215. Kevin Perjurer of Defunctland on Journey to EPCOT Center: A Symphonic History

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We’ve all heard the stories about Walt Disney’s original ideas for EPCOT the city and how they evolved into EPCOT Center. But how much do we really know about that process following Walt’s passing? We might enjoy a straightforward documentary about those 16 years with talking heads explaining the milestones. On the other hand, this intriguing topic offers the chance for something different. Kevin Perjurer has taken such a cool, experimental approach with his documentary Journey to EPCOT Center: A Symphonic History. He is my guest on this Tomorrow Society Podcast episode to talk about this new film.

Kevin has created so many videos documenting pop culture history on his awesome Defunctland channel. While he typically narrates and guides us through the past, he has employed a different approach with his new film. The original score by Kevin and Jamie H. Wall is titled “A Dream Calls”, and that name fits perfectly with the music that supports this story. It drives the mix of archival footage and recreations that Kevin uses in the Journey to EPCOT Center: A Symphonic History. Kevin and I talk about what inspired him to present these events with an original style and music as a focus.

I love EPCOT Center and first visited in 1984, so I’m the perfect audience for this film. However, I don’t believe it’s solely for the park’s biggest fans. What’s interesting is how complicated the story is and how it’s not just praising the early pavilions. Kevin and I discuss the complex history and how he tried to take an objective approach. If you’re a Disney fan or just interested in how such a weird and ambitious park came together, I can’t recommend Journey to EPCOT Center: A Symphonic History highly enough. It was a real treat for me to talk with Kevin and learn more about his process to create his latest film.