The Magic of Disney Television

My family takes a trip to Disney World every summer. It is a way for us to all get away and be able to spend time together. With busy schedules and conflucting sporting events from my brother and I, we need the break. Disney's Hollywood Studios has a ride called the BACKLOT TOUR. http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/hollywood-studios/attractions/backlot-tour/This tour shows how special effects in movies are done by sending your tour bus through some. It also takes you back in time and shows you some of Disney's props it has used in movies, such as some Indiana Jones vehicles and even Herbie. But before you get to the ride there is a specail show they put on for you. It's called Harbor Attack. In the Queve line where you wait for the ride to start, you are shown a video which has the director of Pearl Harbor, Michael Bay. He talks to you about how the movie is made with special effects and how it all comes together. Now the great thing about Harbor attack is that they take people from the queve line to be part of the show. Guess which lucky person they picked...yep it was me. I was pretty excited, seeing the show before and couldn't wait to do it.

They took 4 guest including myself and we went to the back of the set where they gave us boots and water proof gear. We all got dressed up and the cast members took us out to the set. I looked out to the audience and waved to my mom, who taped it on her old phone. The director took one member of the group and put them in what looked like a little open office. The front is missing so the audience can see, but to the right is a ramp connected to a huge water tank. The announcer gives the man the instructions on how to act out the scene and they begin. He first looks over his office and answers a phone. Once they pick up the phone they are hit by the rushing water. And then the director yells cut and you move on to the little boat on the set.

This is where I was. I was the captain of the boat, while the other two I was with was were on the deck. You have to be 18 to be part of this show, so I just barely made the cut.

We were given our directions. I was to scan the air for enemy fighters while the other two swabbed the deck. We began. I picked up the plastic binocs and looked around. Then the studio rang with the noise of fighter planes. The director yelled to turn the wheel and get us out of here. Then he yelled to late. All of a sudden to water cannons blasted right next to the boat and noise of bombs dropping came in. Then you hear them say torpedo and the water jets make a line in the water towards your boat and then a big explosion and fire starts on the set. Of course, none of us being professionals, we acted in the corny manner we could, waving our towels we were given to clean the ship at the plane while I spun the wheel. Then more water cannons and fire and then a big "CUT" from the director. We all laughed and heard the laughter and applause from the crowd. We were then led over to the audience where there are monitors overhead. The director told everyone to watch as they put this movie together. You then see all of the scenes we just took with videos of fake planes flying over with voice overs with the man on the phone talking to me the captain. Then the bombs and explosions, us running around to the music. It was a blast I loved it.

This show obviously was all about timing. Everything was put together perfectly and shots were placed in to create the movie. Also Production techniques. You can't make a movie look like that without the use of great equiptment and a set. It's so interesting to see how they do all this, very cool.

The book talks about rising films costs and the stuggle to make profit. It's amazing to see the specail effects in movies today, but these blockbusters take up a huge chunck of money so they can be hard to produce. None the less its fun to watch and now see and think about how they were made. Overall this was an awesome experience and hopefully I'll be able to do it again this year.