Walt Disney: The Driving Force Behind Animation
Innovation
Sophia Johnson
Senior Division
Individual Performance
Process Paper: 490 Words
Walt Disney is someone I knew from a young age. I watched many of his movies and have been to his greatest creation five times. But I didn’t know how he got there. Or how many minds he blew in the process. This all changed one night in November. My Mom was reading a book to my brother and I was astonished to learn that Disney was responsible for the ideas that changed entertainment and amusement parks forever. That book was called, From an Idea to Disney: How Branding Made Disney a Household Name by Lowey Bundy Sichol. My idea would be Disney. It was decided, from then on my life revolved around Mr. Walter Elias Disney. Most of my research took place through the library. I started looking for primary sources, bibliographies, basic books, and drawings. But soon, I had to broaden my research so I went online and looked through local university libraries. I discovered another book, a primary source, full of drawings and images. As I continued to find more and more information, I decided that presenting on all Disney’s achievements was going to be way too much information. I committed to narrowing the scope to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Steamboat Willie. With these two innovations in mind, I dug deeper and deeper into each picture. My knowledge of Disney’s whole life and achievements helped me understand each source better. Finally, I arrived at the end of my journey. There is always more research that can be done but I had to focus on bringing it all together Performance was always my preferred category. It is where my strengths lie and what I have the most fun doing. I knew that I would be able to be the most creative using this format. I love performing and being in front of an audience is very exciting. Lastly, I choose performance because it is not selected by many people. I love a challenge as the result is more rewarding. Walt Disney was a man with a big imagination and even bigger dreams who never gave up. That imagination and spirit led him to break entertainment barriers with the first sound cartoon Steamboat Willie. Steamboat Willie was a result of Walt’s “Dream It, Do It” mindset. That mindset set him apart from his competitors. Producing a cartoon with full audio post-production sound was unheard of at the time. It was a technological barrier that was broken by an orchestra, hundreds of drawings, and a voice. As the first feature-full length animated picture, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs broke another animation barrier. By pushing the boundaries of what was technologically possible and ignoring doubters, Walter Elias Disney set himself apart and showed the world that animation could be, not only a cartoon but a movie. Through an endless imagination and years of hard work, Walt Disney changed entertainment history becoming the driving force behind animation innovation.
Annotated Bibliography
By Sophia Johnson
Primary Sources
Animations, Disney. “Commando Duck”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XVRR1F1DPA Accessed 17 December 2019
During World War II the Walt Disney Company made propaganda. This cartoon shows the public what the soldiers are going through and why you should be proud of them. The company worked to make these cartoons so that their company stayed profitable during the war.
Animations, Disney. “De Fuehrer’s Face”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L90smU0SOcQ Accessed 17 December 2019
This video is a propaganda film from WWll in which Donald Duck has a bad dream about being a Nazi. When he wakes up, he is glad to be an American and that his bad dream could not come true. The cartoon is meant to spark patriotism in Americans. The Disney company made numerous cartoons like this one during the war.
Animations, Disney. “Donald Duck gets Drafted” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDDvpTMABOQ Accessed 17 December 2019 Starring Donald Duck, this video is the first of a few propaganda cartoons. Donald gets drafted and is very glad to help serve his country. It’s meant to make men feel like if they are drafted, they should feel blessed to be able to serve their country.
Archives, Disney. Selected Disney Bibliography. Accessed 7 January 2020
This PDF was sent to me by an archivist from the Disney Archives. It is a list of Disney resources. I used this to aid and assist my research.
Archives, Disney. Walt Disney, A Biography. Accessed 7 January 2020
This PDF includes a biography of Disney’s life and the many awards he won. This was also sent by an archivist from the Disney Archives. I used this to gain more information on Disney’s life from another source.
Archives, Disney. History of the Walt Disney Company. Accessed 7 January 2020
From its humble beginnings to the empire it is today, this PDF has a detailed history of the Walt Disney Company. This PDF was also sent by an archivist from the Disney Archives. I used this PDF to gather information not only about Disney but also about the history of the company he started.
Authors, Walt Disney Family Museum. A Brief Biography of Walt Disney. Accessed 12 January 2020
A detailed biography of Walt Disney and his rise to fame is included in this PDF. Jenna L’Italien Uppal, a correspondent from the education department of the Walt Disney Family Museum sent this document. This PDF was used to gather additional information from another source.
Barrier, Michael. The Animated Man: A life of Walt Disney. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2007
Information about the first performance of Steamboat Willie for the wives and girlfriends of the staff provided insight into the production of Disney’s first sound cartoon. I used this knowledge to bring authenticity to my performance as Walt Disney.
Disney, Walt. “Walt Disney Interview” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7c5EZwZLFA Accessed 19 January 2020
This video is an interview with Walt Disney. I used it to understand how he spoke to make my performance historically correct and more authentic.
Editors, D23, Disney History. d23.com/disney-history/ Accessed 15 December 2019
As the archive site, this contains a detailed history of the Walt Disney Company. Portraying Walt Disney’s rise from the ashes to make an empire.
Editors, Walt Disney Company. Contact Us thewaltdisneycompany.com/contact-us/ Accessed 23 December 2019
This site contains links to contact the Archives and Student Research Resources. I used this link to send an email to the Archives to try to secure an interview.
Finch, Christoper. The Art of Walt Disney: From Mickey Mouse to the Magic Kingdom.
New York: Harry N Abrams, INC, 1995
This book is based on hundreds of interviews with Disney Cast members. It contains more than 800 of their illustrations. Information about how Steamboat Willie and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs affected the future of animation was provided in this book.
Gabler, Neal. The Triumph of American Imagination: Walt Disney. New York: Alfred A Knopf 2006.
A biography of Disney gives a complete view of his life. It describes how he got into the animation and entertainment business. It is one of the most accurate portrayals as Gabler was given complete access to the Disney Archives.
Lasseter, John. Walt Disney Animation Studios, The Archive Series: Story
New York: Disney Editions, 2008
This book has many of Disney’s cartoonists drawings. It also details how storyboards were invented and used by Walt Disney and his company.
Lasseter, John, Walt Disney Animation Studios, The Archive Series, Animation.
New York: Disney Editions, 2009
Principally this book contains stage one animation drawings. It contains a small number of words and information about the author and how he got the information. The author was an employee of the Archives and really enjoyed watching the drawings come to life. Many of the drawings used on my backdrop come from this book.
Smith, Dave. Steamboat Willie. http://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation- board/documents/steamboat_willie.pdf Accessed 20 December 2019
Written by the chief archivist Dave Smith, this site tells about Steamboat Willie and the creative process. It describes to the readers the orchestra’s involvement in the production. It also mentions that Disney could be credited with creating the first metronome.
Thomas, Bob. Walt Disney: An American Original. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1976
Bob Thomas gives an expert look at Walt Disney. He interviewed Disney many times during his life. The book describes how Walt Disney rose to fame and how his early failures lead him to entertainment success.
Secondary Sources
Authors, Cincinnati. Enquirer Artist Influenced Walt Disney. cincinnati.com/story/news/2014/03/19/enquirer-artist-influenced-walt-disney/6608049. Accessed 12
December 2019
The cartoonist Winsor McCay influenced and inspired Walt Disney to become an animator. Disney paid homage to him during his television series.
Authors, Disney, Walt Disney Timeline. https://www.waltdisney.org/sites/default/files/Walt%20Disney%20Timeline_0.pdf. Accessed 21 December
2019
A complete timeline of Disney’s life and business until his death in 1966 is the purpose of this site.
Barbieri, Andy, Movie Poster Art: Snow White and The Seven Dwarves (1937) https://geekynerfherder.blogspot.com/2012/05/movie-poster-art-snow-white-and-seven.html. Accessed
19 January 2020
This is the source of the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs poster on the backdrop.
Cinema, One Hundred Years. “1928: Steamboat Willie- the surprising origin of Mickey Mouse”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ56IDYq_ns. Accessed 5 January 2020
This video contains a brief explanation of how Mickey Mouse became the icon he is today. It helped me pull insight into the origin and development of this iconic character.
Crowley, Cille. Disney’s vision for America: Walt Disney: An American Icon. https://pages.shanti.virginia.edu/disneysvisionforamerica/walt-disney-innovater-public-figure/. Accessed 4
January 2020
This site describes how Walt Disney grew up and how his business got off its feet. It also dives into Walt’s personal political beliefs and how they influenced his business.
Crowther, Bosley. Walt Disney, American Film Producer .https://www.britannica.com/biography/Walt-
Disney. Accessed 10 December 2019
An overview of Walt Disney’s life and work is provided on this website. It includes pictures of Disney and his characters in his workshop as well as photos of his colored animations.
Dakss, Brian. Walt Disney: More Than Toons, Theme Parks. cbsnews.com/news/walt-disney-more-than- toons-theme-parks/. Accessed 15 December 2019
This site is an interview with Neal Gabler about his book Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination.
Editors, BBC, Mickey Mouse poster from 1928 sells for $101,000 in US https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-20552258. Accessed 19 January 2020
This site is the source of the Steamboat Willie Poster on the backdrop.
Editors, Disney Fandom, Margaret J.Winkler. disney.fandom.com/wiki/Margaret_J._Winkler. Accessed 14
December 2019
This site contains a thorough biography of Margaret J Winkler’s life and how her relationship with Walt drove him to success. After she handed her business off to her husband the relationship with Disney and Winkler Productions Inc suffered.
Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica. Disney Company: American Corporation. britannica.com/topic/disney- company. Accessed 10 December 2019
This site overviews the Disney company including the early years and the first animations. It describes many of his cartoons and their failure or success. His live-action films and Disneyland are also included.
Editors, Oscars. The History of Silent and Early Sound Animations. https://www.oscars.org/events/history- silent-and-early-sound-new-york-animation. Accessed 10 January 2020
Proof that Walt Disney’s Steamboat Willie was the most commonly considered, the first cartoon with totally synchronized sound is provided on this site.
Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, Mickey Mouse.
britannica.com/topic/Mickey-Mouse#ref247601. Accessed 20 December 2019
This site describes Mickey Mouse’s beginnings as well as those of Steamboat Wille. The cartoon short starred the mouse and was the first cartoon with totally post-produced sound.
Editors, The Journal. Walt Disney Acted out Snow White and all it’s Characters on Stage to Inspire his
Team to Make the Movie. https://www.thejournal.ie/walt-disney-documentary-2343806-Sep2015/.
Accessed 22 December 2019
A quote by an employee of Disney’s about his experience finding out that Snow White was going to be their next project was used from this site.
Editors, Moma. Steamboat Willie. https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/walt-disney-ub-iwerks- steamboat-willie-1928/ Accessed 15 January 2020
This site contains a picture of Mickey Mouse from Steamboat Willie. I used it to learn information about the orchestra that accompanied Steamboat Willie.
Editors, PBS, Walt Disney Entertainment Empire. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/walt-disneys-empire/. Accessed 17 January 2020
This site contains information about Walt’s first large scale success “Steamboat Willie”. There is also information about Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Information about Walt’s risk-taking behaviors to achieve success is found throughout this site.
Ford, Carin, Walt Disney: Meet the Cartoonist. Berkely Heights, NJ: Enslow 2003.
This book has a simplified version of Disney’s life. It mentions that in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sneezy was first called Jumpy. I used this book to gather basic information.
Gillis, Anna Maria. Walt Disney: In the end, He Wanted to Change How We Live. https://www.neh.gov/humanities/2015/septemberoctober/iq/walt-disney-in-the-end-he-wanted-change- how-we-live. Accessed 15 December 2019
This site describes an interview with Neal Gabler. He wrote the book called Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination where he answered multiple questions about Disney.
Isbouts, Jean-Pierre. Discovering Walt: The Magical Life of Walt Disney. New York: Round table Press
Book, 2001.
This book includes a succinct as well as a detailed biography of Walt’s life. It is an excellent resource on how Walt used a series of drawings to create animations. It also tells about Adriana Caselotti, who voiced Snow White.
Missourian Historical Society, historicmissourians. https://historicmissourians.shsmo.org/historicmissourians/name/d/disney/. Accessed 4 January 2020
This site includes more resources and a full overview of Walt Disney’s career and successes. It includes an abbreviated biography. It also talks about Walt’s early career.
Suddath, Claire. A Brief History of Mickey Mouse. http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1859935,00.html. Accessed 15 January 2020
This site contains a history of Mickey Mouse including his appearance in Steamboat Willie and how this picture established Disney Studios in Entertainment.
Thomson, Hailey. Walt Disney’s war on the Perception of Propaganda. https://scholarlycommons.obu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1051&context=history. Accessed 13
January 2020
This site contains a paper that describes Walt’s career and most importantly, his influence on Propaganda in WWII. It shows how views of propaganda changed. It also describes different types of propaganda including Nazi Propaganda.
Tushman, Brooke. Disney and The Cold War. https://confluence.gallatin.nyu.edu/sections/research/disney-and-the-cold-war. Accessed 15 December
2019
This site contains information on Walt’s political viewpoints and how the films Cinderella and Swiss Family Robinson demonstrated and depicted Cold War ideas and values.
Walt Disney: The Driving Force of Animation Innovation
-Broadway Theater- There is an old man who is dressed in an usher like costume is ushering people into the theatre
Usher: Come in, Come in, but first, let me tell you a little about myself As a budding, news reporter in 1915, just shortly after the first world war started, Walt Disney was my main project. I worked alongside Bob Thomas and interviewed Disney countless times. After Walt’s death from lung cancer, I retired from the spotlight and came to work at the theater. I didn’t realize how much of a connection to Disney I would continue to have because of all the new Disney films we show. Walt Disney’s Steamboat Willie, the first cartoon with fully post-produced audio, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first full feature-length animated film, broke barriers in entertainment history and paved the way for many more innovations in the years to come. Ahhh…. That reminds me of when I was a young lad…….. It was mid-February and I met a young mother…….
JUMP! ( A woman who is clearly a mother wearing a green shawl which is covering her appears outside the theater) Behind the backdrop a woman says: COME ON! Yes, we are going to Colony, ahh I mean Broadway Theater Woman appears Mother: “ I saw Steamboat Willie when I was ten,
We were one of the, well, wealthiest families in town and when my parents heard that Steamboat Willie was being released at Colony Theater here in New York, they decided to buy tickets. I wasn’t quite sure why my parents were taking me to some film called Gang War. When the day of the film, November 18th, 1928 finally arrived, my parents told me that we were going to see Disney’s new cartoon short. The cartoon was mesmerizing. It made noises! Soon, I went back to this same theater to take my kids to see the first full feature-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937. It’s really exciting to see how Snow White ushered in the golden age of animated films. Ever since Disney changed the course of animation, I have taken my kids to see Pinocchio, Fantasia, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Dumbo, Cinderella and many more. Someday I hope to see even more animated films with my grandchildren. Without Snow White, none of these films or memories with my children would exist. All because Disney dared to create the first full length animated film. Thankfully Snow White worked out for him since everyone was calling it “Disney’s Folly” you know. He proved them wrong. Did you know that by February of the same year Snow White was released it made about 8 million dollars, the most of any film up until then? Plus just think about the immense number of animated films that have emerged since Snow White. Glad he didn’t give up. oh, my film is starting, have a wonderful day.
JUMP! Flip backdrop to
-Walt Disney’s Studio- Behind the backdrop, there is a reporter who is the usher in his earlier days Reporter: Here we are 2701 Hyperion Avenue, Walt Disney’s studio Reporter appears inside the studio: About those interviews, Mr. Disney Disney enters the studio wearing business attire Disney: Yes, (puts his hand out to welcome the reporter)
Welcome to my studio. It’s been a very busy day as all my employees and I are getting ready for the first production of Steamboat Willie. We are putting on a special screening for our wives and girlfriends. I am elated because my staff and I are going to be making the sounds while the drawings play at speed. Wilfred Jackson has said he could play the mouth organ and we will be hidden away in a room that the audience cannot see. It will hopefully go well with no false starts. Our hope is that the sounds will be closely in sync with what is happening on the screen. A score has been formed and should be followed tonight and I hope our wives do like it but if they don’t, I assure you they will after the orchestra is brought in and everything lays out perfectly. This performance will decide if we keep up production with this picture or if we abandon it entirely and keep making silent ones. I need to set myself apart from all the others in this business to even dream of making a profit, however, I must say, I don’t pinch pennies when quality is concerned. This project could cost about 5 thousand dollars but I’m hoping that we will make a good profit off of it. I am thinking about being the voice for our Mickey Mouse if future productions allow. The storyboard for Steamboat Willie is complete. I have it all laid out. The impact of this sound cartoon will hopefully segway into many mickey cartoons and launch my company to the world. If this sound cartoon is a hit, the possibilities are endless…. Other sound cartoons, maybe longer cartoons, merchandise, maybe a club, a Mickey Mouse Club if you will. Disney behind the backdrop says: I’m so glad that Mickey Mouse worked since they rejected it 300 times. (Disney disappears and reappears years later)
(Speaking to the reporter) Disney: Welcome back, It’s 1935, The Band Concert comes out next month. It’s a Mickey cartoon combining audio and color for the first time. All of this thanks to Steamboat Willie. I am so glad that I took a risk with that cartoon. I would even go so far as to say it was my, “Big Break”. Without the sound techniques, we developed during the production of Steamboat Willie we would not have been able to tackle the new face on the block, color. This cartoon is sure to be a hit. Mickey Mouse is now an iconic character, and I’m not just saying that. If it wasn’t for the hard work we put in to perfect the unperfectable with Steamboat Willie we would not be having quite the success story we are. Remember, If you can dream it, you can do it, and I’m proof of the truth in that statement. (time speeds ahead two years and Disney reappears to talk to the reporters again) Welcome back to my studio - We released Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs allowing me to pay back the loan we had to take out for Snow White and develop future projects. People love this film even more than I thought they would. Thankfully, because cartoon shorts are being replaced in the film theater by double features. Unfortunately, World War II has shrunk the foreign market. So while Pinocchio and Fantasia were technical masterpieces, they struggled financially. The knowledge we learned from Steamboat Willie, The Band Concert, and Snow White we have channeled into work for the military. We have reimagined ourselves like many companies have had to do in the face of war. Donald Duck has been the face of propaganda and military training short
films to educate the public and get our troops ready for the war. This has helped keep our company alive and our employees home from the war.
JUMP- Flip backdrop back to
-Broadway Theater- The reporter reappears and tells the audience about his life interviewing Disney
Reporter: As a reporter, when I first started in the business, Disney was just laying a base down in Hollywood, just shortly after the Wall Street bombing in 1920, with some of his silent cartoon shorts including the Alice Comedies and Oswald the Lucky rabbit. When I went to go interview Disney for the first time, it was a few months before he released Steamboat Willie in New York as the first sound animation ever created that was more than just a short “talkie”. Basically, that just meant that Steamboat Willie was the first cartoon short with a totally post-produced soundtrack. This new sound cartoon cost Disney studios about 5 thousand dollars. People were ecstatic to see the new ‘toon and when it came out they liked it a lot. Of course, there were the doubters and critics but most said it was pretty impossible to argue with the magic of Steamboat Willie. People remember Steamboat Willie to this day but no one remembers Gang Wars, the film that was attached to the cartoon. When I went to his studio, Walt showed me countless numbers of drawings that were part of the picture. As he said, “ It is kinda fun to do the impossible”. And that he did with Steamboat Willie and became an important figure in animation. Encouraging other animators to push the limits of what is possible and create new and exciting animations. He continued his innovation with the first feature-length film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. When Walt first told his employees about his idea for a full length animated film he acted out all the scenes to inspire his artists. One employee said, “We were just carried away,” He went on to say that he was going to do
anything to make sure that this film was perfect. Did you know he employed the first female voice actor, Adriana Caselotti, to voice Snow White? With about 3,500 frames Disney created one of the most adored films of all time. When Snow White was released on December 21st, 1937 in Hollywood and it quickly became Disney’s highest-grossing film to date. This film left the audience standing in ovation. Walt Disney truly broke barriers in entertainment history not only by adding sound, color, and full-length animation but also by showing resilience, perseverance and a willingness to push the industry out of its comfort zone. He really lived his motto “If you can dream it, you can do it”. Now it’s time for me to step out of the spotlight and let time do its job. Disney’s company is going to get big on the back of these two extraordinary advancements in Entertainment and whatever else Disney can imagine. Real Big, bigger than you or I can imagine but of course not bigger than Disney can imagine. The End