The History of Disney Animations
During the 20th century, Disney animation has been the pinnacle to which all other animation is compared. Its rich history, combined with its iconography, has made Disney one of the standards for animation in the world. Yet Disney Studios wasn't always the powerhouse that it is now. It took many years of dedication and invention to be able to achieve its high standard. Because of the dream of one man, Walt Disney, the studio's cartoons would ultimately become the preeminent animation style of the 20th century.
Early Work
In the 1920s, Walt Disney and his brother, Roy, began a cartoon studio in Hollywood, Calif. This studio was the birthplace of the Alice Comedies, stories about a live-action character named Alice and her animated cat. Slowly the company began to focus more on animation, and by 1927, the live-action portion was completely dropped in favor of cartooning.
Throughout 1927 and 1928, Disney worked on the cartoon "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit" for Universal Studios. When Walt Disney went to the studio to negotiate higher pay, the producer offered even lower pay and told Disney that Universal could make the films without him if he didn't accept the new terms. Disney refused, and he left to open his own studio.
"Steamboat Willie"
After beginning his own company, Disney realized he needed an original character and went back to one of his early sketches. The mouse character he created was based on a childhood pet. Disney worked with his studio to animate the creature, and Mortimer Mouse was born. Disney's wife, Lillian, felt the name Mortimer was not right for such a character and dubbed him "Mickey." After the first two Mickey Mouse films were flops, Disney finally had a hit with the short film "Steamboat Willie." Walt Disney Studios was on its way to success.
"Snow White"
During the 1930s, Disney found success with Mickey Mouse films and his "Silly Symphonies" cartoons, but he longed to get into more mature work. In 1935, he began plans for an animated feature film of the fairy tale "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." At the time, it was said by many in Hollywood that this would ruin the Disney studios, and the company did have to borrow money to finish production. The use of new technologies, such as the multiplane camera, gave the movie a look that no one had ever seen before. It was released in 1938 and was the highest-grossing picture of that year.
Animated Features and Decline
After the success of "Snow White," Disney Studios began making animated features in earnest, each becoming a bit more successful than the previous. For the next 30 years, Disney would continue to wow audiences with films such as "Cinderella," "Dumbo" and "Sleeping Beauty". However, Walt Disney's death in 1967 left a hole in the animation department, resulting in a lack of direction that would continue for 20 years.
Disney's Renaissance
In the 1970s, Disney Studios decided to make an effort to cultivate new talent. Finally, in 1989, "The Little Mermaid" was released and became a hit. This marked a new beginning for the animation studio. Disney followed "Little Mermaid" with "Beauty and the Beast," a Best Picture Oscar nominee. The studio has continued to push the envelope with the addition of CGI animation, finally acquiring Pixar Animation in 2006.
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