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Special eyes of Disney characters

Posted by Jens on Sun, 2008-02-03 21:55
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Hi everyone,

I have always wondered how the eyes of some of the Disney characters in Disneyland are made? The performers obviously can see a clear view of the enviroment, but outside you can not see into the head. Take Donald Duck's eyes for example:

Click here for photo

Does anybody know? It looks like the material they use on sunglasses?

Thanks ahead!

Jens

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Posted by JustKris (Just Kris) on Mon, 2008-02-04 01:51
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"Legs are optional."

Location: PA

I know some of them don't use the eyes, but rather look through the mouth. I don't believe that Donald is, though. I'd put my money on tinted plastic, probably with a "one-way" coating".
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Posted by Jens on Mon, 2008-02-04 07:11
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So like those one-view mirrors in police stations? Then how does it work in the dark? Some research I did (here)got this:

Quote:

So why doesn't the "criminal suspect" see the detectives in the next room? The answer lies in the lighting of the two rooms. The room in which the glass looks like a mirror is kept very brightly lit, so that there is plenty of light to reflect back from the mirror's surface. The other room, in which the glass looks like a window, is kept dark, so there is very little light to transmit through the glass. On the criminal's side, the criminal sees his own reflection. On the detectives' side, the large amount of light coming from the criminal's side is what they see.

If the lights in the room with the mirror are suddenly turned out, or the lights in the observation room suddenly turned on, then the one-way mirror becomes a window, with people in each room able to see those in the other. You can see this effect in any mirrored office building at night -- if the light is on in an office, you can see into the office just fine.

So this will also be the case with the eyes of some Disney characters? Or is it a different coating or something?
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Posted by Unclekage (Dr. Samuel Conway) on Mon, 2008-02-04 13:30
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A one-way coating is probably not needed. The fact that it is darker inside the head than it is outside (by far!) makes it nearly impossible to see inside. It's the same way that tinted windows in a car keep anyone from seeing you.

I received this from a very highly-experienced Disney costumer:

Quote:
"It depends on the character. Some look out of the mouth, some use eyes,
some use a special screen material that allow you to look through hard
surfaces.
But the visibility is very limited in most all of the characters.
The more time you spend in the character, the more your mind learns to
overcome the handicaps and see clearly.
For example, with Goofy you need to look out of the mouth. If you are
inside Goofy and you're looking at a person's face, the person you're looking
at is seeing Goofy's mouth; so you need to look at their feet for
Goofy to be looking that Person in the eye.
After a while, you somehow learn to look through your forhead. And
after several days in the costume, if someone pulls on one of Goofy's
wiskers, you can actually start to mentally 'feel' what whisker they
are pulling on. It becomes a second layer of skin. (Or fur, whatever
the case may be)"
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Posted by Jens on Mon, 2008-02-04 15:21
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Thanks Unclekage! I'm a little confused with the different viewing options on their characters though. As far as my knowledge reaches there is:

- The see-through foam that for example Jafar and Frollo have.
- The netting with a transparant plastic over it like the seven dwarfs have.
- The technique I showed in my first post, which Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto, etc. have.

If the last one is what your source means by "a special screen material that allow you to look through hard surfaces" (I'm assuming he means plastic), then does he know what that "special screen material" is, or what it could be?

Again, thanks for the help so far Unclekage!
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Posted by Rianith (Rianith) on Wed, 2008-05-28 15:06
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"Jesus Saves and Budda recycles.. but Anubis Guides!"

Location: Scranton, PA

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Another possibility is what they use for the Chuck E Cheese Suits.
I know this because my mother, bless her heart, was Chuck E Cheese for several months until a brat kicked her in her knee.

Anyways. According to her, there are "Air Vent Holes" along the side of the Mask in line with the eye. From the inside, these can be seen Out through. She says that Mascots use these Vents to aid in periferal vision

~Rian

-Forgive spelling errors please.

May the Jackals guide you, and Ammit's Muzzle be turned from your Heart.
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