An idea for a Disney shorts collection (open brainstorming)

[Big Disney Fan]

I've thought of a Disney shorts collection on DVD that would be like the Treasures, only better.

Now, I know what you're thinking, and you're right, it should technically be part of the The Ultimate Disney DVD thread. But this is different in that I want it to be more than just lists of contents on the DVDs. I would like help on the bonuses, some of which will be ported over from the Treasures line.

Anyway, by now, I'm sure you're wondering about the DVD ideas. Well, I thought of having the shorts be on Blu-Ray, but I was told that Blu-Ray is not very practical for shorts (like it is for movies), as all the time- and money-consuming work having to be put into restoring them would be hard, with all the artifacts on some of the older shorts.

This series would encompass all of the different shorts by Disney. But since some shorts serieses are shorter than others, I decided to merge two shorts lines together in one volume of DVD. Here's the complete list of DVDs in the series (five in all):

Volume 1: MICKEY MOUSE
Volume 2: DONALD DUCK
Volume 3: GOOFY AND PLUTO
Volume 4: SILLY SYMPHONIES AND RARE RARITIES (think the Disney Rarities DVD)
Volume 5: THE ROARING '20s (showing off the Laugh-O-Grams, Alice Comedies and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit)

So as you can see, the only two volumes that would be their own standalone serieses are the first two volumes, on Mickey and Donald. What should we call this series, though? It needs to be something special. I think each disc could hold 20 shorts at a time, as well as bonuses. This set really needs to be something special

Can anyone help me here?

[Heil Donald Duck]

Not sure wait I would call it. But who told you that Blu-ray don't fit this shorts The rival Warner Bros have been prepering Looney Tunes shorts since 2003 for Blu-Ray.

[Big Disney Fan]

Not sure wait I would call it. But who told you that Blu-ray don't fit this shorts The rival Warner Bros have been prepering Looney Tunes shorts since 2003 for Blu-Ray.

Well, it was on a different forum, but here's what I was told:

A few Disney shorts have been released on Blu-ray as special features on "A Bug's Life" and "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". Bug's Life comes with The Grasshopper and the Ant while Snow White has several other Silly Symphonies such as Music Land, The Skeleton Dance and The Old Mill as well as Steamboat Willie.

The thing I noticed is that these shorts don't look that much better on Blu-ray than they do on DVD. Snow White and Pinochhio look amazing, but they have gone through an extensive and expensive frame-by-frame digital restoration. They actually look better than the original prints of the films did.

There are a lot of nasty artifacts on the old shorts, some there originally and some due to age, which only stand out more on Blu-ray than they do on DVD. The shorts released on the Walt Disney Treasures series were cleaned up some, but nothing near what was done for the older features.

Will Disney spend the large sum it would take to digitally restore the older shorts to pristine quality? I vote yes, but who listens to me? But without that kind of restoration, you might find yourself a bit disappointed by seeing these wonderful films on Blu-ray.

And I never even knew that Blu-Ray existed yet back in 2003. Anyway, before we start, can anyone say how many shorts could fit on any one disc at a time?

[Escapay]

Anyway, before we start, can anyone say how many shorts could fit on any one disc at a time?

Blu-Ray FAQ:

• 1.6 How much video can you fit on a Blu-ray disc?
  
  Over 9 hours of high-definition (HD) video on a 50GB disc.
  About 23 hours of standard-definition (SD) video on a 50GB disc.

Add up the running times of the shorts and see how many go into 9 hours.

albert

[Big Disney Fan]

But we've also got bonuses to consider, too. The discs are not all going to be nothing but shorts. And since some bonuses are new to this set (though others will be returning), it's going to be hard to get the running times exactly.

Anyway, I decided to go in numerical order. This means that the first volume will be done first, on Mickey Mouse. Now, here's a list of all the bonuses that have surfaced on the Treasures line on Mickey (for those of you who don't know what they are):

• Mickey Mouse In Black and White, Part 1
  • Frank and Ollie... and Mickey (an interview with Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston on Mickey)
  • Story scripts for "Steamboat Willie" and "Mickey Steps Out"
  • Story sketches for various shorts
  • "Minnie's Yoo-Hoo" sing-along
  • Pencil test for "The Mail Pilot"
  • Poster art gallery
• Mickey Mouse In Black and White, Part 2
  • Mickey Mania: Collecting Mickey Merchandise
  • Mickey's Portrait Artist: John Hench
  • Galleries (background paintings, animation drawings, posters, covers)
• Mickey Mouse In Living Color, Part 1
  • Parade of the Award Nominees (honoring the Oscar nominees of 1932)
  • Pencil tests for "Mickey's Fire Brigade", "Pluto's Judgement Day" and "On Ice"
  • A clip from "The Disneyland Story" (on Mickey Mouse)
  • Mickey In Living Color (on the history of Mickey)
  • Still galleries (posters, magazine excerpts, storyboards, pencil animation)
  • Mickey's Surprise Party (a short made for the 1939 New York World's Fair)
• Mickey Mouse In Living Color, Part 2
  • The Sorcerer's Apprentice (from "Fantasia")
  • Deleted animation for "The Sorcerer's Apprentice"
  • Mickey and the Beanstalk (from "Fun and Fancy Free")
  • Walt Disney's Standard Parade of 1939
  • Walt as the voice of Mickey
  • Mickey's Cartoon Comeback
  • The Voice Behind the Mouse (interviews with Wayne Allwine and Russi Taylor)
  • Mouse Mania (made for a TV special on Mickey's 50th birthday in 1978)
  • Mickey's Cartoon Physics (from "The Plausible Impossible")
  • Mickey Meets the Maestro
  • Opening for "The Mickey Mouse Club" (in color)
  • The Making of "Mickey's Christmas Carol"
  • Galleries (one on publicity and memorabilia and one on story and background art)

So based on that list, we should come up with a few more bonus ideas. Here are some of my ideas: audio commentaries on select shorts; an interview with Bret Iwan, the new voice of Mickey; complete specials "Mickey Mouse Disco" and "Once Upon a Mouse"; and maybe a handful of Mickey-centric shorts from "Mickey Mouse Works" and "House of Mouse". So does anyone know of any other good bonus ideas?

Oh, and one more thing before we go on (and I start putting the actual disc contents together): some shorts will be in new "From the Vault" sections, for shorts that have content that are (by today's standards, anyway) questionable, such as ethnic or racial stereotyping, violence or antisocial behavior (like smoking or drinking).

So can anyone help me with bonuses here?

[The_Iceflash]

Question: Why can't we be satisfied with the Treasures? Just asking.

[Escapay]

But we've also got bonuses to consider, too. The discs are not all going to be nothing but shorts. And since some bonuses are new to this set (though others will be returning), it's going to be hard to get the running times exactly.

Then subtract the number of shorts that take up the time used on bonus features. It's not rocket science.

(number of shorts) + (number of bonus features) = 9 hours

Question: Why can't we be satisfied with the Treasures? Just asking.

Disney fans are never satisfied. It's in their nature to always want more pure enchantment and more sheer delight.

albert

[Big Disney Fan]

Then subtract the number of shorts that take up the time used on bonus features. It's not rocket science.

(number of shorts) + (number of bonus features) = 9 hours

Maybe it's not rocket science, but adding up all the times for the nine hours in which to fit it all can be a tedious process.

Anyway, I'm going to start the process soon. In the meantime, can anyone help me with some ideas for bonuses?

[Escapay]

Maybe it's not rocket science, but adding up all the times for the nine hours in which to fit it all can be a tedious process.

Somebody has to do it.

albert

[Heil Donald Duck]

Question: Why can't we be satisfied with the Treasures? Just asking.

I can only speak for myself I personally dont care about Live-action materal. Thus im not going to comment on those sets, but I feel for pepole that do want more of those materal.

On Animated sets I would like them to correct several errrors that I find with on the many sets (I have said this before; long post a head).

On actuall content:
1. Opening and closing titles, What we are currently seeing are not what the original movie goers in (im not going to say a word about the silent materal as we can be glad that something still exist) 1928, 1929 and 30's, 40's, 50's, shaw. Specially those shorts that were distributed by (Celebirty Columbia Pictures, United Artist Pictures and RKO Radio Pictures. I do believe that more of those original title cards exist than we actually got to see on the WDT line (untill we get confirmed other wise). What we are seing are reissue cards from later theater/TV distribution or recreation cards that look similar to the original cards that got removed but do lack the charm of the original cards so I did like Disney to restore as many titles as possible but I do believe that they didn't do that when they originally produced the Walt Disney Treasuries. Having original title cards also confirms to me what the short was actually called, in theaters, example off wrong tittling can be found on MMBW2 were the a short titled there as Just Mickey that name is wrong (confirmed by animation histrorian David Gerstein) as the correct name is Fiddling Around (also confirmed by David). This same David have also confirmed that the original titles for Band Consert (first regular color mickey shorts do exisist, to name an example).

2. Opening music all shorts that have reissue/recration cards might also lack there original opening music, I can only confirm 3 shorts having wronf opening music and all of them are on the Donald vol 3.

3a. Aspect Ratio on all pre 1932 needs to be window boxed, as I do belive many shorts on first Silly Simphony set and MMBW1 lacks picture information. This belive of mine comes from the fact that you see more of the frame The Skeleton Dance on the Oswald set than on the Silly Simphony set too name an example.

3b. I dont think any of Academy Ratio shorts (from 1932- onward) are to thightly or badly framed if there are case(s) that im not a were off then I do hope they see them and correct such possible error.

3c. The scope cartoons are probably ether croped or are at lest badly framed since and Beezy Bear is an good example of this as the Bears line up against the wall as suspects and you dont see the main bear on the left site. Wile I have seen a youtube clip of same cartoon were you see all the bears but you lose insteed information on the right.

4. Uncensored cartoons were replacement disc have not been prepered for example The Castaway, Clock Cleaners, Three Little Pigs, not sure on El Terreble Torador as lack of sequnce there might have more to do with dehorting of original source materal when short was restored.

5. Remastering problem, many cartoons specially on the Rarities set and Donald vol 2 (appart from the War time shorts) were remastering from second rate source materal, so I did like them to use first rate materal as they seems to have did on other sets and do better remastering every were else were needed. If they are willing give every singla short a blu-ray treatment (i.e HD tranfer), when they feel they are ready to start releseing this materal to Blu-ray and if done right those can be look similar amzing to Snow white or Pinocchio to name an example.

6. Out of Sincrone-sound (I voice-sound not following the mouth movements) error on Runaway Brain, I dont notce this errror myself but some pepole on here say they see this error quite a clearly, my therory is that ether UK verion which I have of the cartoon was corrected or as im not native on English thus I have more problem of notice this error, more than any other error I have notice. and I dont have heard off any other cartoon suffering from this kind of error

On the sets them selfs than actual content
7. Chronological order off Mickey Mouse BW cartoons and Silly Simphony cartoons (currently none off those sets are in chronological order so it is hard to figure out the evolution in those shorts )

8. No play all features on Complete Goofy and MMBW (later would probably be correct automatically if they fix error no 7)

9. I would only allow Maltin to "babble" in intros we are grown ups thus dont need any one to hold our hands when we view those cartoons. Watching few shorts always out side the main feature and Maltin before earlier sets are irritating. Note: Not an American thus contents that might offend Americans dont offend me.


10. Im still upset that they included Mouseworks/House of Mouse cartoons on the Donald vol 4 as I find it downgrading the set too included TV material on this set, let alone material not made during the time of Walt or the nine old men (assuming they ever did anything TV related), I would include insted those 3 solo Chip and Dale cartoons (similar to Figaro on the second Pluto set) and 2 1965 Donald Cartoons. If not then I would like to get the much speculated second rarites set. And of coures the the TV animated materal produced during Walt's life time should be given seprate relesese(s) on line as well. House of Mouse stuff however should be given a seprated DVD releses out side the Treasuries line (which I would gladly buy).



Following is general rant why limited run is not a good thing based on my personal view (not aimed at anyone specially)
11. Limited run series have its pros and cons, the cons the content might seems more valuable, with all this fancy packing but I did not buy all those sets because I do want an fancy looking tins on myself to collect dust (I personally keep every DVD in DVD wallet as makes the Discs more accessibility, I bought it because the content is wonderful and everything that you should expect from Walt Disney, if you or anyone bought the tins to look nice on your/his/her shelf without even open it and watch the content then I do think you or those people missed the entirely the Idea of Walt's original product to entertain and make people happy not to collect dust, I don't consider those kind of people Disney fans or atlest fans of this kind of material, and that is bad if and actual fan mis out because of those people. Also there greedy people that buy many sets to sell the tins on outrageous prices at later date and causing actual fans millions of Dollars, and I have seen some bad cases on ebay and elswere, to support his point of mine. So I feel for actually fans that wanted the material but didn't because greedy pigs and morons that are not actual fans of the contest bought the tins. That alone could have resulting in actual fans turning to torrent sites to download illegal copies of the sets, I would think that seeing number of illegal downloads per sets could say more about how much this content is watched than inconsistent number of tins per wave. So I personanlly would drop the Idea of this kind of materal should be limited runned, They might ether make the sets soon as they are ordered or produce x number of sets for first release and then after that produce more sets soon as they are orderd thus making sure that those that want the materal can get it. I think they should also be willing to make "replacement" disc soon as lost original matteral turns up (im not going to name any examples)

SO IM 100% clear im not willing to re-buy the TREASURIES CONTENT all ready RELEASED SETS UNLESS THEY CORRECTS THOSE ERROR I HAVE LISTED IMPORTANTLY 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

[Big Disney Fan]

Very insightful up there, HDD. And I want to be the first to say that, as far as your comments are concerned, where the Treasures line failed, my line will succeed.

By the way, HDD, another thing you forgot to mention was how the Treasures line was treated overseas. First of all, although I could be mistaken, abroad releases of the Symphonies DVD shows "Three Little Pigs" with the Big Bad Wolf at one point originally dressed as a Jewish peddler (rather than the less offensive Fuller Brush man, as seen on the domestic DVD) to gain access to the Practical Pig's brick house. Elsewhere, international releases of Donald 2 completely omit two war shorts ("Der Fuehrer's Face" and "Commando Duck") and a regular short ("Donald's Crime"). And the German release of Mickey In Color 2 is without "Runaway Brain".

Maybe it's not rocket science, but adding up all the times for the nine hours in which to fit it all can be a tedious process.

Somebody has to do it.

albert

I never said it wouldn't be done. I merely said that it was a tedious process.

One thing I've thought of doing was to add up the times of shorts in increments of 20 shorts at a time. That probably is the most effective way. I had also tallied up all the total times for all the Mickey Treasures DVDs, but it's not really effective; it only shows the totals of the whole DVDs themselves, rather than individual titles piece by piece. In any case, though, according to a time calculator online, is exactly 19 hours and 15 minutes, which means there will probably need to be at least two discs to cover all the shorts, at least on the Mickey set. Actually, my concern about the running times isn't so much on the shorts or even preexisting bonuses, but on brand-new bonuses that will be making their debut here.

Also, what shorts on the Mickey set should have audio commentaries. Here's just a few of the shorts that will have them (many of which are no-brainers, others mentioned in the post here): 1) Steamboat Willie; 2) Just Mickey; 3) The Band Concert; 4) Mickey's Polo Team; 5) Mickey's Grand Opera; 6) Thru the Mirror; 7) Clock Cleaners; 8) Lonesome Ghosts; 9) Mickey's Christmas Carol; 10) The Prince and the Pauper; 11) Runaway Brain. But what other ones can have them?

And maybe we could get David Gerstein to commentate on "Just Mickey" and "The Band Concert", based on a previous post here. And J.B. Kaufman should commentate on "Mickey's Polo Team", and Richard M. Sherman should be on "Mickey's Grand Opera".

Also, based on the comments from the same post (by HDD), everything (or at least as much as possible) will be corrected.

[Heil Donald Duck]

I want too add few things my post was based around the American sets of WDT. But I do have several WDT set from UK so I do have the Jews peddler sequence and the UK verison on Mickey Mouse color vol 2 thats include Runaway Brain (the out synic error might be corrected) and I do hava all donalds from America so I don't know if or the ommited short in other international releases are included there or not.

and finally do refer to that violin solo short Fiddling Around or I dont know what you are talking about.

[Big Disney Fan]

and finally do refer to that violin solo short Fiddling Around or I dont know what you are talking about.

What do you mean?

[Heil Donald Duck]

and finally do refer to that violin solo short Fiddling Around or I dont know what you are talking about.

What do you mean?

That same violin solo short that is erroneously called Just Mickey.

[Big Disney Fan]

Oh, and a few other things, too, will be corrected: on the Symphonies 2 DVD, "Springtime" has a HUGE lag between sound and visuals near the end. And in Donald 4, "Bee On Guard" ends too early, cutting off the ending of Buzz-Buzz the bee winking at the camera. Those two will be fixed.

The total time for the first 20 Mickey shorts, by the way, is more than feasible for the first disc: two hours, 17 minutes and 17 seconds. That's just for shorts alone. I'm just using this as a placeholder so I don't have to keep constantly going back and recalculate everything over and over again.

In the meantime, can anyone think of any Mickey shorts that should have audio commentaries? Here's just a few of the shorts that will have them (many of which are no-brainers, others mentioned in the thread already): 1) Steamboat Willie; 2) Fiddling Around; 3) The Band Concert; 4) Mickey's Polo Team; 5) Mickey's Grand Opera; 6) Thru the Mirror; 7) Clock Cleaners; 8) Lonesome Ghosts; 9) Mickey's Christmas Carol; 10) The Prince and the Pauper; 11) Runaway Brain. But what other ones can have them?

[Big Disney Fan]

On the covers of at least the Mickey and Donald DVDs, I've thought of having images of "evolutions" of them underneath the main pictures of them. Here's the picture for the Mickey cover:


And here's for the Donald cover (of course, the real picture will be in color):


They both will be small and on the bottom of the screen. The main pictures on the covers would be these:





What do you guys think of this?