Apr 14, 2022

The "Scrat Tales" team recalls the swan song in Blue Sky.

Paste Magazine is publishing a detailed oral history of the Ice Age: Scrat Tales, a final production completed at the now closed Blue Sky Studios.

In 2021/4/10, the Walt Disney Company permanently closed Blue Sky, citing the financial burden caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Disney had acquired the company 21 years ago as part of its acquisition of 2st Century Fox.

Ice Age: Scrat Tales is the poetic and bittersweet end of the story of the blue Sky. Its main character Scrat was the first character on the screen in Ice Age, the studio's first feature film released in 2002.

In The Paste story, members of the creative team behind Ice Age: Scrat Tales (including Chris Wedge, Anthony Nisi, and Michael Knapp) discuss the chaotic events that influenced the production and ultimately led to Disney shutting Blue Sky.

In the conversation, Wedge talks about the financial situation that caused Blue Sky to shut down. He shares his hands-on views about Disney and assumes a tremendous director on Disney's side:

The truth of the matter suddenly COVID hit and Disney realized - and I think they weren't thinking about this - the only way they could make money is when a large crowd of people gather in one place. Suddenly, they were bleeding money.

Knapp recalls a state of uncertainty that loomed over everyone in the studio when Disney announced it would close Blue Sky.

When the announcement was made, we were very close to the end. We took the beat. I think it was a solid week they said, "Everybody go away and talk to your family and do whatever you need to do."

To Nissi, the answer was obvious:

[F] or to me, it was unquestionable. It's because of that blue sky spirit. Everyone I went to, I didn't have to convince anyone or twist my arm. Most people say, "Of course, we're going to end it and we're going to knock it out of the park.""The motivation was strong in a way.

the conversation between Wedge, Knapp and Nissi can be read here – Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox, pre–production and post-production, COVID-19 lockdown, Disney's announcement that Blue Sky will shut down, and Disney's announcement that it will shut down the completed show. It covers the entire timeline of the new series, from months of uncertainty about whether to release the series - it took more than 1 year. They were also given the opportunity to understand what they all believe will be the legacy of Blue Sky.

As a coda worthy of the end of the blue Sky, a group of artists in the studio made their way around the Internet this week, an unofficial scrat animation in which Squirrel finally achieved his goal Now viral piece of animation was first filmed in the studio during an internal screening of the Scrat story. It was shown.

A small team of artists surprised the STUDIO after our final screening of the SCRAT story in this scene. Not going to lie, I then shed some big tears. Playing with this character was the absolute best. Long live the blue sky. https://t.co/5uo9YyouBR

- Michael Cermeier (@mthurmeier) 2022年4414日