Disney Forms New Visual Effects Unit Called The Secret Lab

Dream Quest Images To Join Creative Forces With Feature Animation's Computer Graphics Unit

28-Oct-99

Dream Quest Images, the award-winning visual effects division of The Walt Disney Company (""Armageddon,"" ""Mighty Joe Young,"" ""Con Air"") since 1996, will join creative forces with Disney's in-house Feature Animation computer graphics unit to form a new entity called The Secret Lab (TSL), it was announced Wednesday by Thomas Schumacher, President of Walt Disney Feature Animation, and Andrew Millstein, Vice President and General Manager for Dream Quest Images. The Secret Lab, which will be based at Feature Animation's Northside facility in Burbank, will provide state-of-the-art CGI character animation and visual effects for a variety of the Studio's live-action projects in addition to producing computer-animated features. Schumacher will be responsible for TSL with Millstein overseeing the operation. Commenting on the announcement, Schumacher said, ""Merging Dream Quest and Disney's computer animation operation represents a tremendous pooling of talent and resources. Both groups are involved in creating spectacular digital imagery and the formation of The Secret Lab brings together a group of visual effects experts that are tops in their field. Disney has built a first-class digital animation studio and together with Dream Quest Images will continue to push the boundaries of digital filmmaking."" Millstein added, ""Dream Quest Images has created some of the most exciting and innovative visual effects for over 150 motion pictures since its inception in 1979. Under the creative guidance of Hoyt H. Yeatman Jr. and Richard Hoover, the company has won every conceivable award and the respect of its peers. ""The Secret Lab is a natural evolution of Disney's top digital talent and provides tremendous opportunities to work on a combination of exciting live-action and animated film projects. We look forward to working with Tom Schumacher and our new alliance at Walt Disney Feature Animation in supporting the artistic visions of the filmmaking community.""Disney's Feature Animation computer graphics unit is currently in the final stages of completing its first in-house feature, ""Dinosaur,"" which combines cutting-edge computer character animation with stunning digitally enhanced live-action backgrounds. ""Dinosaur"" is due for release in May 2000. The studio's animation department has long been a major innovator in the area of CG effects and has used it prominently in such films as ""Beauty and the Beast"" (the ballroom sequence), ""The Lion King"" (the wildebeest stampede), ""The Hunchback of Notre Dame"" (the crowd scenes), ""Hercules"" (the Hydra battle), ""Mulan"" (the Hun Army attack) and ""Tarzan"" (which introduced a new application called ""Deep Canvas"" to add depth and dimension to the jungle settings). Dream Quest's artistic and management team will move from their current Simi Valley headquarters to the Burbank location. Physical production (model shops, engineering and stages) will continue to be based at the Simi Valley facility. Dream Quest received Academy AwardsÆ for its contributions to ""Total Recall"" and ""The Abyss"" as well as nominations for its work on ""Armageddon,"" ""Mighty Joe Young"" and ""The Mask."" Since being acquired by Disney, Dream Quest Images has also produced visual effects for ""The Rock,"" ""Jungle 2 Jungle,"" ""Con Air,"" ""George of the Jungle,"" ""Flubber,"" ""Kundun,"" ""Deep Rising,"" ""Six Days, Seven Nights"" and ""Inspector Gadget."" Their list of upcoming feature film credits includes ""Stigmata,"" ""Bicentennial Man,"" ""Mission to Mars,"" ""Gone in 60 Seconds,"" ""Shanghai Noon,"" ""Tennessee"" and ""102 Dalmatians.""