13 'Rights' & 'Wrongs' of Unleashing the Villains

A week ago I had the chance to attend Hades' Unleash the Villains - Friday the 13th party at Walt Disney World's Hollywood Studios. The event had been advertised far and wide for weeks and finally the day came upon us. I decided to document my experience for those who didn't get a chance to attend, and for future reference of the things that went great and gruesome...



Here are two samples of the first show and the 'Villainy in the Sky' fireworks that went on during the party...

 

Details on Disney! A look into Creative Costuming

I've tried to keep friends and family in the loop while on Disney USA Adventures.

So far I've explained some conundrums & concerns, working backstage at a show and what your daily schedule would probably look like - but it's still hard to imagine how working for 'the big mouse' could really be without any kind of visual help.

My latest 'Details on Disney' video is a more visual explanation of costuming life. An example of how we get Mickey mouse and his friends ready for their busy days visiting guests in the parks and what we do before and after.

Creative costumers are always busy; we have pants to mend, rips and tears to sew, buttons to find, feathers to brush and fur to groom. We have to make sure everyone takes their baths and look their best for the guests.



Click here to go to the video!

And of course every park has it's own crew of costumers because every park has a different theme. Hollywood studios is all about the glamour and performance, therefore everyone must look stunning! Animal Kingdom is all about adventure so you wouldn't see Goofy or Mickey without their safari hats or backpacks for example.

It's not always just laundry and hygiene, sometimes Mickey and his friends are running late or transportation gets mixed up and we have to help get them to where they need to be. All in all costuming is a fantasmic and fast-paced job and someone has to do it!

As always PLEASE feel free to leave comments here or on my videos about anything else you would like me to answer during our 6 month stay in the program. As always I will be posting more blogs and videos during my stay in America, so please continue to visit :)

Details on Disney! How to prevent Heat Stroke?

It's hot at Disney Land & Disney World and no one wants to suffer from heat illness or stroke while your working or visiting Florida or California. I've given you tips on what to pack, now let me give you some tips on how to stay cool - the Disney International Exchange Program IS the coolest experience, after all!

click above to go to the video!

It's easy to get caught up in the magic & pixie dust and want to try your hardest at being the best cast member ever! But your health should always come first. Take the time to have a rest when you need it and always drink plenty of water. To learn more tips please click the picture and go to my video.

Again PLEASE feel free to leave comments here or on my videos about anything else you would like me to answer during our 6 month stay in the program. As always I will be posting more blogs and videos during my stay in America, so please continue to visit :)

Marketing has caught the VIRUS!

Think of the latest video you watched on the Internet. Did you like it so much that you forwarded it to your friends? Did your friends then forward the video to more friends? This is how videos become viral.

In our Media & Culture class we recently talked about Viral Marketing which is a form of online marketing that encourages the receiver of a message to pass it along to others to generate additional exposure. But sometimes the message doesn’t have to specifically come from the marketers and advertisers themselves…

This is Lilly and this Youtube video shows her reaction when her mom tells her that they are going to Disneyland for her birthday.

                                      

Now didn’t that video just give you the warm and fuzzy feeling to want to take your children or little siblings to Disneyland?



Click to see Lily and Mickey Mouse

The video may not have been specifically made to promote Disneyland but it does have a big Emotional Appeal to its viewers. You form an emotional attachment to Lilly and her “brand loyalty” towards Disneyland and its services. Even if it wasn’t intentional Disneyland is still going to benefit on all the “buzz” created from videos like this.

I like to think of viral videos being very similar to testimonial advertisements. Everyday consumers are viewed positively experiencing a company’s brand(s). Rather then spending millions on celebrity endorsements  like Proactive, companies should be searching for viral videos and trying to benefit from them.

With your consumers just thinking they watched a really funny or adorable video they wont realize that in the back of their mind is the company or product(s) responsible for such reactions. Almost like a new 007 of product placement?