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==Production== ===Development=== In 1989, [[Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida]] had opened with 40 to 50 employees,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Pack|first=Todd|date=January 13, 2004|title=Disney Animation Unit Fades Away in Orlando|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2004-01-13-0401130269-story.html|work=[[Orlando Sentinel]]|access-date=May 25, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213202231/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2004-01-13/news/0401130269_1_feature-animation-walt-disney-feature-magic-of-disney|archive-date=December 13, 2014}}</ref> with its original purpose to produce cartoon shorts and [[featurette]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hinman|first=Catherine|date=November 19, 1990|title=Disney Dips into Local Inkwell Florida Animation Team Lends Hand To 'Rescuers' 'rescuers'|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1990-11-19-9011180479-story.html|work=Orlando Sentinel|access-date=May 25, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119155236/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1990-11-19/lifestyle/9011180479_1_rescuers-bernard-and-miss-miss-bianca|archive-date=November 19, 2015}}</ref> However, by late 1993, following several animation duties on ''[[Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)|Beauty and the Beast]]'', ''[[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|Aladdin]]'', and ''[[The Lion King]]'', Disney executives were convinced to allow the Feature Animation Florida studios to produce their first independent film.<ref>{{Cite web|last=King|first=Jonathon|date=December 26, 1993|title=New Home, Same Magic|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1993-12-26-9312060472-story.html|work=[[Sun-Sentinel]]|access-date=March 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330144511/https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1993-12-26-9312060472-story.html|archive-date=March 30, 2019}}</ref> Around that same time, Disney Feature Animation developed an interest in Asian-themed legends, beginning with the optioning of several books by children's book author [[Robert D. San Souci]], who had a consulting relationship with Disney executive Jay Dyer.{{sfn|Kurtti|1998|p=27}} Also around that time, a short [[straight-to-video]] film titled ''China Doll'' about an oppressed and miserable Chinese girl who is whisked away by a British [[Prince Charming]] to happiness in the West was in development. [[Thomas Schumacher]] asked San Souci if he had any additional stories, in response to which San Souci turned in a manuscript of a book based on the Chinese poem "[[Hua Mulan|The Song of Fa Mu Lan]]". Ultimately, Disney decided to combine the two separate projects.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Brown|first1=Corie|last2=Shapiro|first2=Laura|title=Women Warrior|magazine=[[Newsweek]]|format=|via=|access-date=|date=June 8, 1998|url=https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-20790971|archive-date=July 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713231139/https://www.gale.com/databases/questia|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Whipp|first=Glenn|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403112511/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/%60MULAN%27+BREAKS+THE+MOLD+WITH+GIRL+POWER%3B+NEWEST+HEROINE+ISN%27T+TYPICAL...-a083827546|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/%60MULAN'+BREAKS+THE+MOLD+WITH+GIRL+POWER%3b+NEWEST+HEROINE+ISN'T+TYPICAL...-a083827546|title='Mulan' Breaks the Mold with Girl Power; Newest Heroine Isn't Typical Disney Damsel Waiting for Her Prince to come.|url-status=dead|work=[[Los Angeles Daily News]]|publisher=[[TheFreeDictionary.com#TheFreeLibrary.com|TheFreeLibrary.com]]|archive-date=April 3, 2015|date=June 19, 1998|access-date=June 3, 2015}}</ref> Following the opening of the Feature Animation Florida studios, [[Barry Cook]], who had served as a special-effects animator since 1982,<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1992-07-15-9207140581-story.html | last=Hinman | first=Catherine | title=How The Disney Film Short 'Off His Rockers' Made It to the Big Screen: A Little Project That 'blew Up.' | newspaper=Orlando Sentinel | date=July 15, 1992 | access-date=May 25, 2022 | archive-date=May 12, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150512203039/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1992-07-15/lifestyle/9207140581_1_rockers-world-of-disney-florida-studio | url-status=live }}</ref> had directed the [[Roger Rabbit]] cartoon ''[[Roger Rabbit short films#Trail Mix-Up|Trail Mix-Up]]'' produced at the satellite studio. At a lunch invitation with Thomas Schumacher, Cook was offered two projects in development: a Scottish folk tale with a dragon or ''Mulan''. Knowledgeable about the existence of dragons in Chinese mythology, Cook suggested adding a dragon to ''Mulan'', in which a week later, Schumacher urged Cook to drop the Scottish project and accept ''Mulan'' as his next project.{{sfn|Kurtti|1998|p=30}} Following this, Cook was immediately assigned as the initial director of the project,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Abbott|first=Jim|date=June 21, 1998|title=Florida Animation Studio Comes of Age with Mulan|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1998-06-21-9806190194-story.html|work=Sun-Sentinel|access-date=March 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119022905/https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1998-06-21-9806190194-story.html|archive-date=November 19, 2018}}</ref> and cited influences from [[Charlie Chaplin]] and [[David Lean]] during production.<ref name="classic" /> While working as an animator on the gargoyles for ''[[The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 film)|The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'', [[Tony Bancroft]] was offered to co-direct the film following a recommendation from [[Rob Minkoff]], co-director of ''The Lion King'', to Schumacher, in which he accepted.<ref name="bancroft">{{cite interview | url=http://animatedviews.com/2008/tony-bancroft-balances-the-yin-and-the-yang-in-directing-mulan/ | title=Tony Bancroft balances the yin and the yang in directing Mulan | subject=[[Tony Bancroft]] | interviewer=Jérémie Noyer | date=August 14, 2008 | access-date=June 3, 2015 | archive-date=February 27, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227144729/http://animatedviews.com/2008/tony-bancroft-balances-the-yin-and-the-yang-in-directing-mulan/ | url-status=live }}</ref> He joined the creative team by early 1995.{{sfn|Kurtti|1998|p=38}} [[File:Temple of Heaven, Beijing (March 8 2005).jpg|thumb|The crew toured various parts of China for inspiration.]] In 1994, the production team sent a select group of artistic supervisors to China for three weeks to take photographs and drawings of local landmarks for inspiration; and to soak up local culture.<ref>{{cite video|title="Discovering Mulan" |location=''Mulan'' DVD|type=Documentary film|publisher = [[Walt Disney Home Entertainment]] | date = 2004 }}</ref> Key members of the creative team at the time—[[Pam Coats]], Barry Cook, Ric Sluiter, [[Robert Walker (animator)|Robert Walker]], and [[Mark Henn]]—were invited to travel to China as a research trip to study the landscape, people, and history of the original legend. From June 17 to July 2, 1994, the research trip flew to [[Beijing, China]], which is where Coats became inspired by the placement of flags on the [[Great Wall of China|Great Wall]]. They also toured [[Datong]], [[Luoyang]], [[Xi'an]], [[Jiayuguan City|Jiayuguan]], [[Dunhuang]], and [[Guilin]].{{sfn|Kurtti|1998|pp=46–67}} ===Writing=== In its earliest stages, the story was originally conceived as a ''[[Tootsie]]''–inspired romantic comedy film where Mulan, who was a misfit tomboy who loves her father, is betrothed to Shang, whom she has not met. On her betrothal day, her father Fa Zhou carves her destiny on a stone tablet in the family temple, which she shatters in anger, running away to forge her own destiny.{{sfn|Kurtti|1998|pp=108–11}} In November 1993, [[Chris Sanders]], who had just finished storyboard work on ''[[The Lion King]]'', was hoping to work on ''The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' until Schumacher appointed him to work on ''Mulan'' instead.{{sfn|Kurtti|1998|p=34}} Acting as Head of Story, Sanders grew frustrated with the romantic comedy aspect of the story, and urged producer Pam Coats to be more faithful to the original legend by having Mulan leave home because of the love for her father.{{sfn|Kurtti|1998|p=111}} This convinced the filmmakers to decide to change Mulan's character in order to make her more appealing and selfless.<ref>{{cite video|title="Finding Mulan" |location=''Mulan'' DVD|type=Documentary film|publisher = [[Walt Disney Home Entertainment]] | date = 2004 }}</ref> Sequence Six—in which Mulan takes her father's conscription order, cuts her long hair, and dons her father's armor—served as a pivotal moment in the evolution of Mulan's character. Director Barry Cook explained that the sequence initially started as a song storyboarded by Barry Johnson and redrawn by character designer Chen-Yi Chang. Following the story changes to have Mulan leave to save her father, the song was dropped. Storyboard artist and co-head of story [[Dean DeBlois]] was tasked to revise the sequence, and decided to board the sequence with "minimal dialogue".{{sfn|Kurtti|1998|pp=173–75}} Assisted with an existing musical selection from another film score courtesy of Sanders, the sequence reel was screened for [[Peter Schneider (film executive)|Peter Schneider]] and Thomas Schumacher, both of whom were impressed. DeBlois stated, "Sequence Six was the first sequence that got put into production, and it helped to establish our 'silent' approach."{{sfn|Kurtti|1998|p=176}} Additionally, General Li was not originally going to be related to Shang at all, but by changing the story, the filmmakers were able to mirror the stories of both Shang's and Mulan's love for their fathers.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/top/2530/4/Mulan-1998-50-things-you-might-not-know-about-your-favorite-Disney-films-1998-2013-edition.html|title=50 things you might not know about your favorite Disney films, 1998–2013 edition|last=Hicken|first=Jackie|newspaper=[[Deseret News]]|date=June 24, 2014|access-date=June 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180825074011/https://www.deseretnews.com/top/2530/4/Mulan-1998-50-things-you-might-not-know-about-your-favorite-Disney-films-1998-2013-edition.html|archive-date=August 25, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> As a [[Christians|Christian]], Bancroft declined to explore [[Buddhism]] within the film.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url = http://www.christianpost.com/news/tony-bancroft-on-mulan-i-want-to-bring-christian-based-values-to-all-my-work-90987/|title = Tony Bancroft on 'Mulan': 'I Want to Bring Christian-Based Values to All My Work'|website = The Christian Post|date = March 12, 2013|last = Martin|first = Sami K.|access-date = February 23, 2014|archive-date = February 27, 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140227034213/http://www.christianpost.com/news/tony-bancroft-on-mulan-i-want-to-bring-christian-based-values-to-all-my-work-90987/|url-status = live}}</ref>{{better source needed|reason=The source seems to be confused between Buddhism (which either hadn't entered China or was a recent import during the Han dynasty when we claim the film is set) and ancestor-worship. The distinction is important here as the film does touch on ancestor-worship but doesn't "explore" it in detail, which appears to be what the source is talking about. It would be better to have a source that either explicitly says ancestor-worship or says Buddhism and explains what it means doesn't seem to be talking about ancestor-worship as the present source does.|date=January 2021}} Because there was no dragon in the original legend, Mulan did not have animal companions; it was [[Roy E. Disney]] who suggested the character of Mushu.<ref name="classic">{{cite news |last=Vincent |title=With "Mulan," Disney bids for another classic|newspaper=[[The Virginian-Pilot]] |access-date=June 3, 2015 |date=June 20, 1998 |first=Mal |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-68447736.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924162500/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-68447736.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 24, 2015}}</ref> Veteran story artist [[Joe Grant]] created the cricket character, Cri-Kee, though animator Barry Temple admitted "the directors didn't want him in the movie, the story department didn't want him in the movie. The only people who truly wanted him in the movie were [[Michael Eisner]] and Joe Grant – and myself, because I was assigned the character. I would sit in meetings and they'd say, 'Well, where's the cricket during all this?' Somebody else would say, 'Oh, to hell with the cricket.' They felt Cri-Kee was a character who wasn't necessary to tell the story, which is true."{{sfn|Kurtti|1998|p=147}} Throughout development on the film, Grant would slip sketches of Cri-Kee under the directors' door.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://blogs.disney.com/oh-my-disney/2015/03/21/13-things-you-didnt-know-about-mulan/ | title=13 Things You Didn't Know About Mulan | date=March 21, 2015 | access-date=June 3, 2015 | publisher=Disney Blog | archive-date=June 5, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150605204325/http://blogs.disney.com/oh-my-disney/2015/03/21/13-things-you-didnt-know-about-mulan/ | url-status=live }}</ref> ===Casting=== Before production began, the production team sought out Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, or Korean vocal talents.<ref>{{cite news |last=Schaefer |title=Disney's newest heroine fights her own battles in 'Mulan'.|newspaper=[[The Boston Herald]]|access-date=June 30, 2015 |date=June 16, 1998 |first=Stephen |url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-56377037.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160220160823/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-56377037.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 20, 2016}}</ref> [[Tia Carrere]] was an early candidate to voice the title character.<ref>{{cite news|title='Lilo' captures Hawai'i spirit in an appealing way|last=Tsai|first=Michael|url=http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2002/Jun/21/en/en01a.html|newspaper=[[The Honolulu Advertiser]]|date=June 21, 2002|access-date=June 30, 2015|archive-date=October 14, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151014062450/http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2002/Jun/21/en/en01a.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> However, [[Lea Salonga]], who had been the singing voice of [[Princess Jasmine]] in ''[[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|Aladdin]]'', was initially cast to provide both Mulan's speaking and singing voices, but the directors did not find her attempt at a deeper speaking voice when Mulan impersonated Ping convincing, so [[Ming-Na Wen]] was brought in to speak the role. Salonga returned to provide the singing voice.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e1RTP8thtR0C&pg=PA186|title=Disney Voice Actors: A Biographical Dictionary|first=Thomas S.|last=Hischak|publisher=McFarland|year=2011|isbn=978-0-7864-6271-1|page=186|access-date=October 8, 2016|archive-date=September 24, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924120342/http://books.google.com/books?id=e1RTP8thtR0C&pg=PA186|url-status=live}}</ref> Wen herself landed the role after the filmmakers listened to her narration at the beginning of ''[[The Joy Luck Club (film)|The Joy Luck Club]]''. Coats reflected on her decision, stating, "When we heard Ming-Na doing that voice-over, we knew we had our Mulan. She has a very likable and lovely voice, and those are the qualities we were looking for."<ref name="deseret">{{cite news|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/636796/Mulan-ala-Disney.html?pg=all|title='Mulan' ala Disney|last=Vice|first=Jeff|newspaper=The Deseret News|date=June 19, 1998|access-date=June 30, 2015|archive-date=July 1, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701035404/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/636796/Mulan-ala-Disney.html?pg=all|url-status=dead}}</ref> For the role of Mushu, Disney was aiming for top Hollywood talent in the vein of [[Robin Williams]]' performance as the Genie in ''[[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|Aladdin]]''.<ref name="deseret" /> The filmmakers initially approached [[Joe Pesci]] and [[Richard Dreyfuss]] until [[Michael Eisner]] considered Eddie Murphy.<ref>{{cite interview|last=Belz|first=Aaron|url=https://www.curatormagazine.com/aaronbelz/the-maker-of-mulans-mushu-speaks/|title=The Maker of Mulan's Mushu Speaks|work=Curator Magazine|date=March 11, 2013|access-date=September 3, 2020|archive-date=December 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231200919/https://www.curatormagazine.com/aaronbelz/the-maker-of-mulans-mushu-speaks/|url-status=live}}</ref> After accepting the role, Murphy initially balked when he was asked to record at the Disney studios, but then asked to record the voice in his basement at his Bubble Hill mansion in [[Englewood, New Jersey]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pearlman |title='Mulan' earns her stripes // Disney banks on a brave new girl|newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times|access-date=June 30, 2015 |date=June 14, 1998 |first=Cindy |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4446841.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924194422/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4446841.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 24, 2015}}</ref> For the speaking voice of Captain Li Shang, [[BD Wong]] was hired,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19980617&id=ONBRAAAAIBAJ&pg=4764,5671589&hl=en|title=Busy Donny Osmond makes a captain sing|last=Vancheri|first=Barbara|newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|pages=E1, E3|date=June 17, 1998|access-date=June 30, 2015|via=[[Google News Archive]]|archive-date=July 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713231149/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19980617&id=ONBRAAAAIBAJ&pg=4764%2C5671589&hl=en|url-status=live}}</ref> although his singing voice, for the song "[[I'll Make a Man Out of You]]", was performed by [[Donny Osmond]], who had previously auditioned to be the speaking voice of the title character in ''[[Hercules (1997 film)|Hercules]]''.<ref name="Donny" /> Osmond's casting originated from a suggestion from the casting director,<ref name="Donny">{{cite news| last=Pearlman |title='Donny & Marie': Round 2|newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times|access-date=June 10, 2015 |date=June 30, 1998| first=Cindy |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4446283.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924194419/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4446283.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 24, 2015}}</ref> and throughout recording, Osmond studied Wong's dialogue tapes, and aimed to match his inflections and personality.<ref>{{cite news | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201044349/http://lubbockonline.com/stories/062698/UK4673.shtml#.VZMFJRHbKM8 | url=http://lubbockonline.com/stories/062698/UK4673.shtml#.VZMFJRHbKM8 | title=Ex-teen idol Osmond provides voice of Shang | work=[[Lubbock Avalanche-Journal]] | publisher=[[Knight Ridder]] | url-status=dead | archive-date=December 1, 2017 | date=June 26, 1998 | access-date=June 30, 2015 }}</ref> Osmond commented that his sons decided that he had finally "made it" in show business when he was in a Disney film.<ref name="CNN">{{cite news | first = Mark | last = Scheerer | title = Donny Osmond rolls with the punches for 'Mulan' success | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150924185814/https://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Music/9807/08/donny.osmond/ | url = http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Music/9807/08/donny.osmond/ | publisher = CNN | url-status=dead | archive-date = September 24, 2015 | date = July 8, 1998 | access-date = August 11, 2007}}</ref> Likewise for the role of Grandmother Fa, [[June Foray]] provided the speaking voice, and [[Marni Nixon]] supplied the singing voice.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fa, a Long Long Way to Come|last=King|first=Susan|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jun-25-ca-63261-story.html|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=June 25, 1998|access-date=May 25, 2022|archive-date=June 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150616165548/http://articles.latimes.com/1998/jun/25/entertainment/ca-63261|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Mimi Chan]] was chosen by [[Mark Henn]] as the model and martial arts video reference for Mulan. Character drawing sessions and live-action video reference shooting was done over the course of three years.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McElroy |first=Joey |date=October 19, 2022 |title=Fantasmic!' Returning to Disney's Hollywood Studios Nov. 3 |url=https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2022/10/fantasmic-returning-to-disneys-hollywood-studios-nov-3/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019163351/https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2022/10/fantasmic-returning-to-disneys-hollywood-studios-nov-3/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 19, 2022 |website=Disney Parks Blog}}</ref> Chan's cousin, George Kee, was chosen to play the part of Captain Shang Li. Together, they choreographed fight sequences for the film's song “[[I'll Make a Man Out of You|I’ll Make a Man Out of You]]” and the film's end finale.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Business Journals |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/print-edition/2015/06/12/how-this-woman-found-success-and-became-the-face.html |access-date=2024-04-11 |website=www.bizjournals.com}}</ref> ===Animation and design=== [[File:Confucius Laozi Buddha.jpg|thumb|The animation crew was inspired by ancient Chinese art for the aesthetics of the movie]] To achieve a harmonious visual look, producer designer Hans Bacher and art director Ric Sluiter, along with Robert Walker and Head of Backgrounds Robert Stanton collaborated to establish a proper chronological location for the film in Chinese history. Since there was no general consensus on the time of Mulan's existence, they based the visual design on the [[Ming dynasty|Ming]] and [[Qing dynasty|Qing]] dynasties.{{sfn|Kurtti|1998|p=72}} An important element of Bacher's design was to turn the art style closer to [[Chinese painting]], with [[Watercolor painting|watercolor]] and simpler design, as opposed to the details of ''The Lion King'' and ''[[The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 film)|The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]''.<ref>{{cite video|title="Art Design" |location=''Mulan'' DVD|type=Documentary film|publisher = [[Walt Disney Home Entertainment]] | date = 2004 }}</ref> Bacher further studied more than thirty-five film directors ranging from the silent era [[German expressionist cinema|German Expressionism]], British and American epics of the 1950s and 60s, and the [[Spaghetti Western]]s for inspiration for composition, lighting, and staging that would establish settings that enhanced the characters.{{sfn|Kurtti|1998|pp=84–86}} Additional inspiration was found in the earlier Disney animated films such as ''[[Bambi]]'', ''[[Pinocchio (1940 film)|Pinocchio]]'' and ''[[Dumbo]]'' to establish a sense of [[Staging (theatre)|staging]].{{sfn|Kurtti|1998|p=78}} In October 1997, the Walt Disney Company announced a major expansion of its Florida animation operations constructing a 200,000-square-foot, four-story animation building and the addition of 400 animators to the workforce.<ref>{{cite news | last=Shenot | first=Christine | url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-03-08/business/9703070426_1_local-animators-animation-operations-disney-s-animation-work | title=Disney Expanding at Mgm, Building Animation Empire | newspaper=Sun Sentinel | date=March 8, 1997 | access-date=June 3, 2015 | archive-date=October 3, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151003234508/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-03-08/business/9703070426_1_local-animators-animation-operations-disney-s-animation-work | url-status=dead }}</ref> To create 2,000 Hun soldiers during the Huns' attack sequence, the production team developed [[crowd simulation]] software called ''Attila''. This software allows thousands of unique characters to move autonomously. A variant of the program called ''Dynasty'' was used in the final battle sequence to create a crowd of 3,000 in the Forbidden City. [[Pixar]]'s photorealistic open [[Application programming interface|API]] [[RenderMan Interface Specification|RenderMan]] was used to render the crowd. Another software developed for this movie was ''Faux Plane'', which was used to add depth to flat two-dimensional painting. Although developed late in production progress, ''Faux Plane'' was used in five shots, including the dramatic sequence which features the [[Great Wall of China]], and the final battle sequence when Mulan runs to the [[Forbidden City]]. During the scene in which the citizens of China are bowing to Mulan, the crowd is a panoramic film of real people bowing. It was edited into the animated foreground of the scene.<ref name="DVD">{{cite video | title = Mulan DVD Commentary | medium = DVD | publisher = [[Walt Disney Home Entertainment]] | date = 2004 }}</ref> {{Clear}}
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