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Hey Zootopia fans! I've got great news (which originally was announced over on Zootopia Source (/zootopia/en/comments/POSSIBLE_Zootopia_directors_interview/3863.html)...


About a month ago, I contacted the Publicity Department of the Walt Disney Animation Studios (and the corporation), after having posted an initial question to Byron Howard himself on Twitter about the possibility of interviewing him (as well as Richard Moore and Jared Bush, the other two directors of the movie). Byron, like both Richard Moore and Jared Bush, are amazingly communicative with fans, and very willing to talk with them about all things Zootopia...at least on Twitter. And that has borne out in many situations, even in the naming of characters! I ORIGINALLY wanted this to be a recorded Skype voice interview, but it would appear Disney prefers text responses (which is why Byron's response, below, indicated a need to go through Disney...otherwise, I could have posted all the questions to his Twitter page...which would probably have been annoying to receive so many separate tweets, depending upon the number of questions you each posed)...


This, of course, is Byron Howard's actual Twitter account (as verified by that blue symbol on his response to me below):





After receiving a contact name and e-mail address from Byron (whom, it turns out, is the head of the Publicity Department), I contacted that person and a negotiation began for the opportunity. She laid out some pretty strict terms (including wanting to screen every question first before passing them on to Byron), and then sending them back to me from him (though I will verify his responses, or convince her to allow me to communicate with him directly via e-mail, which I am still working on. I do have the ability to message him privately now on Twitter, thanks to his sending me a private message response about this process).

So I am going to lay out the structure of this just as Karlamon did with the interview he set up with Simon Wells, the director of the Balto movie. And I have asked steet about setting up an "Ask Byron Howard"!" page on Zootopia Source, just as he did for the Simon Wells interview on Balto Source, so that you can post your questions. Then, as Karlamon did when he received Wells' answers, I will post Byron's answers to each question there. This should streamline things nicely.


So, here's where this is important: today is Friday, the 24th of June. Everyone will have until midnight (12 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time...which is GMT minus five hours) Friday, July 1ST to get your questions posted...those who haven't already either on the fan news linked above or by PMing me (as originally instructed in that fan news). But please...don't post the questions here. Wait, if you would, until steet makes the "Ask Byron Howard!" section on Zootopia Source, and then post them there. And, if you've posted your questions on the fan news above, or to me by PM, I'll humbly ask that you repost them over on that page when steet creates it (I believe I mentioned that as a possibility anyway). Thanks! And good luck!


Remember, NO ridiculous or disrespectful questions, please! Review the fan news if you need any specifics. Thank you!

Well this is definately great! But I just gotta clarify something, just to avoid any confusion xD So, even though I've already sent you my question through PM, I'm still gonna need to post it to that thread once it's been created?

Yep. If you recall, I noted in the fan news that I'd let everyone know when something like that page was created (along the same lines of what steet and Karlamon created on Balto Source, where the same situation occurred).

Sorry to have to make anyone do that, but it will streamline things a lot. Thanks for being understanding!

Lol all right! I just wanted to check I understood correctly. lol

Question page set up for you now. Edit as you need

I will post my question ASAP!

Done. I hope you don't mind that I changed my original question to something else. :tongue:

I submitted my question!

Sorry to bother you with this Balto, but how many questions can we post?

I've been kinda of busy with a personal project and I hadn't time to think about them, so I'll try to post a couple during the night once I get free from the project.

If you look at the "Ask Byron Howard" feature, on the main Zootopia Source page, you'll see a list of guidelines and rules (a pretty small one). However, we opened it up a bit...you can ask a second question if you want. But I'd hold off on a third for now, because we're expecting a bunch to come in from the French Zootopia Source, to add to the slowly-growing list.

Since I am not a moderator, I will need assistance with closing out each question asked, on the "Ask Byron Howard" feature on the main Zootopia Source site, after I have received the answers from Disney and/or Byron Howard. I would prefer to do this directly with steet. However, given his schedule, I know that may be difficult.

Either way, I will need someone to coordinate that with. I have PMed steet, and hope to have an answer from him very soon.

I'd just submited a question. Is that too late?

As I and Mighty both noted on the question you submitted, the deadline (which was posted on that page for several days, and was noted in two fan news) was passed. The questions were already submitted to Disney. However, blazetail has asked almost essentially the same question already, so the answer she gets should answer your question as well.

Well D'oh for me! I've submitted it too late. Sucks to be me.

Like BaltoSeppala said, Blazetail's question should answer your question. There's no need to beat yourself up.

Any news related to the questions?