Walt Disney - Lecture notes 1-13 PDF

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Course Info Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Section K, E100

12:35 PM

SECTION NOTES Thursday, April 12, 2018

7:25 PM

4/12 Mickey's Character - Mickey appears somewhat irritable ○ Ex. Gets irritated when trumpet player doesn't play long enough mid-performance - He also seems determined ○ Ex Leading a band even during a tornado - As times change, we see Mickey become more kid friendly and less violent - Shows also get a lot faster paced due to smaller attention span

5/3 Music Notes -

Opens with slow and calming music Has a sudden increase in tempo and energy, suggesting conflict Calms down after into an even slower tempo then the opening, almost sad Tempo speeds up again with trumpets blaring, nears finale Ends with a fast tempo

Film Notes - Opens with a shot of the forest & follows a deer, fitting the calming music - A water being is introduced, and her actions sync with the music very well, restoring life to the land - Being discovers an angry being in the form of a volcano just as the temp increases ○ Throughout the duration of the conflict section, the being desperately evade the monster as it destroys everything. The high tempo song ends just as the being is devoured by the monster - The sad part of the song begins as the deer looks over the ravaged land and attempts to restore the water being - As the tempo rises once again, the deer picks up the being and carries her, her tears restoring life to the land ○ Seeing this, the being is delighted and flies around restoring life everywhere - With the finale, we see the land fully restored by the being once again

BOOK: The Magic Kingdom Saturday, April 28, 2018

12:08 AM

Chapter 8 Merchandising: - The Ingersoll-Waterbury Company was nearing bankruptcy when it licensed a Mickey Mouse watch. This saved the company and was hugely successful ○ Lionel Corporation was also saved once it made an electric train toy with Mickey and Minnie

Herman Kay - Became the director of Walt Disney Enterprises and "merchandising dynamo" - Merchandising soon became a massive part of the moviemaking process ○ Snow White would have a full merchandising campaign as soon as it debutted

Chapter 9 Dave Hand - Became production manager for the entire studio ○ Was able to calm Walt - Left after he felt he wasn't being listened to

Albert Hurter - Wasn't assigned to a specific project - instead he drew inspirational pieces to inspire animators on various projects

Thornton Hee - Worked on Dance of the Hours

Chapter 10 Innovations - Storyboard - Conference technique: Where ideas, storyboards, and character dev was intensely analyzed by groups - Pencil test & Leica reel - to smooth out wrinkles

Walt Disney - Believed he had superior knowledge of the audience - Moved people around to find their talents & inspired staff - Disney was also a great actor for acting out scenes for animators

Sharpsteen - Acted as one of Disney's directors - Became high ranked because he knew the "Disney System" of productivity was more important than all else ○ However, this system would anger many

Chapter 11 - In an attempt to end the strikes, the studio hired Willie Bioff, a strike racketeer ○ He successfully ended the strike from the IATSE union, but the SCG refused and accused the studio of siding with the IATSE. ○ The SCG pointed out that Bioff had been convicted under a morals charge and attacked the studio for using him - This strike would generate bad publicity and suggest the studio really wasn't a "fun factory" - The studio's legal advisor, Gunther Lessing, was incredibly unpopular ○ He advised that Walt ignore the protestors, making Walt appear more industrial and uncaring

○ Many believed Walt wanted to end the protest but that Lessing was preventing them - Disney would finally be forced to end the strike, meeting most of the union's demands ○ As a result, both sides agreed lay-offs were required. After laying off mostly strikers, however, SCG would immediately file a protest with the Labor Department. The studio would close for 2 weeks until James Dewey would arbitrate an acceptable formula for hires and layoffs - Negotiations would be much easier once Walt left to South America for the State Department - Even after the strike was over, Walt would be less attached to his staff, and the concept of a worker's paradise was lost

Chapter 12 - As WW2 started, Disney's facility would be taken over by the military - Disney would produce patriotic films, but they had little profit. Creativity also diminished

The New Spirit - A film that was hotly debated at the time on whether Congress should fund it ○ However, it would turn out to be immensely successful, convincing many to pay their taxes

Victory Through Air Power - Based on Seversky's idea that the US needed to be more reliant on long range bombing - Controversies ○ Navy would discourage this film because it would reduce their funding, while air force approved it ○ Public reception was poor and Disney would lose money. Audiences were unsure if this was propaganda or a movie, resulting in negative reviews

Walt Joins the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals - Would be vice president

Chapter 13 Package Films - Disney would be sent to South America as part of a goodwill trip with El Groupo, a team of other artists from Disney - Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros would be released with mediocre reception ○ The South American releases were also slightly positive ○ Most reviewers felt that this film was a patriotic attempt to unite the Americas - After the war ended, Disney would continue the package film format ○ However, these films would all be viewed as several shorts packed with filler. They would be seen as inconsistent in quality and creativity ○ These films continued due to lack of finances to create a feature and eroding artistic vision - Complaints: ○ Various segments were not always connected ○ Animators left due to lack of originality ○ Constant desire for "cuteness" made films feel manipulative

Chapter 20 - Disneyland - Disney's desire for Disneyland would not be approved by Roy and bankers/investors ○ Disney, still convinced of his vision, contracted Stanford Research Institute ▪ They determined that Disneyland could be profitable ▪ They also recommended Anaheim, a rapidly growing town, to be the place for Disneyland - Eventually, Walt would receive funding from the TV network ABC - Though Disneyland could not be completed in time for opening day, Walt insisted on opening anyways ○ Disneyland would soon prove incredibly popular

BOOK: Disney Discourse Sunday, April 8, 2018

12:53 AM

Chapter 1 Disney service departments are split into 6 divisions - The division which "inks and paints" - The division which adds "special effects" - The division which takes photographs of the final drawings - The division which develops and prints and cuts the film - The division which provides sound - The housekeeping/cleaning division

Chapter 4 - Walt was the president of Walt Disney, until he resigned to become chairman. After being tired of signing things, he resigned again to be executive producer ○ He thus works on the story and dialogue - In 1927, Walt attempted to negotiate a new contract for his series Oswald the Rabbit, but the distributor refused and signed many of Disney's animators away. In need of a new character, Walt and Lilly (his bride) came up with the idea of Mickey Mouse ○ Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks (the chief animator) worked on Mickey in a locked office, not wanting to let the defecting animators know of the new character. ○ After showing the first episode, Plane Crazy, to distributors, however, they were not interested ▪ However, sound had just been introduced with films, and after adding sound to Steamboat Willy (the 3rd cartoon) and the first 2, distributors were suddenly interested. - After that, Walt decided to work with Technicolor ○ His first venture, remaking Silly Symphony, Flowers, and Trees was a massive gamble considering the costs of Technicolor, but was a massive success and became the first cartoon to win an Oscar. - Walt still wasn't satisfied with the way animation was progressing, and set up a school for artists - He would then make Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, which won an Academy Award for using a new multiplane camera to create depth as well as many other honors.

Animal Studies - Following the creation of Bambi, Disney would soon be busy working on pictures for the war effort, such as encouraging bonds and creating training videos - Alfred and Elma Milotte would be sent by Walt to film tons of nature footage to help animators understand how to animate animals. ○ These films would become very well-known

Disneyland - At the time Disneyland was being created, amusement parks were failing and no one would fund it. So, Walt paid with his own money

Chapter 14 - Fantasia was marketed towards music and film critics as a high class art compared to a normal film ○ Rather than debut normally, it was slowly released in a roadshow which enhanced its status - Music Critics attacked the film for many reasons ○ The film distracted the audience from the music rather than assist it ○ The film did not interpret music in the way critics felt it should have been represented ○ Destroyed cultural hierarchies by adding images to music to make it more appealing to lowbrow audiences - Praises

○ Surprisingly, Fantasia wasn’t attacked for chopping up music ○ It was also praised for the new Fantasound system ○ Film critics praised Fantasia, partially due to Disney's reputation - In a discussion of standardization, critics stated that Fantasia cheapened art by mass producing it and making it available to lower audiences ○ However, low Fantasound production and exclusivity in viewings reduced standardization - This would result in Fantasia being initially unsuccessful, making it a good target for rerelease

- Fantasia would rerelease in 1953-1954 with stereographic sound and 3-D widescreen ○ It would rerelease again in 1991, available to be purchased at various tiers ranging from cheap cassettes to collectors editions ▪ This would be successful partly due to various outlets and Disney claiming Fantasia would be in limited supply ▪ Disney made changes to the film, making it more suitable for children. □ Some protested these changes, citing that since Fantasia was deemed a National Treasure it shouldn’t be altered

MOVIE: Alice in the Wonderland Friday, April 27, 2018

6:45 PM

Format: 600 - 800 words. Include a word count. Double spaced. Discuss the story: What is the main action of the film? Did the plot make sense? Was it engaging or disjointed? Was it too long, or not long enough? Did it hold your attention? How? If you are familiar with the original source material, what do you think of the adaptation? Do not give a full plot summary. The story takes place with a young woman named Alice studying history. Disinterested with her studies, Alice proclaims her desire to live in a world of fun and nonsense rather than her current boring world. Soon after, a strangely dressed rabbit dashes past, declaring that it was late. Intrigued, Alice follows the rabbit and is led to a wacky land where everything truly is nonsense. Not long after arriving, Alice discovers that she prefers her world much over the wonderland, and struggles to find her way home. Discuss two of the main characters: Do they have a well-rounded character with a good story arc? Were they appealing or engaging? Did you care about their journey? Why/why not? Are their motives plausible? What was particularly unique about them? What did you think of the voice talent? What did you think of how they were animated? Evaluate the performance.

Alice is an appealing character with an innocent and carefree personality. While charming in nature, Alice isn't afraid to lash out against those who stand in her way. Because of this, Alice acts as a colorful representation of a well-mannered citizen with American spirit. In a time where America faced uncertainty in the midst of World War 2 and the Cold War, Alice acted as a character which older audiences could relate to and younger audiences could aspire to become. Discuss the animation: Did the film leave any lasting impressions? What images stood out? What did you think of the color choices? The backgrounds? How did those choices set the mood and tone of the piece? Did you notice any special effects? Alice in the Wonderland features gorgeous backgrounds with detailed forests. Alice in the Wonderland also features a massive variety of interesting and unique characters. Discuss the music: How did the song(s) enhance or hinder the story? Was the background music helpful? Were the song(s) memorable? Were the music choices appropriate to the setting? The silly soundtracks helped enhance the silliness of Alice’s Wonderland. For example, while Alice was stuck floating in a sea of tears, a wacky concoction of sounds played as bizarre creatures floated past. Other soundtracks also help add emotion to the film. While Alice mourns over the idea that she truly is lost, for example, a slow and gloomy score plays. While the song segments were gorgeous and well animated, the songs themselves were not particularly memorable. While it is traditional for Disney music segments to indicate an important change in the character or the movie’s plot, most of the segments in this movie did not feel like they advanced the plot or offered any important information to the audience. Discuss the setting and themes. How does the film resonate with contemporary audiences? Are the themes timeless, or do they feel dated? Why do you think this film is a “classic”? Should it

remain so? What interests YOU about this film. Rating :Give your overall reaction to the film as well as your opinion on the quality of the film. Include your recommendations for potential viewers; how many stars would you give the movie with 5 being the best and 1 being the worst.

The Early Years and the Birth of a Mouse Thursday, April 5, 2018

11:47 AM

Walt Disney - Born Dec 5, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois - Walt's father would want all money to go to a family pot, and the father (Elias) would not let individuals have the money ○ Some of Walt's brothers were frustrated and left to Kansas Walt had always wanted to impress his parents -

Moved to Marceline, Missouri ○ Created Walt's "Rural Romance", the idea of a small town ○ A progressive town where Walt learned the value of hard work ○ Family worked on a in Marceline, and despite being hard work, Walt had nostalgic memories of this place

Kansas City - Moved to Kansas City due to Elias's dwindling health - Elias would create the Kansas City Star, a newspaper company ○ Walt would work hard delivering newspapers in Kansas City Star - Walt Disney & Walt Pfeiffer would be friends (aka The Two Walts)

Vaudeville 1856 - 1920 - Tony Pester created the concept of family friendly content, so the Vaudevilles had no sexual or drinking content - A series of unrelated acts grouped together on a bill ○ Ranges from Acrobats to Animal Acts to Singers ○ Comedy was the biggest acts ▪ Comedy was a big form for animators, and many animators at the time would get their first exposure to entertainment through comedy in Vaudeville - It would become the first cheap and family friendly entertainment - Two Act: An act with 2 people and use of ○ Physical comedy: (every movement is very detailed) ○ Slapstick: Exaggerated movements and violence ▪ These concepts would become the basis for animation - Later on, Hollywood would often look for Vaudeville actors

Three Keatons 1901 - Buster Keaton (Age 5) joined this parents (Joe and Myra) in their vaudeville act ○ They became known for their intense physical comedy, became very well known ○ Buster would become known as a major Vaudeville actor

Fanny Brice - Singer, actress, and comedian

The Early Years - As cinema began to rise, Vaudeville would often show short films in between acts ○ With the rise of cinema and Hollywood, Vaudeville would begin to decline - Early animation, ○ Examples: ▪ Gertie the Dinosaur by Winsor McCay (1914) ▪ A Trip to the Moon by Georges Méliès ▪ Out of the Inkwell by Max Fleischer (1919) ▪ Felix the Cat by Otto Messmer (1919)

○ These early animations would be what Walt was exposed to

Chicago 1917 - As the Kansas City Star began to fail, Elias saved all his money and bought the O-Zell Jelly Factory, so the family moved back to Chicago ○ Walt, however, did not want to go back and stayed at Kansas City, working on the Santa Fe railroad. Walt went to McKinley High School, took art classes and created comics ▪ As Walt talked to workers and engineers, Walt grew a fascination for railroads ○ Once WW1 happened, Roy would leave as a soldier but Walt was too young ▪ Walt would lie about his age and join the Red Cross. He would be a part of the American Ambulance Corps as a driver, stationed in France and part of Germany ○ After WW1, Walt returned but still didn't want to go back to Chicago. ▪ WW1 had given America the idea of global dominance

Kansas City Film Ad Company - Produced film ads for local theaters - Walt was exposed to animation here, and was so intrigued he created his own animation company

Ub Iwerks - Became the lead animator and special effects in Disney

Laugh-O-Grams 1922 - 23 - Walt would create a full Laugh-O-Gram which was liked and more was ordered ○ As such, Walt would work on LoG at night and worked at day ▪ Ex. Little Red Riding Hood, Tommy Tucker's Tooth

Disney Brothers Studio - Walt and Roy would move to LA to create Disney Brothers Studio - Created Alice's Wonderland, the start of the Disney Brothers Studio ○ Hired a girl named Virginia Davis to play Alice ○ To continue the comedies, they decide to keep Virginia Davis and pay her family $100 a month plus raises to come to LA - Walt sends a letter to Margaret Winkler to act as a distributer, who orders 6 Alice comedies - By the second season, the Charles (the dad) starts renegotiating due to less raises due to lower budget, and as a result, Virginia Davis was cut. There would be 4 other Alices - By 1925, the Alice comedies became established and the company was growing

Hyperion Ave (Spring 1926) - The Disney Brothers Studio became the Walt Disney Studios - 26 Alice Cartoons ordered by Winkler/Mintz - Cartoons began to become scripted, creating the rise of storyboarding

Oswald 1927-28 - Universal Studios contacts Charles Mintz with the idea of Oswald the lucky rabbit ○ Mintz forwards the idea to Walt Disney ○ This is major for Disney because this is Walt's first exposure to a major distributor. ▪ It allows Walt to watch how a major distributor functions ▪ It is also the first exposure to criticism

The Birth of the Mouse and Silly Symphonies Tuesday, April 10, 2018

11:42 AM

Oswald 1927-28 - Oswald the lucky rabbit was a success ○ All the money Walt earned would be put back in the company - First episode: Poor Papa ○ Universal rejected this, since it was a series of gags and Oswald had no personality - They would next produce Trolley Trouble, which would please Universal ○ Universal would order more cartoons with one every 2 weeks - When Walt is brought to Universal for renegotiation, Mintz (from Universal) reveals he hired out all the animators and owned the copyright to Oswald

Roles - As Walt worked on Oswald and his personality, he realized he was not the best animator, but he was great at storytelling ○ Roy would be businessman, Walt would be storyteller, and Ub would be animator - Walt would incorporate popular culture and try to incorporate story into his shorts - Walt would always sympathize with those that aren't in power

Epic Mick...