Put Me In, Coach!
When Steve Hulett went in to work at Disney he did not do it out of any love for the animation, the art, nor the history of the studio itself. Sure, all of those things were going through his mind during his interview as he tried to appear composed and not the nervous wreck he truly was, but what he mostly wanted at the time was something more simple and practical; he wanted a job from where he could get a steady paycheck. Someplace where he could employ his writing skills instead of having to go as a ghost writer, or try to write a book by himself that maya s well put him in the poorhouse if it failed.
That he managed to get a 3-month trial period was already a godsend for him, though at the time he would never would have thought how it would affect him and his life.
It was a simple job... well, simple when he thought about it now, but back then? He remembered feeling as if the entire weight of the world was in his shoulders. Having to go through the company library and write a draft treatment to see if he had what it took to work with the Disney team. He remembered thinking it was all a big joke during his moments in between anxiety and being in the zone. He remembered thinking how could someone write something so subjective in order to pass instead of just being told exactly what it was that they wanted from him.
But above all, he remembered meeting Don Bluth, and how he would be embroiled in a drama that would drastically change his career.
Steve had not been aware at the time of the ongoing circumstances in Disney... well, aside from the fact that they were still stuck in that whole limbo where they refused to innovate and kept on just trying for the same old thing that Walt would have probably done in his time. Not to mention the decline on creativity and the many ongoing rumors about the company being more focused on Live Action comedies and their parks than on the very animation that made them who they were, but regardless of said rumors, nothing could have prepared him for the reality he'd face.
The tension between the animators and the higher ups, the constant bickering and toxic environment, the looks of suspicion between those who would gather around the "Old Men" of Disney and the more daring animators like Bluth, the arguments between the executives and said animators as every day the budget seemed to shrink. Hell, a movie called The Rescuers had been canned, and that alone had nearly caused a full-on rebellion in the department.
And there was Steve, trying to keep his head down and work as usual... until one day he could no longer do so. He'd been trying to make the draft as told, tried to make an adaptation treatment of one of said works, how his anxiety got the worst of him and thus he tried seeking help from one of the more senior workers at Disney to perhaps get some tips. He walked through the halls, trying to avoid the eyes of anyone around him, the feeling of despair and desperation just growing in his mind...until he felt a hand in his shoulder and a voice asking him if he was alright.
He did not shriek like a girl though... it was a manly yell of defiance. That was his story and he was sticking to it.
He could not recall much after that, only that he had been brough to an office until he could gather his wits once more, and when coming to, meeting the man himself in front of his workstation, just drawing as if there was no problem in the world that he could not tackle. This was not the first time he'd seen Don Bluth, but it was the first time he'd seen him up close rather than from a distance. He also seemed calmer as well when compared to the usual tension that would accompany him when outside, like a weight that he'd been carrying had finally been lifted.
Steve recalled talking about his draft and whether he could take a look at it, perhaps share some pointers. Steve recalled that after a brief talked, feeling calmer and buoyed up he went back to work, thinking on some changes he might make to his draft, ignoring the looks that he was now receiving from the rest of the animators around.
The next day, Bluth had left the company, taking with him a great number of animators, and joining with a new venture made by Lucasfilm; DreamWorks.
Not that it mattered that much to Steve, since guilt by association was the law it seems, or perhaps they feared that from that meeting alone where he only asked about his script he would be "infected" by the ideas he espoused? Regardless, the results remained the same; Steve was told not to bother to come back the next day, while another story trainee was chosen in his stead by the Committee.
Could he have tried to fight the decision? Perhaps, but even he understood the low chances of his actually succeeding. Was he angry and resentful? Oh certainly, yet his more pragmatic side in the end won out over his rage and feelings of injustice. Did he have a plan going forwards? Sort of. After all, he'd also heard about the new DreamWorks venture by Lucasfilms, and no matter how many animators they had, they would also need inkers, writers, storyboarders, etc.
It was an opportunity if there ever was one, and he lost nothing by trying as well. Perhaps some spite was also mixed in it, considering that this new studio would be going toe to toe with Disney, and despite how much he may want to claim, he was also human enough to feel glee when the thought of it going down ran through his head.
And with that motivation in mind, he felt ready to tackle anything that the new interview might throw at him.
Steve Hulett would not call himself a visionary. He was not a man that would get emotional at drawings or animation like certain of his new friends would when seeing the cels done by Bluth. He would not try and stand and fight for the right to keep a story as it was, defending each and every point like Bird could. He was not a proponent for the future of the medium like Lasseter, who could talk about the topic of computers and Pixar until one's ears fell off. And he was certainly no dreamer who joined the newest animation company in Hollywood out of a desire to see it elevated to where it was today.
He was just Steve Hulett, the man who went to work in order to get a paycheck, the man who tried to live his life as pragmatically as he could.
...Or at least, he was supposed to be.
He still remembered the interview process when he first joined DreamWorks, where his own nervousness made him stutter a bit, but he still managed to keep his cool enough to be given a chance. When he was hired he could see the difference from both studios from the beginning; rather than have him compete for a 3-month contract he was hired and told to get to work at once. Instead of the tension and looks one would get, the entire department seemed to be full of cheer and discussion. Where during his time at Disney he'd seen animators leave at around 1 PM and have the entire afternoon for themselves so long as they kept to the quota, DreamWorks never seemed to close, as everyone just wanted to get into the spirit of the job as soon as possible, having fun with that they worked with, finding the freedom too much to resist.
And after six months of waiting for the other shoe to drop, or for the company to come in and begin buckling them down, he finally had to accept that... this was no act. This was how the company was going to work. This was his new life. And though during the period in it he'd managed to find a great deal of satisfaction in his work, he was still ambitious enough to want to try and achieve more.
Yet in the end, he always seemed to fall short.
He'd worked in Hiawatha and the Classical Tales as support for Animation, as well as research and adaptation for the stories. He'd worked with Musker and Clements with Basil of Baker Street, his own suggestions for how the story should go being accepted by Mrs. Titus, He'd even got to help in how the story would shape up in The Secret of NIMH. He'd made sure to try and keep up with all the new advancements in technology, practicing writing new stories, or even trying to find a way to at least adapt some of Bluth's amazing art.
Yet at the end of the day, he could only remain average when compared to the greats at DreamWorks.
He could not write amazing tales that would fire up the imagination like Musker and Clements. He could not draw amazing pieces of art like Bluth. He could not reach the near mastery of computer animation that Lasseter was improving on daily. He could not break through the set mold to create something wholly new like Bird could.
And let's not even mention the Japanese directors for the sake of his ego.
At the end of the day, Steve could only call himself average when it came to his own work, someone that would only make his mark as support for the truly great of DreamWorks.
Well, it was until just about yesterday.
"Are you sure about this Mr. Bluth? I mean, I'm flattered, but-" Was all he got to say before being interrupted.
"Call me Don, and it's not about flattering you Steve, it's about living to your potential. You've been with us in DreamWorks from the beginning, and we've not ignored how much you've improved over the years, or how much you've learned either. I've noticed, John has noticed, heck even the higher ups like Bruce have been wondering when are you going to make your debut.
"Well, you must have come to DreamWorks for a reason beyond just making a paycheck, so consider this your push forward. Just like old times, make a treatment for this work, and from there try and see if we can bring it to production" Don ended by pushing a book to Steve.
He did not know what he was saying, Steve thought. He was here for the paycheck, he had come for the money, he had no aspirations to be a director when he joined in...
Only that was not the case anymore wasn't it.
He had been pushing himself beyond what one would do when just satisfied with what he had. He'd gone out of his way to ask the other directors for tips on how they worked. he'd even learned some computer programming. He was not a genius like the man in front of him, but it seemed that they were at least giving him a chance to prove himself.
But would he dare take it?
Why did I agree on this again?
Turns out, making a draft for the story was not as hard as one would have thought (or at least not for him anymore), but the real challenge began from there. Having to then assemble the new team who would work with you on the film, having the script be revised over and over again, working on the storyboards, finding the right voice actors, etc. All different aspects that he'd worked on individually, yet now he was in charge and had to make sure that nothing was out of place or would slow down the production.
He would complain loudly, had he not the biggest grin in his face as he tackled each and every one of the problems.
He could complain as much as he wanted in his head, his body however told a different story; The feeling of excitement at making something new, the rush of adrenalin as ideas were shared and discussed with him at the head, the smile of delight when he saw a new cel being worked on, his mind wondering where it would go in the end.
Was this how they always felt? If so, no wonder they never wanted to stop!
First thing though, he'd need to change the name for the film.
Chanticleer, huh?
Well, he'd see what he could do.
A.N.: When I read Mouse in Transition, what I took from Steve Hulett's personality was mostly that he seemed to be there and care more about the money than the art. Understandable when considering the recession in America, and how meeting the "Golden Age Animators" of the time pretty much killed his belief of them as heroes or larger than life figures. With a new job in DreamWorks however, one that actually lives to its own Hype, and with some of the greatest directors ever at hand... well, I think Steve may have gotten a hit to his self-esteem. I don't think he's a bad director or "average" as he would put himself, but he's certainly not in the same league as Bluth, Bird or Lasseter either. I'd say he's an "A" Class director having to compete with SS Class.
