The Walt Disney Company created an innovative 360-degree immersive experience inside the iconic Powerline “I2I” performance from A Goofy Movie. This groundbreaking short celebrating the film’s 30th anniversary lets viewers experience this legendary musical number by joining Powerline and his crew on stage, offering an interactive journey like never before.
To ensure the short had an authentic A Goofy Movie feel, we designed the backgrounds of the concert’s stadium to feel hand-painted, while also creating the environment as a flat, equirectangular plane — similar to a traditional classroom pull-down world map, rather than using 3D software. This required drawing the stadium environment in a four-point perspective creating a seamless panoramic environment a bit like assembling a puzzle from the different angles we’ve seen in the original film.
A team of 30 artists aimed to capture the essence of A Goofy Movie’s showstopping, cult-favorite musical climax by showcasing its beloved characters and moments, ensuring they remained true to the original spirit of the film while enhancing the experience for a modern, immersive format. Every frame was carefully crafted to evoke the same heartwarming humor, emotional depth, and visual charm that fans have cherished for decades, while also providing a fresh, interactive way for viewers to engage with the world of Goofy, Max, Powerline and his crew, making it feel like you’re right on stage while the unforgettable show takes place around you.
Replicating the 2D frame-by-frame cel animation from the film required animators to carefully adjust the characters' scale to ensure they didn’t appear to shrink when moving toward the viewer or grow when moving away. This utilized a deep understanding of perspective to preserve the illusion of consistent size, a crucial aspect when animating in 360 formats.
Creating an immersive sound experience by turning stereo audio into 3D spatial audio, made it feel like characters are moving around the viewer when using headphones. The sound changes based on where the viewer looks, allowing them to focus on different parts of the scene.
This innovative 360-degree experience offered A Goofy Movie fans a fresh, interactive way to relive one of the film's most iconic moments. By combining technical innovation, nostalgic sound, and rich visual details, The Walt Disney Company have brought the beloved Powerline "I2I" performance to life in a way that feels both new and familiar. Viewers can immerse themselves in the world of Goofy and Max like never before, with hidden surprises, dynamic sound, and a seamless integration of classic animation reimagined for 360. This project showcases The Walt Disney Company's passion for pushing the boundaries of animation while honoring the magic of the original film.
