I am happy that we were able to bring all princesses together: Animator Mark Henn on 'Ralph Breaks the Internet'

When the first trailer for Ralph Breaks the Internet -- the sequel to successful animation movie Wreck-It Ralph from Disney -- dropped it gave a chance to anyone and everyone wishing for a massive crossover of famous characters from their childhood to squee with excitement. I am not talking about Avengers making an appearance in the animation movie. It is the moment when all the Disney Princesses were seen in one frame. Later small TV ads and extended teaser showed that the Princess of the game Sugar Rush -- Vanellope von Schweetz -- meets the other 14 iconic characters that have enriched millions of childhoods. A crossover that can be USP of the Ralph Breaks the Internet and I'd still watch it.

Mark Henn is the man responsible for animating many of these princesses in his almost forty years long career with Disney. From Ariel in The Little Mermaid, Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Jasmine in Aladdin, to title characters Mulan and Pocahontas, Princess Tiana in The Princess and the Frog, and Vanellope von Schweetz, Henn became 'The Princess' Man' at Disney. Here he explains what goes into making these characters, challenges of drawing modern-day princess Vanellope, and how it felt to see all his princesses share one frame for the first time.

Could you please explain what a supervising animator does?

A supervising animator is largely in charge of a specific character or a sequence in a film. They work with the other animators to set a standard of the animation. In one sense, they are quality control. So they oversee and make sure that the animation is consistent throughout any given feature film.

In almost 38 years with Disney, with the advancement of technology, which style of animation do you prefer?

That's kind of a matter of opinion. I prefer animating with paper and pencil. I find it mechanically very simpler process. Computer animation is for the younger generation. They seem to be very good at it. Although it's not as easy to sometimes just picking up a piece of paper and pencil for animating. That also presents its own unique challenges. It just depends on who you talk to. Personally,  I prefer animating in traditional fashion. I did do some CG animation on Meet the Robinsons. It was a little difficult, but I managed to get through it okay. I do enjoy working with the new generation of animators. 

(Mark Henn)

As 'The Princess' Man', from the perspective of an animator, what do you think makes these Disney characters relatable?

The challenge for all animators on any of our films is to make our characters unique, make them believable, and interesting. I have had the good fortune of animating over half a dozen of our princesses. The challenge is always there to make each one unique and very special. A lot of that comes out of their story, their situation, and that's what I try to draw. I think our new generation of princesses is made of much stronger types of personalities. They make decisions and do things that drive, propel our stories forward. More so than some of the older princesses. I find that very interesting. So I try to make sure that each one is a strong, and positive figure -- a role model. 

Did you change anything in animation for the sequel? What should the audience expect?

No, Vanellope and Ralph both look pretty much the same they looked in the first film. In Ralph Breaks the Internet, we follow their relationship. They became best friends at the end of the first movie. Now with this new story of them going into the Internet is going to test that friendship, explore what it means to be a best friend and the kind of ups and downs of a friendship. It's an entertaining, funny story and I think the audience will really enjoy it. 

How did you feel about the scene in which Vanellope meets all the princesses?

I thought it was a great idea. When we first heard about the sequence and then there were rumours floating around the studio that they might use the Disney princesses in the movie, I was very excited about it. The question was whether or not the studio at large would be accepting of the idea of putting the princesses in this particular situation. So when they were presented with the idea and saw some of the early storyboards on it, they embraced it. They thought it would be a funny, very fresh approach for our princesses. We have a total of 14 princesses that meet Vanellope. She meets them at the website OhMyDisney.com during the course of the film. In an effort to avoid Star Wars stormtroopers, she ducks into a room. It turns out to be the princess' green room. It's a very funny sequence. I am very happy that we were able to bring all the girls together in this unique setting. It just provided a really fun opportunity for all of us working on it. 

Did you face any challenges with Vanellope as compared to other characters? 

Not really. I think Vanellope is very exciting, emotionally well-rounded character. This new adventure allowed the animators to explore her character in the ways that weren't done in the first movie. Sarah Silverman, who provides the voice, did an amazing job with her once again. We are just taking her on a new adventure. She is a very fun character to animate. 

With distinct characters like Mulan, Pocahontas, is there a common thread we can find in all the princesses you have drawn? 

I would like to think that the common thread is that in a way is what's uncommon about them. You mentioned Pocahantos and Mulan because in your mind you are thinking two completely unique and distinct personalities. So from my perspective, that's the common thread that I would like audiences to remember. The princesses that I animated are just that. Unique and interesting personalities. Arial is Arial, Mulan is Mulan. I have tried very hard not to just repeat myself from one princess to the other and that's the challenge for any animator. 

Which is the character you always wanted to draw but didn't get a chance to?

There wasn't a specific character but I always wanted to animate a villain. I have animated a few scenes with some villains. But I always wanted to be cast for the villain just to break out of my box and do something different as an animator. It has never worked out thus far. So I am content to do more heroes and heroines in our films and that works out fine for me.