earth Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 “Now if we only had a superhero who could stand here and turn the generator real fast, then we wouldn’t need to burn so much fuel to make…electricity.” (Electricity, Electricity— SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK!)   OK, this may not be the most memorable of the SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK! tunes, but it was no doubt, catchy and forward thinking.  Just like Dr. Seuss with The Lorax (published in 1971), the creators of SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK! along with our beloved, Theodore Geisel, initiated eco-topics years ago.  It has not been until recently that the general public is taking notice. The music, lyrics and animation for this ultra-cool and timeless Saturday morning educational series, will always be remembered.   The creators cleverly instruct grammar, history, math, politics, and science in a magnetic way almost every 40 year-old American can recall.  Just as they did with verbs, electricity and the solar system, SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK! has taken it upon themselves to approach the eco-friendly trend.  Indeed, perfect timing on the creators’ parts: wedged between Earth Hour and Earth Day, the original architects (Bob Dorough, music and lyrics and  Phil Kimmelman, animation) will reveal their talents once again on March 31with the release of SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK! EARTH . Thirteen songs will be used as a learning tool for old and new fans.   Some of the characters we grew up with (Interplant Janet and Mr. Morton) will make cameo appearances. Trash Can Band, Little Things We Do, Savin’ Water and The Rainforest are just some of the amusing, green topics that will infiltrate our minds.  SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK! EARTH will no doubt be a huge success as it is modern and in touch with the eco-generational change. Get a sampling of some of the video shorts here.  Afterwards, have your kids join you to make some inspiring Earth Promises. Friends at The Daily Kool  really talk up the Schoolhouse Rock! (Special 30th Anniversary Edition).  They, like me, are of the age that absorbed Conjunction Junction, Three is a Magic Number, and Interjections!   I secretly had a three-ringed notebook in my room where I’d quickly write all what my 5 year old brain could retain.  My Saturday morning comrades at The Daily Kool enthusiastically watch it with their children (as do I).  They recommend the Schoolhouse Rock! (Special 30th Anniversary Edition) not only because it is their “official birthday present for all of (their) children’s friends,” but because they, too believe ROCK! is a breath of fresh air compared to what our children are exposed to today.  So be sure to visit The Daily Kool to reminisce and be on the lookout March 31st for SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK EARTH!     Tags: change, changes, climate change, disney, dvd, earth, earth day, Earth hour, eco-freindly, eco-friendly, electricity, energy efficient, energy saving, environment, global warming, green, green changes, green living, green practice, green practices, promise, rainforest, recycle, recycling, school house rock, television, the daily kool, trash, tv, water Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »