Disney's Planes: The Science Behind the Film

Disney’s Planes: The Science Behind the Film

Pia Bergqvist

Saturday, August 10, 2013 at 12:17 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

The animated film *Planes* was a massive, collaborative undertaking, involving around 500 people over four and a half years, with an iterative process of scriptwriting, storyboarding (producing 40,000-50,000 drawings), and direction.
A core focus of the production was achieving aviation realism, which involved extensive research, consultation with flight and engineering experts, and trips to real-world aviation sites to accurately depict physics, flight mechanics, and operations.
While striving for authenticity, the creators blended realism with imaginative details like airplane-shaped landscapes and unique character designs (often composites of multiple real aircraft) to create a distinct and engaging animated world.

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It takes a village to make an animated film. Around 500 people contributed to the creation of Planes, Disney’s latest animated movie, slated for release on Aug. 9. I had the chance to meet with a few of the key creators to learn more about what goes into making an animated movie that, through all the fantasy, focuses on incorporating aviation realism to make an imaginary world come alive.