Walt Disney Animation Studios - Essay Example

Outline for Walt Disney Animation Studios Introduction of Walt Disney Animation Studios Its significance in animation industry. Early life history of Walt Disney His early career and the start of Laugh-O-Gram Films Setting up of Disney Brothers Studios Creation of Mickey Mouse character Improvement of Animation techniques ‘Technicolor’ process introduction Technique of visuals and music with innovative sound systems Unique Animated characters and style of animation Concept of ‘personality animation’ Comical approach through Gags, visual and linguistic humors Works reflecting the status quo Television and entertainment field Success of Walt Disney Studios Cutting-edge technology Jobs offerings Conclusion Walt Disney Animation Studios Animation today has undergone innumerable technical and technological changes starting with the early twentieth-century flipbooks and cartoons. When one focuses on the history of animation industry, the first and foremost behemoth that comes to mind is the Walt Disney Animation Studios. Even after many technological advancements, computer software techniques, and graphics improvements, Walt Disney Studios has been maintaining its foothold all these years. It has successfully pioneered in developing the old-fashioned motion picture into modern American art with great visions. Its ingenious film-making skills have left a strong mark on the American popular culture. The discussion focuses on the success of Walt Disney Animation Studios and how its production of animation started and improved over these years. In addition, the focus will be on how the company is being built into a kingdom of sorts, soaring up in the world animation industry and how it is positively influencing people in the field of art today. Walt Disney Animation Studios, founded by Walter Elias Disney, have produced around 54 featured films, starting from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937 to Big Hero 6 in 2014. Right from the start of the studio in 1923, it produced a wide range of cartoons and animated short films, until it expanded into feature film production in 1934. It exclusively developed various techniques, principles, and concepts, that later became standard practices of conventional animation. Most importantly, it pioneered the art of ‘story boarding’, which had laid the standard technique for today’s both animated and live-action filmmaking. “The significant element of Disney-Formalist hyperrealism is the lifelike movement- or motor function – of the animation, which reflects both the actual movements of live-action models and the skill of the animator.” (Pallant, 2011). The studios animated features and techniques became Disneys renowned assets, and particularly the animated characters - Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, and Pluto – became the recognizable figures in modern American popular culture. These characters turned out to be the mascots for The Walt Disney Company as a whole. The history of Walt Disney Studios and the early years of Walt in entering the animation industry were not an easy accomplishment. In 1920, he started his career as advertising cartoonist by marketing his first original animated cartoons. After starting his own company, Laugh-O-Gram Films, with his colleague, Ubbe Iwerks, he improved his skills and perfected the method of combining animation and live-action. But, he was not very successful at the beginning of his career, and the company went bankrupt due to lack of interest. So, he moved to Hollywood, finding ways to start a studio on his own. His brother, Roy O. Disney, aided him to set up the Disney Brothers Studios for starting the production operation of their first pilot film ‘Alice in Cartoonland’. Soon after, in 1928, his hard work, entrepreneurship, and dedication served him fruitful results, once he created the ‘Mickey Mouse’, the world’s popular cartoon of all time. His efforts and talents were taken to greater heights soon after the release of the film. The initially developed Mickey Mouse cartoon entitled ‘Plane Crazy’ was a silent motion picture but then soon before its release, sound entered upon the motion picture screens. Walt then created the ‘Steamboat Willie’, which was the first fully synchronized sound picture debuting Mickey Mouse. It was premiered in New York on November 18, 1928 at the Colony Theatre and ultimately gains good public reception. This became a dominant character of Disney pictures and it remained that way until Walt came up with new characters using his realistic movements and cartoon imaginations. The success of Walt Disney Animation Studios can be attributed to Walt’s efforts to improve his art of animation. His aspiration to perfect the animation techniques was endless. Walt’s drive to perfect the art of animation was endless. During the 1930s, the Walt Disney Animation Studios produced several series of shorts that served as a platform for experimentation of their new technologies. “Walt was the one who steered cartoons away from the "rubber hose" style of the silent era and encouraged his artists to develop a realistic, naturalist style of animation in the early 1930s.” (Crandol, 2001). For instance, the first color motion picture process, ‘Technicolor’, was introduced to animation industry during the production of his ‘Silly Symphonies’. In 1937, his intuitive multiplane camera technique was used in his short film, ‘The Old Mill’, which served as a precursor for the full-length animated movie, Fantasia in 1940. “A number of films concentrated on displays of technical virtuosity. Clock Cleaners (1937) featured fabulous, dizzying perspective shots from high atop urban skyscrapers, while the lyrical The Old Mill (also 1937) utilized for the first time a camera device that created the illusion of three-dimensionality.” (Watts, 2013, p.65). Walt also involved in discovering the relationships between visuals and music, making the animation industry much more realistic and entertaining. The animated images in many of his pictures served as an interpretation of well-known symphonic music. The Fantasia released in 1942 was a remarkable attempt of Disney Studio in its innovative sound systems. “Disney had his companys engineers create a system for stereophonic surround sound that was like nothing audiences had experienced before. The system influenced sound processes that are still used today and earned Disney his third honorary Oscar.” (Legends & Legacies, 2013). Similarly, the ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ in 1940 was a full-length animated musical feature that scored a good deal of revenue for the studio, despite the Depression era. It was regarded as one of the greatest feats and imperishable repository of motion picture industry. The studio continued to expand considerably in the growing economic shutdown and completed many full-length animated classics such as Dumbo, Pinocchio, and Bambi, within the next few years. Many of Walt’s concepts were new in the animation industry and created a notable influence in the world of animated characters. For instance, the concept of ‘personality animation’ introduced by Walt in his animated characters became a distinct characteristic of Disney Studios in the later days. Actually, the characters were not developed as simply moving objects as before, but were given fuller personalities with unique characteristics, which affect the character’s actions in the film. The introduction of many animated characters in its subsequent films during the 1930 and 1940 were developed with this concept, some of which include the exciting Donald Duck; Minnie Mouse, Mickey‘s girlfriend; and Goofy, the likeable dog. Assigning a personality to each of character brought them to life instead of just retreading them in the series. “This concept of ‘personality animation’ where characters dont just move but have distinct characteristics that affect what they do and how they interact, became a noted Disney animation characteristic.” (Krasniewicz & Disney, 2010, p. 36) Walt developed his characters with a comical approach which was intended to lessen the plausibility of the conventional characters. Gags, visual and linguistic jokes or puns in Disney’s films were supposed to inject humor into the animations. Moreover, many of the stories and characters were created to recall the forgotten lore. This was indeed Disney’s spectacular way of ascending into the entertainment field with the traditional characters and stories. The works included humorous updating of familiar fables, reworking of fairy tales, otherworld fantasies with remarkable imagination, as well as highlighting comedy and satire. This made the Disney Studio to get through the animation and entertainment industry with remarkable recognition for years ahead. Many of the studio’s works were reflecting the status quo of then period. For instance, the studio engaged in special government works during World War II, and produced comedy short subjects, reflecting the civilian and military morale. Similarly, films like The Vanishing Prairie, The African Lion and White Wilderness, and The Living Desert brought deep insights into the importance about the conservation of nature. By 1955, the company launched its fabulous Magic Kingdom, a $17 million Disneyland that increased its revenue tenfold, entertaining millions of people around the globe. In 1954, its shorts and features production was extended to television media, launching the weekly series called Disneyland. It pioneered the television programming with its ‘Wonderful World of Color’, ‘The Mickey Mouse Club’ and ‘Zorro’, which become the popular faves among millions of baby boomers. The significant production increase and new technologies of Disney Studio had a profound influence in its future success. However, the animation industry after 1970 was faced with the emerging computer technologies, and Disney Studio recognized the importance of these new technologies and handled them adeptly. Aside from television, its style of recent animation with computer technologies and computer-animated special effects make a great breakthrough. Various experiments with electronic animation effects were probably built to enhance the live-action images, particularly in its action, science fiction and horror niches. The present Walt Disney Animation Studios, located in Burbank, California continues to produce feature films with both hand-drawn and computer-generated technologies. Currently, it holds around 800 employees consisting of artists, animators, story men and technicians. It offers jobs to a wide range of professionals in the field of creativity, character development, innovation, and crafting. Some of the Walt Disney Animation Studio’s job positions include research scientist, research assistant, art & creative services director, animator, talent development artist, layout artist, media technician, rendering technology software engineer, lighter and many more. It is no doubt that Disney influenced the animation industry now and before with its variety of animated characters and techniques. As noted by Walt, “animation can explain whatever the mind of man can conceive,” the Disney Studio has brought the animators’ imagination into a reality on the screens. (Krasniewicz & Disney, 2010, p.24). The studio has produced films with a right blend of beautiful artistry, imaginary storytelling, and cutting-edge technology that honors its heritage for the past seven decades. Totally, the Walt Disney Animation Studio, with its animated films, has built an empire that is to be recognized for years to come. “The significant element of Disney-Formalist hyperrealism is the lifelike movement- or motor function – of the animation, which reflects both the actual movements of live-action models and the skill of the animator.” References: Crandol, Michael. “The History of Animation: Advantages and Disadvantages of the Studio System in the Production of an Art Form.” Digital Media FX, 2001. Web. 20 Dec 2014. Krasniewicz, Louise, and Walt Disney. Walt Disney: A Biography. ABC-CLIO, 2010. “Legends & Legacies.” Legacy.com, 16 Oct 2013. Web. 20 Dec 2014. Pallant, Chris. Demystifying Disney: A History of Disney Feature Animation. Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2011. Watts, Steven. The Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney and the American Way of Life. University of Missouri Press, 2013. Read More