The Disneytoon Studios recently held a special screening of this summer’s Planes: Fire & Rescue for CAL FIRE firefighters.
The studio worked closely with the mean and women of CAL FIRE (the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection) while making Planes: Fire & Rescue.
John Lasseter, chief executive officer for Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios encourages filmmakers to do extensive research to ensure authenticity in the film.
“When we learned that historically, the very first air attack teams were crop dusters it was clear that the plane was telling us where the story was going,” said Bobs Gannaway, director of Planes: Fire & Rescue.
The filmmakers wanted to ensure that the look of the fire, smoke, water, and even the radio chatter between characters was authentic.
CAL FIRE brought the film’s team to the Hemet-Ryan Air Attack Base where they had a chance to take pictures and video and sketch the firefighters doing their jobs. The filmmakers also had a chance to attend CAL FIRE and U.S. Forest Service’s annual training in Redding, California.
The special screening was a way to say thanks for the CAL FIRE firefighters and their families.
“To tell a story about heroes, we worked with actual heroes. We have dedicated our film to firefighters around the world who are out there saving lives every day,” said Ferrell Barron, the film’s producer. “This film wouldn’t be what it is without them. We made this film for them.”
