Bambi and the Spring Sprite

Bambi and the Spring Sprite is the final musical segment of The Universe of Disney.

Plot
After a long winter, Bambi (Anthony DeMarco) walks deeper into the forest than he ever had before. His head sways from side to side, walking almost in a daze, following a scent that doesn't seem to be there.

Approaching a strangely unfrozen pond, he stops suddenly, eyes examining a dead, hollowed tree that almost seemsed to cradle the other side of the pond. Tilting his head slightly, he exhales slowly, smelling a mustiness in the air that normally only accompanied spring. Where can this smell have come from in the dead of winter?

He carefully tests the water with a hoof before dipping fully into it. Careful to keep his stance on the bottom, he trots cautiously across the distance to the hollow, breath rising in clouds around him. Entering the hollow, he unconsciously lowered his great head, ducking to enter the space, and breathed gently up to the roof. His breath warps the air, touching a giant ice sickle, before falling to the ground and settling.

But no, it doesn't settle, it keeps moving. Bambi stared, hypnotized by the movement, as it grows into a spring Sprite (Helena Bonham Carter). She smiles at him, for he knew that's who she is, her form, clear as glass, whipping around in an unfelt wind. He smiled back as she hugs him; she reminds him of his mother, a great alive force that never left him, but also of himself, a curious being. Bambi respectfully backed out of the hollow, allowing the Sprite by and she exploded out, her mere presence bursting everything into growth in her green form.

Bambi stares on in wonder as everything blooms. Life streams off of her in swathes, almost seeming to paint itself across the surroundings, as she moved out of the pond. Her delicate hands form flowers and spread grass, bringing what was once dead back to life. Prancing slightly, Bambi stopped at a little tree and stared at it somewhat mournfully before looking back at her. She giggled at his face before wrapping the tree in her arms, swirling herself around it before zooming away to bring more to life.

Staring in awe at the tree, Bambi's mind floats back to his thirteenth day of early spring, his mother's gentle nuzzle on his face, all the creatures there to greet them. He inhales deeply and could almost smell her. Happy feelings flood his mind as spring began to filter back into the forest.

He opens his eyes. The world Princeps Magnus Saltus around him is strangely quiet. Where had the Sprite gone? His ears swiveled, trying to pick up the tiniest sound as he approached the foot of the cliff. Bambi was tense for no other reason than that he had never been this close to the darkest corner of the forest before. Things were said before the sun sets on the thirteenth day of spring, only those very superstitious approach it. Surely the Sprite wouldn't have…

Slightly in the middle of the thirteenth night of spring on the full moon, the Sprite becomes pale as her lonely walk thoughout the dark woods becomes more lively than she ever imagined, exceedingly frightening because of her exposure to the possibility of encountering the ghost. The atmosphere of fear increased in intensity, until it broke the tension at a false alarm, where upon the Sprite and her friends, Thumper (Veronica Taylor) and his sisters (Emma Rose Lima, Makenna Cowgill, and Ariel Winter) laugh hysterically in relief.

Immediately, the Headless Horseman (Robert Axelrod) appears, laughing maniacally, riding a large black horse. Then follows a spectacular chase scene wherein the visually impressive Horseman pursued the Sprite with wild abandon, only to be deterred when she makes her way to the end of her path. The Horseman then hurls his own severed head (shown to actually be a fiery Halloween Jack-o-lantern), at the Sprite. The jack-o-lantern is seemingly hurled right at us, bursts into flames as it collides, and everything fades to black.

One foggy morning, the only things found by the Sprite's path are a shattered pumpkin and a slightly lighter patch of ashes. Bambi tells Faline (Alyson Stoner), Flower (Wendee Lee), Thumper and his Mama (Kath Soucia), Papa (Dee Bradley Baker) and Sisters, Friend Owl (Keith Ferguson), and his father (Patrick Stewart) that he forgot to protect the Sprite. They encourage him to follow the Sprite's tracks where she entered throughout the dark woods last night.

He looks around and walks though the wood where the Sprite in her pale form walked unluckily in the darkness alone. Then he follows the tracks where the ghoulish Headless Horseman started chasing after her. After running through the formless unrecognizable area, he stops running, and stood and stared, mourning the loss of his new friend. His eyes scans the area where the Horseman hurled a pumpkin at her.

Then he walks slowly, and he looks down at the slightly lighter patch of dust by a shattered pumpkin at his feet. He breathes slowly on it, kicking up some of the ash into the air and stirring the Sprite. She looked weakly up at him, her same dull gray colored form a mere shadow of what it once was and Bambi stared back, even though he still lives, he felt like a ghost. She huddles around herself, parts of her almost seeming to blow away in the wind.

"I'm sorry," she murmurs, turning her back to Bambi. "This is all my fault. I just wanted life…"

Bambi swallows back his remark and just stars at her, pleading for something to happen. He sighs, and raises his head, feeling the frail hope he has allowed himself to build up ebb away as he looks at the helpless Sprite. Glancing around at his surroundings, he recognized the path that the Headless Horseman chased after the Sprite.

And an idea strikes him. Bambi turns his head slowly back around to face the Sprite, lowering it to her level. His reddish-brown eyes meet her green-gold ones. "I have faith in you, Lady," he says simply, voice hoarse from the ash. "You bring life to things once dead. You can make this new."

The Sprite shifts to look at Bambi, blinking slowly. Then reaching up, she grabbed a hold of Bambi's ears pulling herself up onto his forehead. Bambi slowly raised his head, moving carefully so as not to dislodge the Sprite. Even if the Sprite can bring life to the dead area of Princeps Magnus Saltus; everyone he loves will still be dead.

Hearing an almost inaudible sound, Bambi realizes the Sprite was crying. He begins to walk as she becomes blue and the tears trickled down her face and fell into the air, hitting the thirsty ground and the old branches. Leaves explodes from where the drops landed and Bambi runs, feeling a lightness come over him that he could not quite explain. She smiles and leaps off of Bambi's head, becoming a great sheet of healing rain that covers the ground and the old trees as he runs, life bursting from the soil bigger and bolder than the old growth has ever been.

And Bambi still runs, eyes not believing what he is seeing. Though his heart achs, he laughs, watching as green explodes everywhere. The Sprite sweeps all over the valley, covering even the woods of the Headless Horseman with her power, the landscape changing from black to a world of colors. Finally Bambi stops running and he found himself at the foot of the old hollow tree, the one that had fireflies in it and looked like either a banshee or a phantom that scared her last night.

A laugh tinkles above him and he knows the Sprite is back from spreading life to everything where the Headless Horseman had chased after her. She comes down to him, glowing with a healthy luster that Bambi has not seen even before. Looking at him, broad smile on her face, she touches the tree and it bursts into bloom.

The two stares at each other, Bambi still panting from the run, the Sprite floating in her radiance. "Thank you for all you've done, Lady," says Bambi politely, eyes flicking away from her so she would not see the pain in them.

"Don't thank me yet, Young Prince Bambi," she says lightly. "I'm not finished."

Bambi looks up questioningly at her face. Raising her arms, she lets out a joyous laugh before disappearing in a flash of light.

Production
It's an all-new story featuring the Spring Sprite (from Fantasia 2000), her companion Bambi, Faline, the Great Prince of the Forest, Thumper and his sisters, and Friend Owl (from Bambi and Bambi 2), and the Headless Horseman (from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, segment of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad). The story may be considered an exercise in the theme of life-death-rebirth deities, as well as a stylized interpretation of Friday the 13th on the full moon, at midnight, which occurred on Friday, March 13th, 2009 at 12:00 AM, and the subsequent return of wildlife to the devastated region.

Instrumentation
Piano
 * TBA, 14 – Westminster, London, England

Percussion
 * Drum Kit: TBA, 12 – Tucson, AZ
 * Timpani: TBA, 9 – Encino, CA
 * Bass Drum: TBA, 12 – Jackson, MS
 * Cymbals: TBA, 10 – Pasadena, CA
 * Tam-Tam: TBA, 13 – Beijing, China
 * Triangle: TBA, 7 – Humboldt County, CA
 * Wood Block: TBA, 9 – Greenwood, MS
 * Tambourine: TBA, 13 – Marne-la-Vallée, France
 * Glockenspiel: TBA, 14 – Kilkenny, Ireland
 * Xylophone: TBA, 8 – Swansea, Wales
 * Vibraphone: TBA, 10 – Cardiff, Wales
 * Tubular Bars: TBA, 13 – Paris, France
 * Congas and Bongos: TBA, 11 – Columbia, SC

Harp
 * TBA, 12 – Glendale, CA
 * TBA, 14 – Pontnewynydd, Wales

Violin I
 * TBA, 12 – Houston, TX
 * TBA, 11 – Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
 * TBA, 12 – North Bellmore, NY
 * TBA, 12 – Charleston, SC
 * TBA, 12 – Appleton, WI
 * TBA, 12 – Whitter, CA
 * TBA, 12 – La Canada, CA
 * TBA, 9 – Fullerton, CA
 * TBA, 12 – San Diego, CA
 * TBA, 9 – La Crescenta, CA
 * TBA, 12 – Palm Springs, CA
 * TBA, 10 – Northridge, CA
 * TBA, 10 – Davis, CA
 * TBA, 11 – Bellaire, TX
 * TBA, 10 – Manhattan, New York, NY
 * TBA, 10 – Brooklyn, New York, NY

Violin II
 * TBA, 11 – Falls Church, VA
 * TBA, 12 – Durham, NC
 * TBA, 12 – Hawthorne, CA
 * TBA, 12 – Orem, UT
 * TBA, 11 – Boalsburg, PA
 * TBA, 9 – Buffalo Grove, IL
 * TBA, 9 – Monterey Park, CA
 * TBA, 10 – Los Angeles, CA
 * TBA, 10 – Setauket, NY
 * TBA, 12 – Sinking Spring, PA
 * TBA, 12 – Amherst, NY
 * TBA, 9 – Westlake Village, CA
 * TBA, 11 – Broadway, New York, NY
 * TBA, 11 – The Bronx, New York, NY

Viola
 * TBA, 12 – Oklahoma City, OK
 * TBA, 12 – Chula Vista, CA
 * TBA, 12 – West Hartford, CT
 * TBA, 12 – Del Mar, CA
 * TBA, 12 – Pepper Pike, OH
 * TBA, 11 – Provo, UT
 * TBA, 11 – Locust Valley, NY
 * TBA, 12 – Arcadia, CA
 * TBA, 12 – West Hartford, CT
 * TBA, 12 – Woodland Hills, CA
 * TBA, 10 – Phoenix, AZ
 * TBA, 10 – Monterey, CA

Cello
 * TBA, 12 – Palmdale, CA
 * TBA, 9 – Evanston, IL
 * TBA, 12 – Lake Buff, IL
 * TBA, 11 – Corona, CA
 * TBA, 11 – Chicago, IL
 * TBA, 9 – Staten Island, NY
 * TBA, 12 – Miami, FL
 * TBA, 11 – Queens, New York, NY
 * TBA, 12 – Columbia, MD
 * TBA, 10 – Payson, UT

Double Basses
 * TBA, 12 – Beverly Hills, CA
 * TBA, 12 – Berkshire, England
 * TBA, 12 – St. Charles, IL
 * TBA, 11 – Wheaton, IL
 * TBA, 11 – Riverwoods, IL
 * TBA, 10 – San Francisco, CA
 * TBA, 10 – Boise, ID
 * TBA, 9 – Devonshire, England

Piccolo
 * TBA, 8 – Springfield, IL

Flutes
 * TBA, 12 – Paradise Valley, AZ
 * TBA, 12 – Milford, MI

English Horn
 * TBA, 13 – Buckingham, England

Clarinets
 * TBA, 12 – Surrey, England
 * TBA, 11 – Rockville, MI

Bass Clarinet
 * TBA, 13 – Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales

Oboe
 * TBA, 12 – Bakersville, CA
 * TBA, 12 – Northville, MI

Bassoon
 * TBA, 11 – Calimesa, CA
 * TBA, 11 – Homer, MI

Contrabassoon
 * TBA, 11 – Denver, CO

Soprano Saxophone
 * TBA, 9 – Lexington, New York, NY

Alto Saxophone
 * TBA, 10 – Dover, DE
 * TBA, 10 – Burbank, CA

Tenor Saxophone
 * TBA, 11 – Detroit, MI
 * TBA, 11 – Long Beach, CA

Baritone Saxophone
 * TBA, 12 – Madison, WI

French Horn
 * TBA, 12 – Elmhurst, IL
 * TBA, 12 – Little Rock, AR
 * TBA, 12 – North Royalton, OH
 * TBA, 12 – Bath, NY

Trumpet
 * TBA, 10 – Winston-Salem, NC
 * TBA, 11 – Tualatin, OR
 * TBA, 11 – Dana Point, CA
 * TBA, 11 – Evanston, IL
 * TBA, 12 – Coopersburg, PA

Trombone
 * TBA, 11 – Colton, CA
 * TBA, 11 – Clovis, CA
 * TBA, 12 – Sicklerville, NJ
 * TBA, 12 – Atlanta, GA

Bass Trombone
 * TBA, 12 – Helena, MT
 * TBA, 12 – Charleston, WV

Tuba
 * TBA, 10 – Providence, RI

Sousaphone
 * TBA, 10 – Washington, DC

Voice Cast

 * Anthony DeMarco - Bambi
 * Alyson Stoner - Faline
 * Helena Bonham Carter - Spring Sprite
 * Patrick Stewart - Great Prince
 * Cree Summer Francks - Mena
 * Veronica Taylor - Thumper
 * Emma Rose Lima - Thumper's Sister #1
 * Makenna Cowgill - Thumper's Stster #2
 * Ariel Winter - Thumper's Sister #3
 * Kath Soucie - Mrs. Hare
 * Dee Bradley Baker - Mr. Hare
 * Keith Ferguson - Friend Owl
 * Wendee Lee - Flower
 * Robert Axelrod - Headless Horseman

Credits

 * Musical Score:
 * Franck Churchill & Edward H. Plumb – Music from Bambi
 * Bruce Broghton – Score from Bambi II
 * Igor Stravinsky – "Firebird Suite - 1919 Version"
 * Produced and Arranged by Scott Erickson
 * Written and Directed by Brian Pimental, Paul and Gaëtan Brizzi
 * Art Directors: Carl Jones, Carol Kieffer Police, Valeria Tutati, Lori Tyminski, Maria Elena Naggi, Giorgio Vallorani, Charles Pickens
 * Supervising Animators:
 * Spring Sprite: Anthony DeRosa
 * Bambi: Randy Haycock
 * Faline: Jared Beckstrand
 * Great Prince: Ron Husband
 * Thumper and his Sisters/Mr. and Mrs. Hare: Chris Bailey
 * Friend Owl: Dale Baer
 * Flower: James Lopez
 * Headless Horseman: Glen Keane
 * Animators: Tim Allen, Tony Bancroft, Tom Bancroft, Davide Benvenuti, Chris Buck, Dave Burgess, Michael Cedeno, Farouk Cherfi, Sandro Cleuzo, Ken Duncan, Adam Dykstra, Russ Edmonds, Allan Fernando, Will Finn, Stéphane Sainte-Foi, Tony Fucile, Tom Gately, Lennie K. Graves, David Hancock, Byron Howard, Jay Jackson, Sang Jin-Kim, Satjit Matharu, Gregory G. Miller, Sachio Nishiyama, Terry O'Toole, Joe Oh, Irene Parkins, Eric Pigors, David Pruiksma, John Ripa, Yoshimichi Tamura, Barry Temple, Chris Wahl, Theresa Wiseman, Ellen Woodbury, David Zaboski, Kathy Zielinski
 * Story Development: Paul and Gaëtan Brizzi, Ben Gluck, Brian Pimental, Jeanne Rosenberg
 * Visual Development: Paul and Gaëtan Brizzi, Kelvin Yasuda, Valeria Tutati, Lori Tyminski, Maria Elena Naggi, Giorgio Vallorani, Charles Pickens
 * Layout Supervisor: Mitchell Guintu Bernal
 * Layout: Marek Buchwald and Ray Chen
 * Background Supervisor: Dean Gordon
 * Backgrounds: Sunny Apinchapong and John Watkiss
 * Clean-Up Supervisor: Alex Topete
 * Visual Effects Supervisors: David A. Bossert and Ted C. Kierscey
 * CGI Supervisor: Shyu-Chyuan Huang
 * Artistic Coordinator: David A. Bossert
 * Assistant Artistic Coordinators: Valeria Tutati, Lori Tyminski, Maria Elena Naggi, Giorgio Vallorani, Charles Pickens
 * Concept for "Headless Horseman chase scene": Glen Keane
 * Introduction by Chelsea Staub
 * Conducted by Jung-Ho Pak
 * Performed by The Disney Young Musicians Philharmonic Pops Orchestra
 * Recorded at Epcot World Showplace, Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, FL

Trivia

 * The animation is based on the Friday, March 13th, 2009, at 12:00 at midnight, on the full moon event.
 * It's also inspired by the section Firebird Suite from Fantasia 2000, Bambi II, and the section The Legend of Sleepy Hollow from The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.