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Name: ______

Walt Disney and

Directions: Read the passage and answer the questions.

Fascinating facts about , Inventor of the in 1936.

From http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventors/disney.htm

AT A GLANCE: Walt Disney, inventor of the multiplane camera in 1936, is a legend and a folk hero of the . His worldwide popularity is based upon the ideas his name represents: imagination, optimism, and self-made success in the American tradition. Through his work he brought joy, happiness, and a universal means of communication.

Inventor: Elias Disney Criteria: First to invent. First to patent. Entrepreneur.. Birth: December 5, 1901 in , Illinois. Death: December 16, 1966

Nationality: American

Invention: Multiplane Camera in 1936 Function: noun / still frame motion picture camera Definition: Disney’s invention of the multiplane camera brought better looking, richer animation and in 1937, and the was the first full-length animated to use the camera. Patent: 2,201,689 (US) issued May 21, 1940

Milestones: 1923 An aspiring cartoonist leaves for 1924 Partnered with older brother Roy, and the Disney Brothers Cartoon was officially born. 1928 First sound cartoon "" released on , in New York. 1930 Mickey made his debut merchandising appearance on pencil tablets, books and comic strips 1936 Walt invents Multiplane Camera to improve the filming quality of his first picture film. 1937 First full-length animated film "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" was released. 1954 "" anthology series premiered on network . It remained on TV for 29 years 1955 Opening of his fantastic theme park in Anaheim, -- Disneyland. 1966 Before his death Walt purchased 28,000 acres near Orlando, Florida, to build his dream world. inventor, , profile, history, inventor of, history of, who invented, invention of, fascinating facts.

The Story:

The creator of Mickey Mouse and founder of the Disneyland® and ® Theme Parks was born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 5, 1901. His father, Elias Disney, was Irish- Canadian. His mother, Flora Call Disney, was of German-American descent. Walt was one of five children, four boys and a girl.

Raised on a farm near Marceline, , Walt became interested in drawing at an early age, selling his first sketches to neighbors when he was only seven years old. At McKinley High School in Chicago, Disney divided his attention between drawing and photography, contributing both to the school paper. At night he attended the Academy of Fine Arts.

In 1923 an aspiring cartoonist named Walter Elias Disney left for Hollywood. Twenty-one years old, Walt's only possessions were a suitcase, a sketchbook, and the $40 in his pocket. A legend was about to be born. In Hollywood, Walt peddled his first cartoon series, the "," and landed a distribution deal. He soon partnered with older brother Roy O. Disney, and the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio was officially born.

For four years, the Disney Brothers made "Alice Comedies" and 26 episodes of "." Then came Mickey Mouse. Conceived by Walt during a train ride, "Steamboat Willie" was the first Mickey Mouse cartoon released on November 18, 1928, at the Colony Theater in New York. "Steamboat Willie" featured the first appearance of as well as the first use of fully synchronized sound, at a time when sound was revolutionizing the .

Mickey and Minnie were instant hits. In 1930, Mickey made his debut merchandising appearance on pencil tablets. The year 1930 also marked the first publication of a Mickey Mouse book and newspaper comic strip.

Walt Disney experimented with the revolutionary process, and "," part of the "" series, was the first industry full-color release. "Flowers and Trees" won the Academy Award® for Best Cartoon in 1932, the first year such a category was offered. It was the first of 32 Walt Disney won personally.

Ever industrious and inventive, Walt Disney was not satisfied with producing cartoons. In 1934, the Disney Studio began work on the first full-length animated movie. Three years later, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" was ready for a 1937 Christmas release. It was a tremendous success at the box office and provided the financial means for the Disney's' move to the Burbank Studio.

"" and "" (both 1940) were followed by "" and "," in '41 and '42, before Walt Disney focused his studio's creative energies on the war effort. During World War II, The Walt Disney Studio made propaganda and training for the military, as well as two goodwill pictures in South America ("" and ""), at the request of the State Department.

Following the war, Walt Disney resumed production of award-winning and innovative cartoons and animated movies, while branching out into live-action and television. "," Disney's first completely live-action movie, was released in 1950.

Walt Disney forever changed his company's future in 1954 when his "Disneyland" anthology series premiered on network television. This series would eventually air on all three networks and undergo six title changes. It remained on television for 29 years, making it the longest- running prime-time series ever. In the realm of daytime children's programming, "Mickey Mouse Club" premiered in 1955 and quickly became an American television classic. Brilliantly successful with his cartoons, motion pictures, and television programs, Walt Disney's imagination and drive to create were not yet fully tapped. He had many more ideas to explore one of which was realized on July 17, 1955, with the opening of his fantastic theme park in Anaheim, California -- Disneyland.

Walt Disney continued to produce hit television series, such as "," and beloved movies, including "," the Academy Award®-winner which quite possibly marked the pinnacle of his entire screen storytelling experience.

Before his death in 1966, Walt Disney purchased 28,000 acres near Orlando, Florida, where he planned to build his dream world, unhampered by the urban sprawl that now surrounded Disneyland in Anaheim.

Walt Disney World opened on October 1, 1971, and included a theme park like Disneyland, as well as hotels, golf courses, campgrounds, and shopping villages. Walt Disney World quickly became one of the world's premier vacation destinations.

Walt's brother Roy Disney, who had overseen the building of Walt Disney World following Walt's death, died in 1971. A dedicated team trained by the Disney brothers, which included , , and Ron Miller, led the company to realize one of Walt Disney's last plans -- the building of the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, also known as . EPCOT Center opened on October 1, 1982, to great acclaim.

In its present incarnation, has made even greater strides in motion picture producing, television programming, feature , and family destinations. Today, The Walt Disney Company includes theme parks, motion picture and television , a television network, cable and stations, newspaper and book publishing companies, record companies, travel divisions, a cruise , retail stores, special effects and engineering firms, new media companies, and much more.

Built on the unlimited imagination, creative talent, technical genius, and dedication of Walt Disney and countless other men and women, The Walt Disney Company has become a leading entertainment corporation. Founded more than seven decades ago, The Walt Disney Company continues to grow, guided by its mandate of providing quality entertainment for the entire family.

Celebrity Invention: Walt Disney's Art of Animation

By Rebecca Greenfield

From: http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2010/11/celebrity-invention-walt-disneys-art-of- animation/66826/ Some celebrities aren't just pretty faces. A few of them are also touched with that Yankee prowess for tinkering and invention. In this weekly series, we introduce you to the Patents of the Rich and Famous. And maybe you learn a little bit about how patent literature works along the way.

Inventor: Walt Disney

Known For: Kids watching clever CGI-heavy films will one day associate their childhood with a crotchety old man and his Asian boyscout companion, but also a chronically happy mouse with a high-pitched voice. Because before , Wall-E, or Woody, there was Mickey. And thanks to Walt Disney's animations, there will always be Mickey.

Disney founded the studio that not only created Mickey Mouse, but also the entire canon of animated films including Snow White and . Not only did his movies have enduring characters and stories, but they embodied the art of animation -- they looked good.

So while 's films might rule this millennium's box offices, Walt Disney was the original king of animation. And nobody can ever take that from him because like any good American business man, he got it in writing.

Really. He patented the 'art of animation.'

Invented Apparatus: "The art of animation"

It's not like there weren't animated characters before Disney. He just made them look better, devising a multiplane camera that accurately depicted the shadowing of his characters in a less labor intensive way. The present invention is particularly directed toward methods whereby the foreground object or character may be properly and accurately placed and correlated with respect to the background and accurate shadows rapidly produced so that the finished drawing (or combination of drawings) which is photographed in the production of the finished projection film, correctly and accurately locates the character with respect to the background and includes a virtually accurate shadow.

To do this, Disney separated background art and animation into different focal planes from each other so that the camera could move between them in a way that created depth.

Generally stated, the method of this invention comprises forming a three dimensional model of the desired background, projecting the image of the foreground character upon such three dimensional background, and utilizing the position of the character and its shadow with respect to the three dimensional background in locating and representing the shadow of such character in its correct relationship with said background upon the final drawing or photograph record.

The camera not only made the scene more realistic, but it also saved hours of labor, allowing the animator to re-use any elements not in motion.

Rationale Behind Invention: Prior methods made it difficult for animators to draw realistic shadows:

When the background is complicated, singular, or contains a number of objects such as, for example, a balustrade, it is extremely difficult for the animator to properly create, by drawing, the shadow of the character upon these background objects.

Those balustrades ... always causing trouble.

Disney first used the technique while filming and later while producing his Oscar-winning Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Looks like his technique worked.

See Walt himself explain it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94nUxlbD2UY

Study Guide

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