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Who Framed Roger Rabbit
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==Production== ===Development=== [[Walt Disney Pictures|Walt Disney Productions]] purchased the [[film rights]] to [[Gary K. Wolf]]'s novel ''[[Who Censored Roger Rabbit?]]'' shortly after its publication in 1981. [[Ron W. Miller]], then president of Disney, saw it as a perfect opportunity to produce a [[Blockbuster (entertainment)|blockbuster]].<ref name="War">Stewart, p.72</ref> [[Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman]] were hired to write the script, penning two drafts. [[Robert Zemeckis]] offered his services as director in 1982,<ref name="Norman">{{cite book | author = Norman Kagan | title = The Cinema of Robert Zemeckis |date = May 2003| publisher = [[Rowman & Littlefield]] | location = Lanham, Maryland | chapter = Who Framed Roger Rabbit | pages = 93–117 | isbn = 0-87833-293-6}}</ref> but Disney declined as his two previous films (''[[I Wanna Hold Your Hand (film)|I Wanna Hold Your Hand]]'' and ''[[Used Cars]]'') had been [[box-office bomb]]s.<ref name="comment">Robert Zemeckis, Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman, Ken Ralston, [[Frank Marshall (film producer)|Frank Marshall]], Steve Starkey, DVD audio commentary, 2003, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment</ref> Between 1981 and 1983 Disney developed test footage with [[Darrell Van Citters]] as animation director, [[Paul Reubens]] voicing Roger Rabbit, [[Peter Renaday]] as Eddie Valiant, and [[Russi Taylor]] as Jessica Rabbit.<ref>{{cite web|author=TheThiefArchive|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME4yxyGZNS4|title=Early unmade version of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" [Paul Reubens, Darrell Van Citters, Disney 1983]|publisher=YouTube|date=September 5, 2014|access-date=September 5, 2014|archive-date=September 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140906193905/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME4yxyGZNS4&gl=US&hl=en|url-status=live}}</ref> The project was revamped in 1985 by [[Michael Eisner]], the then-new CEO of Disney. [[Amblin Entertainment]], which consisted of [[Steven Spielberg]], [[Frank Marshall (filmmaker)|Frank Marshall]] and [[Kathleen Kennedy (producer)|Kathleen Kennedy]], were approached to produce ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' alongside Disney. The original budget was projected at $50 million, which Disney felt was too expensive.<ref name="Williams">{{cite book | author = [[James B. Stewart]] | title = [[DisneyWar]] | publisher = [[Simon & Schuster]] | year = 2005 | location = New York City | page = [https://archive.org/details/disneywar00jame_0/page/86 86] | isbn = 0-684-80993-1 }}</ref> The film was finally [[Green-light|green-lit]] when the budget decreased to $30 million, which at the time would have still made it the most expensive animated film ever produced.<ref name="Williams" /> [[Walt Disney Studios (division)|Walt Disney Studios]] chairman [[Jeffrey Katzenberg]] argued that the hybrid of live-action and animation would "save" [[Walt Disney Animation Studios|Walt Disney Feature Animation]]. Spielberg's contract included an extensive amount of creative control and a large percentage of the [[box-office]] profits. Disney kept all merchandising rights.<ref name="Williams" /> Spielberg convinced [[Warner Bros.]], [[Fleischer Studios]], [[Harvey Comics]], [[King Features Syndicate]], [[Felix the Cat|Felix the Cat Productions]], [[Turner Entertainment]], and [[Universal Pictures]]/[[Walter Lantz Productions]] to "lend" their characters to appear in the film with (in some cases) stipulations on how those characters were portrayed; for example, Disney's Donald Duck and Warner Bros.' Daffy Duck appear as equally talented dueling pianists, and Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny also share a scene. Apart from the agreement, and some of the original voice artists reprising their roles, Warner Bros. and the various other companies were not involved in the production of ''Roger Rabbit''. Executives at Warner Bros. were displeased by animators using the Daffy design by [[Bob Clampett]] and demanded they use the design by [[Chuck Jones]]; in response Zemeckis had separate artists animate Daffy using Jones' design to satisfy Warner Bros., in order to have Clampett's design in the final film. The producers were unable to acquire the rights to use [[Popeye]], [[Tom and Jerry]], [[Little Lulu]], [[Casper the Friendly Ghost|Casper]], or the [[Terrytoons]] characters for appearances from their respective owners (King Features, Turner, [[Western Publishing]], Harvey Comics, and [[Viacom (1952–2006)|Viacom]]).<ref name="Norman" /><ref name="comment" /> [[Terry Gilliam]] was offered the chance to direct, but he found the project too technically challenging. ("Pure laziness on my part," he later admitted, "I completely regret that decision.")<ref>{{cite news | author = Ian Nathan | title = Dreams: Terry Gilliam's Unresolved Projects | work = [[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |date = May 1996| pages = 37–40}}</ref> Robert Zemeckis was hired to direct in 1985, based on the success of ''[[Romancing the Stone]]'' and ''[[Back to the Future]]''. Disney executives were continuing to suggest [[Darrell Van Citters]] direct the animation, but Spielberg and Zemeckis decided against it.<ref name="Williams" /> [[Richard Williams (animator)|Richard Williams]] was eventually hired to direct the animation. Zemeckis wanted the film to exhibit "Disney's high quality of animation, Warner Bros.' characterization, and [[Tex Avery]] humor."<ref name="WakingSB">[[Don Hahn]], [[Peter Schneider (film executive)|Peter Schneider]], ''Waking Sleeping Beauty'' DVD commentary, 2010, [[Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment]]</ref> ===Casting=== [[Harrison Ford]] was Spielberg's original choice to play Eddie Valiant, but his price was too high.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uproxx.com/movies/harrison-ford-lost-roles/|title='Who Framed Roger Rabbit?' And Six Other Big Roles Harrison Ford Missed Out On|date=July 13, 2015|access-date=May 26, 2017|archive-date=September 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913231452/http://uproxx.com/movies/harrison-ford-lost-roles/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Chevy Chase]] was the second choice, but he was not interested.<ref name="mentalfloss.com"/> [[Bill Murray]] was also considered for the role, but due to his idiosyncratic method of receiving offers for roles, Murray missed out on it.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-farr/bill-murray-and-the-roles_b_5850434.html|title=Bill Murray and the Roles That Got Away|first=John|last=Farr|date=September 19, 2014|access-date=May 26, 2017|work=[[HuffPost]]|archive-date=June 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150619004834/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-farr/bill-murray-and-the-roles_b_5850434.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Eddie Murphy]] reportedly turned down the role as he misunderstood the concept of toons and humans co-existing; he later regretted this decision.<ref name="Evans">{{cite web|last=Evans|first=Bradford|title=The Lost Roles of Eddie Murphy|date=April 7, 2011|publisher=[[Splitsider]]|url=https://www.vulture.com/2011/04/the-lost-roles-of-eddie-murphy/|access-date=July 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150723072044/http://splitsider.com/2011/04/the-lost-roles-of-eddie-murphy/|archive-date=July 23, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Fallon |first1=Jimmy |title=Eddie Murphy Confirms Rumors and Stories About Prince, Ghostbusters and More |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CABVnXoe9gw |website=YouTube |date=December 20, 2019 |access-date=December 23, 2019 |archive-date=December 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191223032637/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CABVnXoe9gw |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Robin Williams]], [[Robert Redford]], [[Jack Nicholson]], [[Sylvester Stallone]], [[Edward James Olmos]], [[Wallace Shawn]], [[Ed Harris]], [[Charles Grodin]] and [[Don Lane]] were also considered for the role.<ref name="mentalfloss.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/62910/15-things-you-might-not-know-about-who-framed-roger-rabbit|title=15 Things You Might Not Know About ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' |work=[[Mental Floss]] |date=April 10, 2015|access-date=May 26, 2017|archive-date=June 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170604194418/http://mentalfloss.com/article/62910/15-things-you-might-not-know-about-who-framed-roger-rabbit|url-status=live}}</ref> Ultimately, [[Bob Hoskins]] was chosen by Spielberg because of his acting skill and because Spielberg believed he had a hopeful demeanor and he looked like he belonged in that era.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=2018-06-13|title=Who Framed Roger Rabbit: A Look at How the Cartoons Came to Life|url=https://www.closerweekly.com/posts/who-framed-roger-rabbit-161764/|access-date=2022-02-15|website=Closer Weekly|language=en-US}}</ref> [[Paul Reubens]] originally auditioned for the role of [[Roger Rabbit]] and even provided his voice in an early 1983 screen test, but lost out.<ref name="Buzzfeed">{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/briangalindo/20-things-you-didnt-know-about-who-framed-roger-rabbit|title=20 Things You Didn't Know About "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"|first=Brian |last=Galindo|website=[[BuzzFeed]]|date=12 March 2013 |access-date=May 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315195121/https://www.buzzfeed.com/briangalindo/20-things-you-didnt-know-about-who-framed-roger-rabbit?utm_term=.yaJaEAEdb#.uxPB2Q2bD|archive-date=15 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Reyes|first1=Mike|title=Listen To Pee-Wee Herman As The Voice Of Roger Rabbit|url=http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Listen-Pee-Wee-Herman-Voice-Roger-Rabbit-67174.html|website=CinemaBlend|access-date=5 May 2017|date=2014-09-11}}</ref> [[Eddie Deezen]], who had worked with Zemeckis previously, also auditioned to play Roger, but did not get the part.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 6, 2011 |title=PMC 35: Eddie Deezen |url=http://www.popmyculturepodcast.com/?p=1666 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110420042425/http://www.popmyculturepodcast.com/?p=1666 |archive-date=April 20, 2011 |access-date=May 15, 2011 |publisher=Pop My Culture podcast}}</ref> The role was eventually given to [[Charles Fleischer]].<ref name="Buzzfeed" /> Before filming, Fleischer was asked to come up with a speech impediment for Roger. He gave Roger a lisp and the stammering catchphrase "P-p-p-please!" as a tribute to all the other famous cartoon characters with speech impediments, which was inspired by [[Huntz Hall]]'s Sach Jones in ''[[The Bowery Boys]]''.<ref name="Voice Inspiration 1">{{cite web|title=Interview with Charles Fleischer, the voice of Roger Rabbit|url=https://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/big-screen/2013/mar/20/interview-with-charles-fleischer-the-voice-of-roge/|publisher=San Diego Reader|access-date=September 4, 2024}}</ref><ref name="Voice Inspiration 2">{{cite web|title=Who Framed Roger Rabbit Turns 35: Voice of Roger Reflects on Filming Classic Cartoon Crossover|date=June 22, 2023 |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/who-framed-roger-rabbit-charles-fleischer-35th-anniversary-interview|publisher=SYFY WIRE|access-date=September 4, 2024}}</ref> He had invented the "cheek flutter" while performing the voice of B.B. in ''[[Deadly Friend]]''.<ref name="Voice Inspiration 3">{{cite web|title=Charles Fleischer, the voice behind Roger Rabbit, explores the meaning of life|date=March 25, 2013 |url=https://www.sfexaminer.com/culture/charles-fleischer-the-voice-behind-roger-rabbit-explores-the-meaning-of-life/article_a17a7465-727c-5c11-ad2d-34baeabf7fb2.html|access-date=January 19, 2024}}</ref> His portrayal of Roger was also inspired by [[Screwy Squirrel]].<ref name="Voice Inspiration 4">{{cite book |last1=Scott |first1=Keith |title=Cartoon Voices of the Golden Age, Vol. 1 |date=3 October 2022 |publisher=BearManor Media |language=en}}</ref> To facilitate Hoskins' performance, Fleischer dressed in a Roger Rabbit costume and "stood in" behind camera for most scenes.<ref name="ears" /> Williams explained Roger was a combination of "[[Tex Avery]]'s cashew nut-shaped head, the swatch of red hair... like [[Droopy]]'s, [[Goofy]]'s overalls, [[Porky Pig]]'s bow tie, [[Mickey Mouse]]'s gloves, and [[Bugs Bunny]]-like cheeks and ears."<ref name="Norman" /> [[Kathleen Turner]] provided the uncredited voice of [[Jessica Rabbit]], Roger Rabbit's wife.<ref name="kt">{{cite web | url=https://www.avclub.com/kathleen-turner-talks-the-perfect-family-body-heat-an-1798231149 | title=Kathleen Turner talks ''The Perfect Family'', ''Body Heat'', and her return to cinema | publisher=[[The Onion]] | work=[[The A.V. Club]] | date=May 4, 2012 | access-date=November 24, 2012 | author=Rabin, Nathan | archive-date=October 31, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121031053932/http://www.avclub.com/articles/kathleen-turner-talks-the-perfect-family-body-heat%2C73499/ | url-status=live }}</ref> [[Tim Curry]] auditioned for the role of Judge Doom, but was rejected because the producers found him too terrifying.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/briangalindo/20-things-you-didnt-know-about-who-framed-roger-rabbit|title=20 Things You Didn't Know About "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"|first=Brian Galindo BuzzFeed|last=Staff|website=BuzzFeed|date=March 12, 2013 |access-date=May 26, 2017|archive-date=March 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315195121/https://www.buzzfeed.com/briangalindo/20-things-you-didnt-know-about-who-framed-roger-rabbit?utm_term=.yaJaEAEdb|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Christopher Lee]] was also considered for the role, but turned it down.<ref name="mentalfloss.com"/> [[John Cleese]] also expressed interest for the role, but was deemed not scary enough.<ref name="mentalfloss.com"/> [[Peter O'Toole]], [[F. Murray Abraham]], [[Roddy McDowall]], [[Eddie Deezen]], and [[Sting (musician)|Sting]] were also considered for the role.<ref name="mentalfloss.com"/> [[Christopher Lloyd]] was cast because he previously worked with Zemeckis and Spielberg on ''Back to the Future''. He compared his part as Doom to his previous role as the Klingon commander Kruge in ''[[Star Trek III: The Search for Spock]]'', both overly evil characters which he considered "fun to play".<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.avclub.com/christopher-lloyd-on-playing-a-vampire-a-taxi-driver-1798234109 | title = Christopher Lloyd on playing a vampire, a taxi driver, a toon, and more | newspaper = [[The A.V. Club]] | date = October 12, 2012 | access-date = October 17, 2012 | first = Will | last = Harris | archive-date = October 14, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121014185750/http://www.avclub.com/articles/random-roles-christopher-lloyd%2C86582/ | url-status = live }}</ref> He avoided blinking his eyes while on camera to portray the character.<ref name="comment" /> Fleischer also voiced Benny the Cab, Psycho, and Greasy. Lou Hirsch, who voiced Baby Herman, was the original choice for Benny the Cab but was replaced by Fleischer.<ref name="ears">Robert Zemeckis, Richard Williams, [[Bob Hoskins]], [[Charles Fleischer]], [[Frank Marshall (film producer)|Frank Marshall]], [[Alan Silvestri]], Ken Ralston, ''Behind the Ears: The True Story of Roger Rabbit'', 2003, [[Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment]]</ref> ===Writing=== [[File:PELogoBW.svg|thumb|alt=Pacific Electric Logo|The plot incorporated the actual closing of [[Pacific Electric]].]] Price and Seaman were brought aboard to continue writing the script once Spielberg and Zemeckis were hired. For inspiration, the two writers studied the work of [[Walt Disney]] and [[Warner Bros. Cartoons]] from the Golden Age of American animation, especially Tex Avery and [[Bob Clampett]] cartoons. The Cloverleaf streetcar subplot was inspired by ''[[Chinatown (1974 film)|Chinatown]]''.<ref name="Norman" /> Price and Seaman said that "the [[Red Car]] plot, [[suburb]] expansion, [[urban culture|urban]] and [[political corruption]] really did happen," Price stated. "In Los Angeles, during the 1940s, car and tire companies [[Great American streetcar scandal|teamed up]] against the [[Pacific Electric Railway]] system and bought them out of business. Where the [[freeway]] runs in Los Angeles is where the Red Car used to be."<ref name="comment"/> In Wolf's novel ''Who Censored Roger Rabbit?'', the toons were [[comic-strip]] characters rather than movie stars.<ref name="Norman"/> During the writing process, Price and Seaman were unsure of whom to include as the villain in the plot. They wrote scripts that had either Jessica Rabbit or Baby Herman as the villain, but they made their final decision with the newly created character Judge Doom. Doom was supposed to have an animated vulture sit on his shoulder, but this was deleted due to the technical challenges this posed.<ref name="comment"/> Doom would also have a suitcase of 12 small, animated kangaroos that act as a jury (a play on "[[kangaroo court]]"), by having their [[Joey (marsupial)#Early development|joeys]] pop out of their pouches, each with letters, when put together would spell YOU ARE GUILTY. This was also cut for budget and technical reasons.<ref name="script">Who Shot Roger Rabbit, 1986 script by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman</ref> The Toon Patrol (Stupid, Smart Ass, Greasy, Wheezy, and Psycho) satirizes the Seven Dwarfs (Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, and Dopey), who appeared in ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]'' (1937). Originally seven weasels were to mimic the dwarfs complement, but eventually two of them, Slimey and Sleazy, were written out of the script.<ref name="comment"/> Further references included The Ink and Paint Club resembling the [[Cotton Club (New York City)|Harlem Cotton Club]], while Zemeckis compared Judge Doom's invention of the Dip to eliminate all the toons to [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]]'s [[Final Solution]].<ref name="Norman" /> Doom was originally the hunter who killed [[Bambi]]'s mother.<ref name="script"/> Benny the Cab was first conceived to be a [[Volkswagen Beetle]] before being changed to a taxi cab. Ideas originally conceived for the story also included a sequence set at Marvin Acme's funeral, whose attendees included Eddie, [[Foghorn Leghorn]], [[Mickey Mouse]], [[Minnie Mouse]], [[Tom Cat|Tom]] and [[Jerry Mouse|Jerry]], [[Heckle and Jeckle]], [[Chip n' Dale]], [[Felix the Cat]], [[Herman and Katnip]], [[Yakky Doodle]], [[Mighty Mouse]], [[Superman (1940s animated film series)|Superman]], [[Popeye]], [[Olive Oyl]], [[Bluto]], [[Clarabelle Cow]], [[Horace Horsecollar]], the Seven Dwarfs, [[Baby Huey]], and [[Casper the Friendly Ghost]] in [[cameo appearance]]s. This scene was cut for pacing reasons at the storyboard stage.<ref name="script"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/roger-rabbit.html|title = Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman}}</ref> Before finally agreeing on ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' as the film's title, [[working title]]s included ''Murder in Toontown'', ''Toons'', ''Dead Toons Don't Pay Bills'', ''The Toontown Trial'', ''Trouble in Toontown'', and ''Eddie Goes to Toontown''.<ref>DVD production notes</ref> ===Filming=== [[File:Judgedoom.PNG|thumb|Judge Doom (played by [[Christopher Lloyd]]) threatens Roger Rabbit before introducing him to the dip. [[Mime artist]]s, [[puppeteer]]s, [[mannequin]]s, and [[robotic arm]]s were commonly used during filming to help the actors interact with "open air and imaginative cartoon characters".<ref name="ears" />]] Williams admitted he was "openly disdainful of the Disney [[bureaucracy]]"<ref name="Katz" /> and refused to work in Los Angeles. Accommodating Williams and his animators, production moved to England where a studio, Walt Disney Animation UK (subsuming Richard Williams Animation), was created for this purpose;<ref name="Disney News Fall 1987">{{cite magazine |last=Solomon |first=Charles |title=Future Disney Classics: New Animated Features on the Way |url=https://archive.org/details/DisneyNewsMagazine_Vol22.4_1987.Fall/page/33 |magazine=[[Disney News]] |date=Fall 1987 |access-date=September 2, 2019}}</ref><ref name="LA Times 880622">{{cite magazine |last=Solomon |first=Charles |title=The Animated Arena of 'Roger Rabbit': Integration of Cartoons With Live Action Will Set Standard. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-06-22-ca-4589-story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200215003800/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-06-22-ca-4589-story.html |url-status=live |archive-date=February 15, 2020 |magazine=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=June 22, 1988 |access-date=September 2, 2019 }}</ref> located at The Forum, 74–80 Camden Street, in [[Camden Town, London]], while the live-action production was based at [[Elstree Studios (Shenley Road)|Elstree Studios]]. Disney and Spielberg also told Williams that in return for doing the film, they would help distribute his unfinished film ''[[The Thief and the Cobbler]]''.<ref name="Katz" /> Supervising animators included Van Citters, [[Dale Baer]], [[Michael Peraza]], [[Joe Ranft]], [[Tom Sito]], [[James Baxter (animator)|James Baxter]], [[David Bowers (director)|David Bowers]], [[Andreas Deja]], [[Mike Gabriel]], [[Chris Jenkins (film producer)|Chris Jenkins]], [[Phil Nibbelink]], [[Nik Ranieri]], [[Simon Wells]], and [[Bruce W. Smith]]; Williams and associate producer [[Don Hahn]] spearheaded the animation production. The animation production was split between Walt Disney Animation UK and a specialized unit in Los Angeles, set up by [[Walt Disney Animation Studios|Walt Disney Feature Animation]] and supervised by Baer.<ref>Wolf, Scott (2008). "[https://archive.today/20120908053504/http://www.mouseclubhouse.com/Interviews/don-hahn/don-hahn-beauty-roger-rabbit.htm DON HAHN talks about 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit?']". ''Mouseclubhouse.com''. Retrieved December 31, 2009.</ref> The production budget continued to escalate, while the shooting schedule ran longer than expected. When the budget reached $40 million, Disney CEO [[Michael Eisner]] seriously considered shutting down production, but studio chairman [[Jeffrey Katzenberg]] talked him out of it.<ref name="Katz">Stewart, p.87</ref> Despite the budget escalating to over $50 million, Disney moved forward on production because they were enthusiastic to work with Spielberg.<ref name="Williams" /> [[VistaVision]] cameras installed with [[motion-control]] technology were used for the photography of the live-action scenes, which would be composited with animation. Rubber mannequins of Roger Rabbit, Baby Herman, and the Toon Patrol portrayed the animated characters during rehearsals to teach the actors where to look when acting with "open air and imaginative cartoon characters".<ref name="ears" /> Many of the live-action props held by cartoon characters were shot on set with the props either held by robotic arms or manipulated with strings, similar to a [[marionette]].<ref name="comment" /> For example, a test was shot at ILM where an actor playing the detective would climb down a fire escape and the rabbit is supposed to follow and he knocks down some stacked boxes. Naturally, there would not be a rabbit during the test, so the camera would go down the fire escape and the boxes would fall when a wire was pulled.<ref name=":1" /> The actor who played the voice of Roger, Charles Fleischer, insisted on wearing a Roger Rabbit costume while on the set, to get into character.<ref name="ears" /> [[Principal photography]] began on December 12, 1986,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/95710/who-framed-roger-rabbit/#notes |title=Who Framed Roger Rabbit – Miscellaneous Notes |website=Turner Classic Movies |access-date=May 30, 2025}}</ref> and lasted for seven and a half months at Elstree Studios, with an additional month in Los Angeles and at [[Industrial Light & Magic]] (ILM) for [[Chroma key|blue screen]] effects of Toontown.{{citation needed|date=August 2023}} The [[Dimco Buildings]] in London were dressed as the fictional [[Acme Corporation|Acme Factory]].<ref name="dimco3">{{cite web |author=The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations |title=Who Framed Roger Rabbit filming locations |url=https://www.movie-locations.com/movies/w/whoframed.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060326214824/http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/w/whoframed.html |archive-date=26 March 2006 |access-date=2007-10-02}}</ref> The entrance of [[Red Studios Hollywood|Desilu Studios]] in Los Angeles served as the fictional Maroon Cartoon Studio lot.<ref>[[Robert Zemeckis]], [[Frank Marshall (film producer)|Frank Marshall]], [[Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman|Jeffrey Price]], [[Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman|Peter Seaman]], [[Steve Starkey]], and [[Ken Ralston]]. ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit - Blu-ray audio commentary'', 2013, [[Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment]]</ref> ===Animation and post-production=== [[Post-production]] lasted for 14 months.<ref name="comment" /> ILM had already used [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]] and [[digital compositing]] in a few movies, such as the stained glass knight scene in ''[[Young Sherlock Holmes]]'', but the computers were still not powerful enough to make a complicated movie like ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'', so all the animation was done using [[cel]]s and [[Optical printer|optical compositing]].<ref>[https://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/who-framed-roger-rabbit-hits-30-a-look-back-at-ilms-astonishing-old-school-optical-vfx-158471.html ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ Hits 30: A Look Back At ILM’s Astonishing Old-School Optical VFX]</ref><ref name="ears" /> First, the animators and layout artists were given black-and-white printouts of the live-action scenes (known as "photostats"), and they placed their animation paper on top of them. The artists then drew the animated characters in relationship to the live-action footage. Due to Zemeckis' dynamic camera moves, the animators had to confront the challenge of ensuring the characters were not "slipping and slipping all over the place."<ref name="comment" /><ref name="ears" /> Ensuring this did not happen and that the characters looked real, Zemeckis and Spielberg met for about an hour and a half and came up with an idea: "If the rabbit sits down in an old chair, dust comes up. He should always be touching something real."<ref name=":1" /> After the rough animation was complete, it was run through the normal process of traditional animation until the cels were shot on the [[rostrum camera]] with no background. Williams came up with the idea of making the cartoon characters "2.5-dimensional", and the animated footage was sent to ILM for compositing, where technicians animated three lighting layers (shadows, highlights, and tone mattes) separately, to give the characters a sense of depth and create the illusion of them affected by the set lighting.<ref>[https://www.thewrap.com/why-who-framed-roger-rabbit-broke-all-rules-30th-anniversary/ ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ Creators on How They Broke All the Rules]</ref><ref name="ears" /> Finally, the lighting effects were optically composited on to the cartoon characters, who were, in turn, composited into the live-action footage. One of the most difficult effects in the film was Jessica's dress in the nightclub scene because it had to flash [[sequin]]s, an effect accomplished by filtering light through a [[plastic bag]] scratched with [[steel wool]].<ref name="Norman" /> ===Music=== {{See also|Who Framed Roger Rabbit (soundtrack)}} Regular Zemeckis collaborator [[Alan Silvestri]] composed the [[film score]], performed by the [[London Symphony Orchestra]] (LSO) under the direction of Silvestri. Zemeckis joked that "the British [musicians] could not keep up with Silvestri's [[jazz]] tempo". The performances of the [[theme (music)|music themes]] written for Jessica Rabbit were entirely [[Improvisation|improvised]] by a jazz combo performing with the LSO. The work of American composer [[Carl Stalling]] heavily influenced Silvestri's work on ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit''.<ref name="comment" /><ref name="ears" /> The film's soundtrack was originally released by [[Buena Vista Records]] on June 22, 1988, and reissued on CD on April 16, 2002.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.filmtracks.com/titles/roger_rabbit.html |title=Who Framed Roger Rabbit (Alan Silvestri) |publisher=Filmtracks |date=April 16, 2002 |access-date=November 12, 2011 |archive-date=November 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111116001431/http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/roger_rabbit.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On January 23, 2018, [[Intrada Records]] released a three-CD set with the complete score, alternates, and a remastered version of the original 1988 album, plus music from three [[Roger Rabbit short films]], composed and conducted by [[Bruce Broughton]] and [[James Horner]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.11361/.f?sc=13&category=-113|title=Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (3CD)|publisher=Intrada's official press-release|date=January 23, 2018|access-date=January 25, 2018|archive-date=January 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126012704/http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.11361/.f?sc=13&category=-113|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Darren Tate|Mondo Records]] and [[Walt Disney Records]] reissued the original 1988 album on vinyl on September 17, 2021. The film features performances of "[[Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2|Hungarian Rhapsody]]" ([[Tony Anselmo]] and [[Mel Blanc]]), "[[Why Don't You Do Right?#Amy Irving version|Why Don't You Do Right?]]" ([[Amy Irving]]), "[[The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down]]" ([[Charles Fleischer]]), and "[[Smile, Darn Ya, Smile!]]" (Toon Chorus).
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