Né en 1930, il a rejoint TWDC en 1952 et d'abord travaillé dans l'animation, puis chez WED dès 1959 où il a contribué à The Haunted Mansion, The Enchanted Tiki Room, It's a Small World, diverses attractions à EPCOT et sur la théma de l'hôtel Polynesian Resort (entre autres). Il est aussi intervenu dans la super série "Il était une fois les imagineers".
Best job in the world for sure. His is very lucky.
Franchement cette techno, si elle pouvait se démocratiser, ça rendrait les jeux VR vraiment intéressants. Imaginez ensuite qu'on puisse visiter un parc créé sur Planet Coaster de cette manière. Ah le rêve ^^ On serait tous des imaginieurs en herbe
Today, we’re excited to share that Lanny Smoot, the Disney Research Fellow and Imagineer behind mind-blowing special effects like making Madame Leota float inside the Haunted Mansion and our state-of-the art Star Wars lightsabers, is being inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame! Lanny is the first Disney Imagineer to receive this prestigious recognition and only the second individual from The Walt Disney Company to be inducted — the first being Walt Disney, honored posthumously for the multiplane camera.
For over 45 years, Lanny has worked as a theatrical technology creator, inventor, electrical engineer, scientist and researcher, resulting in an impressive collection of over 100 patents, a milestone not often achieved by many inventors. Seventy-four of his patents were created during his 25 years at The Walt Disney Company.
“At Disney Experiences, we’re committed to world-class storytelling, creativity and innovation in everything we do, and Lanny Smoot embodies every one of those ideals,” said Josh D’Amaro, Chairman, Disney Experiences. “As Disney’s most prolific inventor, Lanny continues to amaze all of us with his artistic ingenuity, technical expertise and endless imagination.”
Lanny has been instrumental in crafting iconic special effects and technical achievements at our theme parks and experiences around the world. Among these special effects includes Madame Leota’s ability to float in the Séance Room at the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland, the state-of-the-art extendable lightsaber used by Disney Live Entertainment, the Magic Playfloor interactive game experience on the Disney Cruise Line, and the immersive Fortress Explorations adventure at Tokyo DisneySea — Lanny’s groundbreaking inventions have been a source of boundless joy for our guests.
When deciding which of his patents to list for his National Inventors Hall of Fame induction, Lanny chose to highlight “Where’s the Fire?” at Innoventions, previously featured at EPCOT. This interactive exhibit aimed to educate guests on fire safety and the importance of fire prevention through engaging challenges. Guests were able to “shine” a special flashlight device on the walls of a house and through the magic of Lanny’s technology, they were able to spot fire dangers and learn to prevent these from happening in the future.
“As a life-long inventor, I am excited, delighted, and humbled to be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame,” Lanny shared. “To be included alongside my childhood hero, Thomas Edison, and my lifelong role model, Jim West — the inventor of the electret microphone, is both exciting and humbling. And as someone who’s had the privilege of working at The Walt Disney Company, it’s especially meaningful to know that Walt Disney himself is also an inductee.”
Lanny is the recipient of many awards and honors, including three Thea Awards from the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) for his work on attractions like Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, Kim Possible: World Showcase Adventure and the Ghost Post experience. His expertise in theatrical technology also earned him the esteemed title of TEA Master in 2020.
Prior to joining Disney, Lanny completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering at Columbia University. He then worked at Bell Labs and later at Bell Communications Research, where he was a pioneering force in the early development of video-on-demand technology, video conferencing and specialized television systems for remote locations, among other notable patents.
Lanny’s forward-thinking inventions have not only shaped Disney’s entertainment landscape but have also empowered the broader theatrical community to create new magic, illusions, and entertainment. Currently, he is working on the HoloTile floor, the world’s first, and only, multi-person, omni-directional, modular, expandable, treadmill floor, where any number of people can have a shared virtual reality experience, walk an unlimited distance in any direction, but never collide or walk off its surface. Besides the immediate VR and gaming applications and potential theme park uses, the HoloTile floor can be an insert in a theatrical stage, allowing performers to move and dance in new ways, or stage props and structures could move around or appear to set themselves up.
The National Inventors Hall of Fame announced their Class of 2024 inductees at a ceremony held at Walt Disney Imagineering’s Glendale, California campus on Wednesday. Among those in attendance were kids who participate in Camp Invention (run by National Inventors Hall of Fame) and participants of one of the local FIRST Robotics teams mentored by Disney Imagineers. Wednesday was also National Kid Inventors’ Day, and a special opportunity to continue to inspire the next generation of inventors.
Congratulations to Lanny Smoot on this remarkable achievement and to all of this year’s National Inventors Hall of Fame inductees!
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Tout chaud sur Chronique Disney, le site, retrouvez, en cliquant sur l'image, une analyse de l'intronisation de Lanny Smoot Au National Inventors Hall of Fame.
Hey, BD! This week at @nvidia GTC, the Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development team amazed attendees with an inside look at the remarkable journey of our BD-X droids, the first characters developed using our unique robotics platform.
Led by Associate Lab Director Moritz Bächer, the Imagineering team showcased the intricate blend of art, technology, science, and engineering that brings these adorable droids to life, from expressive interactions to dynamic walking styles. Leveraging Disney’s animatronics legacy and reinforcement learning, we’re redefining how robots convey emotions and personality while maintaining robust balance - allowing for cutting-edge characters that merge technology and storytelling in ways that only Disney can!
Two of our BD-X droids also made a surprise appearance at NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang’s keynote on Monday, kicking off an exciting week! #DisneyImagineering#NVIDIAGTC2024
Beginning this week, Imagineers have an opportunity to participate in a series of master class work sessions led by Joe Rohde. Following in the footsteps of many former Imagineers, Joe continues to mentor and share his years of storytelling knowledge with current Imagineers, contributing to the future of creativity at Walt Disney Imagineering.
Excellente nouvelle, cette nouvelle génération en a bien besoin ! C'est génial qu'ils puissent bénéficier du savoir des anciens malgré que ceux-ci soient déjà partis. Je pense que cela pourrait aider les imaginieurs qui bossent sur le nouveau projet de DAK à rester droit envers le concept de base de DAK notamment.
Le "retour" de Joe Rohde à WDI est un signal vraiment intéressant, je mets ma main à couper qu'il bossera sur la rehab de Dinoland et aura sa standing ovation s'il vient à la D23
It’s time to pull back the curtain on what Imagineers do. Walt Disney Imagineering has launched a new YouTube series, “We Call It Imagineering,” bringing viewers behind the scenes as to what goes on from start to finish and how these amazing teams make the impossible possible. If you’ve ever wondered how birds sing, elephants fly and other great moments are brought to life, the first video in the brand-new series takes you behind the scenes of Imagineering’s Audio-Animatronics figures. The innovation has come a very long way and it’s all blue skies and sunshine where Audio-Animatronics technology is headed next.
The current state of Audio-Animatronics technology traces back to Walt Disney’s dedication to advancing narratives through a unique blend of innovation and creativity — a journey that began about 80 years ago and continues to push new boundaries today.
In the late 1940s, Walt Disney discovered an antique mechanical singing bird in New Orleans. This discovery sparked his fascination with three-dimensional animation, and after returning home to California, he tasked his Imagineers with dismantling the bird to learn how it worked — laying the groundwork for Audio-Animatronics figures.
One of the early breakthroughs came with “Project Little Man,” where Disney Legends Roger Broggie and Wathel Rogers crafted a series of miniature human figures. These figures, culminating in one programmed with cams, cables and tubes to mimic tap-dancing routines performed by actor Buddy Ebsen, showcased the potential of lifelike movements.
In the 1960s, the first-generation Audio-Animatronics figures, known as the A-1, debuted at Disneyland and transformed attractions with animated animals populating the scenery of Jungle Cruise and Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland. When Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room opened in 1963, it featured over 200 singing figures, making it a significant milestone as the first show to integrate Audio-Animatronics technology.
A pivotal moment arrived with the creation of the world’s first fully animated human figure, President Abraham Lincoln, showcased at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair in Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. This lifelike representation captivated audiences and set a new standard for immersive storytelling.
Behind the scenes, technological advancements like the Digital Animation Control System (DACS) and Animation Console (Anicon) propelled Audio-Animatronics technology into the digital age, enabling precise control and lifelike movements.
Over time, Audio-Animatronics characters evolved in complexity and sophistication. The technology reached a major milestone in 1989 with the debut of the A-100 figure. This new generation of figures incorporated advanced compliance technology, allowing for smoother and more lifelike movements.
Following the use of hydraulics, electric figures were then introduced in experiences such as The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure and Cars Land. One of the most remarkable figures to date can be found in Pandora – The World of Avatar. The Shaman of Songs, as seen in Na’vi River Journey, seamlessly blends cutting-edge technology with artistic storytelling. This captivating figure stands nearly 10 feet tall and employs new technologies to imbue her every gesture with fluid energy.
The opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge marked another leap in Audio-Animatronics technology with the introduction of the A-1000 figure platform. This latest generation of figures boasts significant enhancements in range, speed and overall performance.
With the debut of World of Frozen at Hong Kong Disneyland and Zootopia at Shanghai Disney Resort, advancement set new standards in immersive storytelling experiences.
And now, later this year, you’ll be able to experience our most advanced Audio-Animatronics figures yet in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort. These figures build on our legacy with even more sophistication. Looking back at where we’ve been, I am immensely proud of this team who constantly pushes the envelope of creativity to champion us forward beyond imagination. We cannot wait for you to see how Imagineers have built on our history and continue to tell amazing stories through the blending of art and science.
Want to hear more about what’s being dreamed up, designed and created? Follow the Imagineers every step of the way on YouTube, Instagram and stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes stories on the Disney Parks Blog. You never know where the next exciting bright idea might pop up!
Avez-vous déjà rêvé de passer une nuit entière dans les mondes des films des Walt Disney Animation Studios tels que “Raiponce” ou “La Belle et la Bête” ? Ce rêve est désormais une réalité à Disneyland Paris, où ces histoires royales ont pris vie dans des Suites Signature uniques en leur genre au Disneyland Hotel nouvellement transformé !
Nous avons eu la chance de rencontrer les équipes Walt Disney Imagineering afin de nous dévoiler comment les suites les plus immersives du complexe ont été développées avec les artistes de l’équipe Creative Legacy de Disney Animation, et l’aide de la Walt Disney Animation Research Library.
Sophie Coudré, Set Designer, travaille à Walt Disney Imagineering Paris depuis 2018, vous reconnaîtrez peut-être certains de ses travaux sur le Disney Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel ! Elle a passé ses dernières années à travailler sur le Disneyland Hotel, s’assurant qu’aucun détail ne soit laissé au hasard lors de sa transformation – en particulier dans les Suites Signature de l’hôtel.
Ces suites immersives ont pour thème les histoires royales de classiques Disney, “La Belle au Bois Dormant”, “Cendrillon”, “La Belle et la Bête”, “Raiponce” et “La Reine des Neiges”. Il s’agit non seulement des films favoris des fans, mais aussi d’une occasion d’explorer une variété de contextes culturels et d’éléments architecturaux – déclare Sophie.
La sélection des histoires auxquelles donner vie n’a été que le début d’une longue et belle aventure, qui a commencé par l’étude des films, image par image, en collaboration avec les équipes de Disney Animation pour s’assurer que chaque suite représente fidèlement les films respectifs. Les scènes des films sont devenues des esquisses des futurs espaces avant de passer à la phase de modélisation en 3D. L’équipe créative a travaillé avec assiduité pour choisir les matériaux appropriés, de l’époque médiévale pour “La Belle au Bois Dormant” à la Scandinavie pour “La Reine des Neiges”, avant de passer à la fabrication.
Il ne s’agit pas de simples suites, mais des suites les plus immersives de Disneyland Paris où vous pourrez découvrir quelques éléments emblématiques tout droit issus des films ! Vous y trouverez la robe emblématique d’Aurore – passant du rose au bleu, la rose enchantée de la Bête, la célèbre pantoufle de verre de Cendrillon, la fleur aux pétales d’or de Raiponce ou encore un vitrail tout droit venu d’Arendelle avec son motif en flocon de neige.
Dans les suites, vous pourrez également observer de magnifiques œuvres d’art inspirées de personnages favoris et de moments précieux issus des riches histoires des films d’animation Disney. La vaste collection de la Walt Disney Animation Research Library a servi de base à bon nombre de ces œuvres. Pour leur donner vie, Walt Disney Imagineering a travaillé en étroite collaboration avec Disney Animation pour créer chaque nouvelle œuvre d’art dans le style précis du film qu’elle représente, tout en capturant la personnalité et le charme de chaque personnage dans ces moments si spéciaux.
Non seulement la collaboration avec Disney Animation a été importante pour le processus, mais Walt Disney Imagineering s’est également associé à des artisans locaux. ”Nous avons profité du savoir-faire français à notre disposition pour ce projet, en collaborant avec une sculptrice locale pour la chaussure de Cendrillon et la rose de la Bête, ainsi que les tapisseries de la suite “La Reine des Neiges”, semblables à celles que l’on trouve dans un château médiéval.” déclare Sophie.
Lorsqu’on lui demande quels sont les détails à ne pas manquer dans les Suites Signature, Sophie a insisté sur le fait qu’il fallait tout voir : des détails du mobilier aux amis cachés un peu partout, tels que les souris de “Cendrillon” ou encore la robe de Pascal.
“La Belle au Bois Dormant” a une place toute particulière dans le cœur de Sophie, un film qui lui rappelle de très bons souvenirs: “Se réveiller dans un lit entouré d’une architecture médiévale et de la robe d’Aurore, c’est un rêve qui devient réalité.”
New robots and an ominidirectional treadmill-like floor, which could help engineers walk through potential designs for new parks, are among the newer innovations.
The 'Star Wars' BDX Droids are currently being tested in the parks.
On a recent tour of the Disney Imagineering headquarters in Glendale, California, Lanny Smoot, a Disney research fellow, appeared to be walking in place, as each tile on a small patch of flooring tilted and pivoted with him, in response to his every movement.
Smoot is one of several thousand employees globally who are part of Disney’s Imagineering unit, which designs, builds and imagines the technology, creative and conceptual designs behind new theme parks, attractions, cruise ships and resorts.
While the unit, which started in 1952, has had a consistent workload at Disney, including testing out some of Disney’s more “moonshot” ideas and building its animatronics for parks, the number of projects recently has been on the upswing, as Disney plans its $60 billion expansion of the parks and experiences business, including a new Frozen theme park in Paris, a possible revamp of Dinoland U.S.A. at Animal Kingdom in Florida and an expanded Disneyland.
And some of the innovations already in the works, which include Smoot’s HoloTile Floor and a gregarious, fast-learning robot, could provide Disney with a blueprint for moving forward.
During The Hollywood Reporter‘s visit to one of the Imagineering buildings, Smoot explained that the small circle of tiles that make up the HoloTile Floor allow a person to move in any direction on the floor by using LiDAR technology to track that person’s actions and tell the tiles how to counter those movements. While the demo floor is small, the tiles can be built out and expanded to any size.
The team is beginning to use it as a design tool, because when paired with a virtual reality headset, Imagineers can walk through a model of a new possible attraction or park and get a feel for it.
“This floor will allow the Imagineers to be able to design parks quickly, efficiently and to be able to walk through things that they’ve not yet built,” said Smoot, who is also the co-inventor of the project.
The floor can accommodate multiple people or objects moving in different directions at once, without running into each other, as Smoot demonstrated with a fellow engineer as the two compete in a video game powered by their body movements. Because of the freedom of movement it allows, Disney is also exploring using it as a dance floor for possible use on stages, which they have tested with Kevin and Marcel Wilson, choreographers who have both worked for the company.
With the LIDAR technology tracking my movements, I was directed to put out my hand, as if casting a spell, and, in tandem, a box slid across the floor, a possible use-case which the engineers say “gives guests access to superpowers.” Because it can be used to move static objects, such as a chair, across the tiles, Imagineers have also thought about using it to turn everyday objects into possible rides.
The Stuntronics robot is used in the Spider-Man show at Avengers Campus at California Adventure.
Moving through the expansive warehouse, we walked past a cluster of prototypes for the Spider-Man Stuntronics robot, which progress from a stick-like object to the human-sized figure that now leaps off buildings as part of a show at Avengers Campus at California Adventure. One of the prototypes is signed by both Tom Holland and Kevin Feige, president of Marvel studios.
In the corner stood a giant Hulk-sized character suit, which has previously been tested in the parks, but has not yet become part of the regular rotation. This fits into the larger goal of the unit, explained at the beginning of the tour, which is to move quickly from idea to prototype and then to test it out.
The Hulk suit has been tested in parks, but is not yet a permanent character.
Then, a high-pitched squeaking rang out down the corridor.
Down the hall, a knee-high robot, outfitted with antennas, speakers and LED arrays for eyes, came into view. As I took notes, the robot pivoted its head to gaze up at me and began to rock back and forth on its two legs, imitating a kind of dance, amid some more squeals.
The robot is one of the Stars Wars’ BDX droids, which are currently being play tested — meaning brought to parks to interact with guests for a specific period of time — and making daily appearances at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland Park through early June.
The droids are battery powered and can walk around the grounds for close to two hours, with a human guiding its movements with a game-like controller.
As explained by Moritz Bächer, an associate lab director at Disney Research, who is typically based in Zurich, Imagineers take procedural or cinematic animation and put that in a simulation environment to train the robots, which can imitate the artist-provided motions within two days. Certain moods can also be overlayed, so the robot’s actions are more cautious, for example, when interacting with a more timid guest.
The idea is to make it into a type of character in the park, rather than just serving as a piece of new technology.
The droids were built and play tested in less than a year. And given the speed at which it can be built and can learn new movements, using reinforcement learning, the plan is to introduce more.
“That’s basically a technology that scales pretty well and can be applicable to many characters, not just this one,” Bächer said.
Privilège réservé uniquement à celles et ceux qui ont marqué les parcs Disney, se voir dédier une fenêtre sur Main Street U.S.A. est un hommage assez rare. Aujourd’hui, Sylvie Massara, Imagineer et Directrice Artistique, a rejoint ce groupe prestigieux à Disneyland Paris lors de l’inauguration de sa propre fenêtre !
Célébrant ses 35 ans au sein de Walt Disney Imagineering, cet hommage spécial reconnaît son héritage de passion et de créativité, qui ont permis à toute une génération de visiteurs de se forger des souvenirs inoubliables. « J’étais tellement surprise, j’avoue, quand on m’a annoncé la nouvelle. J’étais très honorée bien entendu, et très très émue parce que je ne m’y attendais absolument pas. »
C’est une tradition initiée par Walt Disney lui-même en 1955, année d’ouverture de Disneyland en Californie. Il fallait nommer les boutiques situées le long de Main Street U.S.A. et il n’y avait pas meilleure manière de remercier celles et ceux qui avaient contribué à l’ouverture du parc que leur donner les noms de véritables employés. Cette méthode a été adoptée, non seulement dans le Magic Kingdom original, mais aussi dans les parcs Disney du monde entier !
La fenêtre de Sylvie est située au début de Main Street, au-dessus de Ribbons and Bows Hat Shop. Tout comme les autres fenêtres dédiées que l’on trouve dans le parc, la sienne a un thème, en l’occurrence les trois décennies de son travail de décoration intérieure, et porte la mention « New Century Interiors, Sylvie Massara, Proprietor, “All-time designs for all times” » signifiant : Intérieurs du Siècle Nouveau, Sylvie Massara, propriétaire, « Designs intemporels en toute circonstance ».
Sylvie a commencé sa carrière au sein de Walt Disney Imagineering lors de la construction de Disneyland Paris en 1988, au sein de l’équipe chargée de l’aménagement et des intérieurs de Fantasyland. Sylvie raconte : « J’allais en Italie et en Angleterre pour suivre la fabrication du mobilier. J’ai notamment travaillé sur la Chaumière des Sept Nains, La Bottega di Gepetto, ainsi que le Chalet de la Marionnette qu’on appelait Village House à l’époque du chantier. »
Après l’ouverture du parc et une brève année à Glendale passée à élaborer les premiers concepts de ce qui allait devenir le deuxième parc de la destination, elle est revenue en France au sein de Design and Show Quality, l’équipe qui entretient la magie de Disney.
En 1996, elle a eu l’opportunité de travailler spécifiquement sur les hôtels de Disneyland Paris, un rôle qu’elle n’a jamais quitté depuis. En 2010, à la faveur d’un ambitieux plan de transformation, Sylvie et son équipe ont été missionnées pour réimaginer chaque hôtel de la destination, en commençant par le Disney Sequoia Lodge en 2010 jusqu’à la transformation royale du Disneyland Hotel en début d’année.
« C’est beaucoup plus challengeant à mon sens de travailler et de transformer un hôtel existant que de partir de zéro et d’en construire un nouveau. Pour le Disneyland Hotel, nous avons repoussé nos limites pour y apporter une exigence de détails encore plus poussée en adaptant notamment la technologie pour ajouter des effets spéciaux, ce que je n’avais jamais fait auparavant dans le cadre de la refonte d’un hôtel » – partage Sylvie.
En revenant sur sa carrière, Sylvie déclare : « Ce qui a été essentiel toutes ces années, c’est la collaboration avec les Imagineers et Cast Members pour que les rêves prennent vie, et toujours susciter l’émotion chez nos visiteurs. Voir leurs regards quand ils entrent dans un espace réinventé et remarquer qu’ils comprennent l’histoire que l’on a imaginée me rend fière d’avoir participé à cette expérience, avec toutes les équipes impliquées. »
Lors de votre prochaine visite à Disneyland Paris, arrêtez-vous sur Main Street U.S.A. pour découvrir cet hommage unique à l’héritage de Sylvie !
Sujet: 
Jeu 19 Jan 2023 - 20:33
