WWR S8:E5 - WED Origins

It all started with a ..... railroad.  A railroad that ran in Walt Disney's outer office.  From there, Walt started to think bigger and bigger, until he had a railroad he could board himself in his backyard.  On this episode of WEDWay Radio, lets take a look at the origins of WED from the perspective that the Carolwood Pacific was really the beginning of WED.

From there lets look at how the early Imagineers arrived at WED, what they were tasked with creating and how it all came together. 

As with every episode this season we are not only taking a look at the history of the Walt Disney Company, but also the life and career of one its artists and Imagineers, Claude Coats.  On this episode we follow Claudes move to WED

Enjoy!

NOW! is back. New logo and all

Today, WEDWay NOW! returns to your feed and to celebrate it has an all logo.  Check it out!

WEDWay Radio Season 8: Episode 4 - The Color and The War

On this episode we explore the fabulous 40's, Disney's most tumultuous decade.  It was a time of great promise and a time of tremendous defeat.  It really isn't like anything before or after.  The 40's brought us the most animated feature films of any decade and yet feels like an overlooked an underapprecated time period.

• We discuss Fantasia's amazing concept and ultimate misfortune
• We discuss WWII's impact on the studio and its releases
• We discuss the strike and the widening void between Disney and his artists
• We discuss the career of Claude Coats and his role in the company

Disney history writer J.B. Kaufman joins us along with Alan Coats to discuss some of the more challenging periods in Disney history:  The failure of both Fantasia and Pinocchio, the exploration of the package films, and the problems brought on by war and the strike.

Check out sponsors The Magic For Less Travel and Touringplans

Enjoy!

WEDWay Radio Season 8: Episode 3 - The Artist

This is Season 8: Episode 3 - The Artist

On this episode we continue our story from ep 1 - Hyperion, and ep - Art School, by adding the story of a particular artist who came to the Disney Studio in 1935, by way of USC, The California Watercolor Society and The Chouinard Art Institute.  His name was Claude Coats.  

Coats career began as an artist and background painter.  He would be elevated to color stylist and play a role int he development of every Disney Animated Feature into the mid 1950's before moving to WED.

Alan Coats, Claude's son joins us.

ClaudeCoats.com

Check out our great sponsors, The Magic For Less Travel and Touringplans.com

Enjoy! 

WEDWay Radio Season 8: Episode 2 - Art School

This is episode 2 - Art School.  On this particular episode we return to our look at the Hyperion Studio and examine one area that Disney improved its product over the 14 year life if the studio.  as early as 1931 Disney decided that its approach to animation would need to get better and evolve.  But they could not do it alone.

After asking around at different schools in Hollywood, Nelbert Chouinard who was the founder of The Chouinard Art Institute offered Disney a deal that would allow his artists to take life drawing classes and advance the study of animation.

The advancement during the 30's is exponential.  Disney went from a run-of-the-mill rubber hose animation studio to creating the first full length animated feature, and most of the advancement came from the Chouinard Institute.

Through the years different artists who would go one to become Disney Legends began their career at Chouinard and in the end Disney would eventually help Chouinard transition into Cal Arts in the 1970's

Enjoy!