********************************************************** * Disney Animated Feature Error List for rec.arts.disney * * **** The Little Mermaid **** * ********************************************************** Maintained and Edited by Robert Cook Send any corrections ("error errors") and contributions to my mailbox at rcook@sdcc13.ucsd.edu. Credit will be given if a person is the first known contributor of a particular error. Errors that are commonly reported are attributed to rec.arts.disney in general. There is no set update or posting schedule, since the list is currently subject to major changes--like possibly incorporating the information into a new reference (I'll work on it the rest of this summer). Enjoy the list, and remember that this is only for the sake of knowledge and interest--no criticism is deliberately implied (well, maybe in certain cases ;-) ). Many of these "errors" are probably not a big deal to the Disney animation staff, but we're REAL picky, aren't we? :-) There are mainly three types of error: (C) Continuity Error: This involves story points, how things look, or even the layout of the setting. They are more commonly called "inconsistencies" on rec.arts.disney. Examples: direction of a door's swing, paths characters take to destinations, etc. (T) Technical Error: Someone working on the animation or any of the post-production jobs made a boo-boo. Examples: a frame or two was coloured incorrectly, characters or objects disappearing and/or reappearing, pieces of background moving in unexpected ways, voices speaking while mouths are still, etc. (W) Weird Error: Something that just doesn't seem likely. This may also refer to an error that a number of people have reported, and yet isn't really an error at all. Something that does not match "real life" when, perhaps, it should could also be considered a Weird Error. Example: inverted rainbows. There is also a "Thoughts" section that represents the possible explanations or just random related thoughts of rec.arts.disney posters. Some of the thoughts are mine, but certainly not all of them. The Editor's Notes sections refer to ideas that I add to errors submitted in full form ("Thoughts" and all). Error List ---------- Type: Where: C King Triton makes his grand entrance just before "Daughters of Triton." [CAV 1: 6000- 6120 cf. 1: 6575- 6648] Error: The chandelier is lit, and then mysteriously unlit when Triton ignites it. Contributed by: Daina Pettit ----- Type: Where: T During the shark chase, when Ariel swims past, shark following, just before Flounder bangs into the sunken ship's boom. [CAV 1:12943] Error: The bubbles in Ariel's wake jump 1/2 screen to the right for a single frame and then return to normal. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: T As Flounder blows a raspberry at the trapped shark. [CAV 1:13438-9] Error: The stream of bubbles Flounder is blowing at the shark jump downwards for one cel setup. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: T At Scuttle's rock, as Ariel says, "Music?!" [CAV 1:15929-30] Error: Skin above Ariel's right seashell is coloured seashell-mauve rather than skin-pink. Thoughts: Editor's Notes: at that point, Ariel's right arm forms a closed area above her seashell. It looks like a cel painter mistook the exposed part of her right breast for a part of her seashell, and coloured it accordingly. Related Errors: Part of Ariel's neck is coloured hair-red for one cel setup (noted below). Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: T Just before "Part of Your World," in the grotto, Ariel is saying " . . . how a WORLD that makes such wonderful things. . ." Error: As she says "world" her right eye performs a complete clockwise loop(!). [CAV 1:22776-22792] Thoughts: Ariel's eyes are supposed to be slightly crossed since she is looking at a close object. There may have been a slight mix-up among the inbetweeners. Who knows? Contributed by: Robert Cook ----- Type: Where: T During "Part of Your World." [CAV 1:23156-23350] Error: Poor lip-sync, particularly noticeable where Ariel sings, " . . . ev'rything / Look at this trove . . ." Thoughts: For some reason, the animation leads Ariel's voice by a matter of frames. This is perplexing, since this sort of thing is extremely uncommon at Disney. Editor's Notes: It's probably a soundtrack problem, as the animation is generally of a consistent speed. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: T During "Part of Your World" as Ariel sings, "Walkin' around on those . . ." [CAV 1:24294-5] Error: The paint on the music box is lighter for one cel setup. Thoughts: This happened because someone forgot to apply the shadows to the figures for that frame. Indeed they (especially the man) look remarkably flat in that shot in comparison to surrounding frames. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: T During "Part of Your World" as Ariel sings, "Up where they walk . . ." [CAV 1:24770-1] Error: When she sings "walk" Ariel's posture jumps suddenly; noticeable in real time if you pay special attention. Thoughts: It looks like a jump in the photography, but really seems to be more of a visible inbetweening glitch. Contributed by: Robert Cook ----- Type: Where: C During "Part of Your World" as Ariel sings, "Bet they don't reprimand . . ." [CAV 1:25498-9] Error: Ariel's hair is parted on the right, then the left. Thoughts: This could be debated; the hair is floating around as though it has a life of its own. For the rest of the film, the animators were pretty careful about which way the hair was parted (on the left) but this scene stretches credibility on that front. Editor's Notes: she rises from the floor leaning to the left, which parted her hair on the right. The next abrupt screen transition showed her hair parted clearly on the left after too little shifting. I think that the artists didn't consider it a big deal and just wanted to draw her as usual. Only WE would notice! :-) Related errors: This is kind of related to Flounder's sudden change of facial expression (noted below). Disney probably doesn't expect anyone to notice. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: C After "Part of Your World" when Sebastian makes himself noticed. [CAV 1:27259 passim to 1:28067] Error: The thimble on Sebastian's leg disappears in the behind view, reappears as the viewpoint changes, then disappears again as he tries to lead Ariel back home. Contributed by: rec.arts.disney ----- Type: Where: C As Ariel enters, then leaves the grotto on either end of the "Part of Your World" segment. [CAV 1:21898-21977 cf. 1:28184- 28215] Error: The entrance to the grotto (with the rock that Ariel was so careful to shift aside on entering) is wide open when she leaves to examine the fireworks, even though it closed upon her entry, as Sebastian will attest to. However, it may be that we just didn't get to see her move it. Disney might have thought that it'd be meaningless, distracting detail that we don't need to worry about (but do anyway). Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: C Ariel is watching the fireworks from Eric's ship. Error: While the ship is launching fireworks, there is a segment during which the fireworks launch from empty ocean--the ship itself is on the other side of the screen. Thoughts: Editor's Notes: not too hard to see how--the ship moves while the special effects don't. When the scene switches away from and then returns to the ship (right when the error is visible), we see exactly the same fireworks as the first time. Notice that there are still flashes on the ship where the fireworks are supposedly being launched from. Contributed by: Andrew Klossner ----- Type: Where: C On the ship during "Jig" when Max discovers Ariel. [CAV 1:29733-52 cf. 1:29903-36] Error: Max slobbers over Ariel's RIGHT cheek, but she puts her hand to her LEFT cheek. Thoughts: Debatable. If she was trying to wipe her cheek dry (though why a mermaid is concerned about wet cheeks I can't say) then it is an error. Later, when Ariel has legs and Max discovers her again, also greeting her with his tongue, she puts her hand up to the correct cheek. Maybe this is some sort of mermaid nervous system reaction? :) Editor's Notes: whatever the orientation of Ariel's face, her hand is on the side (of *space*, not *face*) that Max licked. Quite likely an error. Contributed by: rec.arts.disney ----- Type: Where: T On the ship as Ariel says, "The one playing the snarfblatt," to Scuttle. [CAV 1:30960-31035] Error: The area of what seems to be skin underneath Ariel's right upper arm just doesn't look right. It certainly shouldn't all be skin-colour. Thoughts: It looks like her torso would have to be deeper. I (rcook) went before a mirror to see how this might work out, and it's possible if you arch your back a little. I, however, am not shaped like Ariel. ;-) Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: T Eric's ship, just before his gift is presented. Grimsby is saying, "It is now my honour . . ." [CAV 1:31109-10] Error: A character's shirt is coloured blue and white, which suddenly changes to blue and light blue (the colour of characters further back) during the camera pan. Contributed by: Robert Cook ----- Type: Where: C As Grimsby unveils the statue to Eric on the ship. [CAV 1:31323-67 cf. 1:31502-93] Error: The ribbon around the statue miraculously vanishes. Thoughts: Editor's Notes: Could have been removed as clutter by the artists. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: C On the ship when Eric throws the telescope to Grimsby, who has been saying, "it isn't me alone." [CAV 1:32170-32314] Error: Grimsby catches the telescope with the eyepiece end upwards. In the next scene that end is pointing downwards. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: C During the storm. [CAV 1:33675-33722 cf. 1:33951-34041 cf. 1:34606-44] Error: The wheel which various sailors futilely try to turn has eight, then twelve, then (again) eight spokes, judging from the angular spacing between them. Thoughts: Later on, during the battle with Ursula, the dredged-up ship Eric finds himself on does not have this problem. That ship's wheel is always identical, even down to the broken spoke. Editor's Notes: the wheel starts out with fewer spokes, and *appears* to have more as it is rapidly spinning. When Eric manages to stop and turn it the other way, the animators retained the appearance of more spokes, probably by mistake, or maybe even because it looks better. :-) Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: T "Part of Your World (Reprise)" during the line ". . . to live where you are". [CAV 2: 654-5] Error: Ariel's neck is painted hair-red instead of skin-pink for one cel setup. Thoughts: Editor's Notes: once again, when the moving hand or arm of a character creates a closed space within an area of skin-on-skin, painters can be thrown off. Related Errors: Ariel's right breast is coloured seashell-mauve for one cel setup (noted above). Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: C Grimsby finds Eric on the beach after "Part of Your World (Reprise)." [CAV 2: 1512-1794] Error: Grimsby's necktie thingy alternately tightens and loosens, decreasing and increasing in length. Contributed by: Robert Cook ----- Type: Where: C As Ariel sits in front of the mirror, her sisters looking on. [CAV 2: 4326-7] Error: The two sisters at the top (Andrina and Atina) swap places in the mirror view compared with their actual positions. Thoughts: As usual, mirrors cause all sorts of problems in animation as well as in live action. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: T "Under the Sea" after the line "You got to hear it, under the sea" [CAV 2: 8384- 8438] Error: Bits of Sebastian can be seen on the bottom shells of the clams he is playing. Thoughts: Editor's Notes: the painters failed to fully opaque portions of the clams that are supposed to cover up everything behind them, including Sebastian. Watch the shells carefully--the purple insides sometimes disappear, and the beige outsides change shape strangely. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: C End of "Under the Sea" sequence, when the creatures finish and stare at where Ariel had been sitting. [CAV 2:10483-4] Error: When the view closes in on Sebastian, the types of fish near him change. Contributed by: Robert Cook ----- Type: Where: C After the destruction of the Grotto when Flotsam and Jetsam visit. [CAV 2:17014-5; 2:17789-17974; 2:19794-5] Error: No less than three times do Flotsam and Jetsam switch places in this section, according to the colour of their eyes. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: W Ursula is tempting Ariel with her bargain. [CAV 2:24612-24755] Error: The little image of a human figure running has arms that seem to bend backwards. Thoughts: It's probably not an error at all, but looks kind of weird. Contributed by: Robert Cook ----- Type: Where: C After Ariel has come ashore and Scuttle has "dressed" her, saying, "You look sensational." [CAV 2:33788-9] Error: Flounder's expression changes rather too quickly from one of apparent malice to his usual boyish innocence. Related Errors: This is kind of related to how Ariel's hair part is changed suddenly. Disney probably doesn't expect anyone to notice. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: C When Ariel discovers the "dinglehopper" on the dining table. [CAV 2:38337-38400] Error: The fork has three tines when viewed from a distance, but in the close-up shot it has four. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: T Les Poissons, at start as Louis is scat-singing. [CAV 2:39578-9] Error: The bowl Louis carries and puts on the table becomes instantaneously larger in a single frame. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: C At the dining table, just before Carlotta serves the stuffed crab dishes. Error: There are plates set before Grimsby, Eric, and Ariel. When Carlotta sets the dish (with Sebastian in it) in front of Grimsby, his empty plate miraculously disappears. Contributed by: Robert Cook ----- Type: Where: C At the dining table when Sebastian runs across the table to Ariel's plate. [CAV 3: 1030-61 cf. 3: 1275- 1320] Error: Sebastian leaves no trail of food behind him as he heads for Ariel, but later when Grimsby puts down his fork there is an obvious trail of vegetable material. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: T Bedtime - When Ariel first looks down at Eric from the balcony. [CAV 3: 1692- 1731] Error: The painters seem unable to decide if the patch beside Ariel's right upper arm should be hair (red) or dressing-gown (pink). Editor's Notes: don't be so sardonic, Tim. ;-) Thoughts: YAPE. Yet Another Painter's Error. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: C Bedtime - Ariel bounces on the bed. [CAV 3: 2217- 2396] Error: There are initially five pillows, but the left one at the front vanishes inexplicably as Ariel bounces. Also note the mattress, whose left edge jumps upwards for a single frame [CAV 3: 2393]. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: C Ariel goes to bed while Sebastian is talking. [CAV 3: 2397- 2491 cf. 3: 2860- 2969] Error: One moment she doesn't have a blanket on, a blanket suddenly appears when we look from behind, and then it is pulled all the way up her shoulder in the close-up front view. Contributed by: Robert Cook ----- Type: Where: T Tour of the Kingdom, with the long shot of the plaza. [CAV 3: 4670] Error: The first frame has a pale diagonal streak going down from top centre to the right edge. Thoughts: The streak appears to be a film error, because the following frame--the same cel setup--is fine. Editor's Notes: confirmed only on laserdisc. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: T Tour of the Kingdom - As the cart lands on the ground after clearing the chasm. [CAV 3: 5764-82] Error: The wheels of the cart are not turning. Thoughts: Someone in the computer animation department presumably forgot that wheels in contact with the ground rotate. Editor's Notes: there's a tiny chance that the wheels rotated at JUUUUST the right speed to seem to stand still when recorded on film. Impossible with hand animation (if you're thinking straight), but computers don't care. (BTW, I *seriously* doubt this. ;-) ) And if you carefully watch the wheels, they don't appear to rotate whenever the wagon is moving very quickly (like before the jump over the chasm). Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: C On the wedding ship as Vanessa sings to herself. [CAV 3:17626-17757] Error: Vanessa steps on a pink container as she climbs onto the bench. The pink container wasn't there before. Then its remains, as well as a neighbouring blue container, vanish. Thoughts: Perhaps it was intended that the blue container be the one that was broken, but since Vanessa's foot was in the wrong spot that wasn't possible and they chose to do the pink one instead. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: C Vanessa is clowning in her room just before her "wedding." [CAV 3:17758-17845] Error: When she looks in the mirror, the reflected image of her real face has a mole on the same apparent side as a direct image would have. Thoughts: Interesting note: this little mistake also appears in Fantasmic! at Disneyland (on the mist screens). Contributed by: Robert Cook ----- Type: Where: C On the jetty as Sebastian cuts the barrels free for Ariel to hold onto. [CAV 3:19039-61] Error: The rope that Sebastian cuts is two thin ropes, then one thick one. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: T As Ariel is surrounded by barrels in the water. [CAV 3:19099-19100] Error: The water's colour jumps very suddenly from dark to light. Thoughts: While each of the two frames looks consistent on its own, they seem not to follow each other properly in real time. This is another fault that doesn't look bad unless you are in the right frame of mind. Editor's Notes: following the motion of the water and the effect of the barrels, it looks like they need another inbetween somewhere. Maybe a cel setup was lost somehow. The colours would then seem correct, I think. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: C Just after Ursula's shell containing Ariel's voice breaks on the deck. [CAV 3:21823-21900 cf. 3:22205-83] Error: Ariel is wearing shoes here but is otherwise barefoot for the entire scene. Thoughts: It is reasonable to expect Ariel to be barefoot - there are no empty shoes in sight when Ariel turns back into a mermaid. The TLM graphic novel leaves her shoeless always. It is safe to assume that the shoes were a mistake. Contributed by: rec.arts.disney ----- Type: Where: T When Max greets Ariel on the wedding ship after she regains her voice. [CAV 3:22254-5] Error: Ariel's dress, particularly the bottom-left (our point of view) corner, jumps unnaturally. Thoughts: In real time this doesn't look too bad, but no wind can make the dress move that much in one frame. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: C As Ursula takes Ariel, now a mermaid again, overboard. [CAV 3:22970 cf. 3:23037] Error: Ariel's dress disappears with no trace. Thoughts: It's possible that the dress was left floating somewhere out of view; it is certainly not visible in pan-and-scan versions of the film. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: C When Triton gets turned into a polyp. [CAV 3:24890-25065 cf. 3:25098-25258] Error: Triton's crown is circular (like normal crowns) and then becomes like a tiara when Ursula picks it up. Thoughts: Rarely do you get an opportunity to see the exact shape of the crown. While it is being worn, the back of it is covered with hair. Indeed the crown seems to change shape a lot - particularly when Ursula is larger-than-life it is more pointy than usual. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: T While Ariel "kneels" in front of Triton, who is experiencing life attached to the sea floor. [CAV 3:25259-25358] Error: The grooves on Ariel's seashells are not present at first, but appear as she moves to attack Ursula. Thoughts: Ariel is not bending forward enough for me to believe that we are only seeing the top segment of the shells. Watch how the grooves reappear as she swims off to the right. Editor's Notes: they reappear as her hair crosses over them. I speculate that the animator didn't draw them in at first, and then decided to do so when (s)he drew the hair over them. It's really the job of the cleanup artist to fill in the details--maybe that person forgot and was reminded at that point (just taking a stab at it). Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: C When Flounder and Sebastian attack Flotsam and Jetsam, who are busy at the time with Eric. [CAV 3:25771-88 cf. 3:25917-59] Error: Flotsam and Jetsam switch places yet again. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: T In the sea, just before Ursula grows in size. [CAV 3:26507-26705] Error: Eric says "No! I won't leave you!" without moving his lips. Thoughts: Unless Eric is a ventriloquist, it looks like the words were included after the animation was done. It is unlikely that the animators would have messed up this way, so the two most likely events are: 1) the words were added deliberately at the last minute, and they hoped that no one would notice; 2) somehow the animators were not made aware of these words to animate in the first place. L. J. Constantine suggested that lip movement could be seen a few seconds later while they are rising on Ursula's enormous head. The small size of the characters makes this impossible to verify, though Ariel's gestures, and one frame which could be showing Eric's teeth (and thus mouth moving), are consistent with this hypothesis. Contributed by: L. J. Constantine , Robert Cook ----- Type: Where: T During the battle when Ariel and Eric have dived off Ursula's enormous figure and are looking up at her. [CAV 3:26906] Error: The bottom-left part of the screen is paler than it should be for one frame. Thoughts: Editor's Notes: confirmed on both LD and tape, but it appears and disappears within one cel setup, which is photographed twice (on "two's"). Therefore it is probably a film defect, or some other error in photography. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: C When Triton ceases to be a polyp. [CAV 3:25100 cf. 3:30050] Error: Triton is turned into a polyp but his crown is not. Why then, when he reverts to his usual form, is he wearing his crown? Thoughts: The explanation that, when Usrula is defeated, what she has done is undone, does not work, since the trident is quite obviously not subject to this rule. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: W The encore of Les Poissons on the wedding ship [CAV 3:31901-32044 cf. 3:32458-32626] Error: Where have all the wedding guests gone to during this scene? Thoughts: Editor's Notes: Disney shouldn't be bothered with such details-- whatever works for the scene is fine. Indeed, hardly anyone notices. It sure looks funny once you're aware of it, though. Contributed by: Tim Pickett ----- Type: Where: W At the end, when Triton makes a rainbow with his trident. [CAV 3:33756-34007] Error: The colours of the rainbow are inverted, with red on the inside and violet on the outside. The colours are in the correct order, just starting at the wrong end of the spectrum. Thoughts: Rainbows come in various flavours. The primary bow is the brightest and has red on the outside. The secondary bow has inverted colours, but it is much fainter than the primary and always appears outside the primary. (If there is such a thing as a tertiary bow, then its colours will be in the same order as the primary.) Triton's rainbow may have been inverted because it was supernatural. *Most* of the animated productions have inverted rainbows in them. This includes TV series like The Simpsons. (Many productions don't even know the correct *order* for colours and just place them randomly.) Indeed, it's quicker to list the animated films that got it right (only The Rescuers springs to mind). Related Errors: In the "Pastoral Symphony" segment of Fantasia, Iris glides across the sky leaving an inverted rainbow in her wake. Contributed by: rec.arts.disney