The better question is: Why NOT This Podcast?
Back in January of 2021 when Disney+ was relatively new, Larry and I talked on the phone after watching Pixar's Soul with our families. To say we were both freaking out is an understatement. We had just watched the protagonist, Joe, fall to his death through an open manhole. The afterlife involved going through some sort of bug zapper contraption - and this put us both into an existential crisis.
"Freak out over a Disney movie," you might be wondering. "Who even DOES that?"
We do. We do that.
This wasn't our first rodeo talking Disney-Pixar. When I was doing my extended critical essay for my Creative Writing MFA program at Spalding University, I wrote extensively about dramatic irony and the third-person POV in Disney films.
When I presented my idea to several mentors in the program, they all said - in near unison - "Larry. You need Larry to mentor this one." Thus began several conversations between Larry and I involving classic Disney narrative features.
The core of these discussions was fairly straightforward: I wanted to know what made these films work. What was the secret sauce? And could I somehow distill the Disney magic and use it in my own writing and screenplays?
While we were discussing our angst over Soul, Larry stopped the conversation abruptly. "You know something? This should be a podcast. I would listen to us." "If you'll do a podcast with me, I'll produce it," I said. Best knee-jerk response I've ever given. Larry agreed just as quickly.
Within two months, we had a podcast. Once Upon A Disney would be a space where we analyzed a different classic Disney movie. Why were the choices made? How has screenwriting and storytelling evolved? And how does this inform our own efforts as creatives? We launched messy, but we got better. We've hosted a lot of great guests, had a lot of laughs, and had even more crisis moments. Most importantly, we sit down every week for an hour and take time honing the craft we love.
"All our dreams can come true," Walt Disney once said, "if we have the courage to pursue them."
I'm glad Larry had the courage to join me. This podcast is absolutely a dream come true.
I'm honored you're here. Love, Andie
Comments