mix/match designs

Millions of people around the world are familiar with the classic animated films of the Walt Disney Company. They have become embedded in the fabric of American culture and in the childhood memories of generations of families, including mine. For my midterm project, I want to focus on the movie that is the foundation of Disney animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937). Based on Grimm’s Fairy Tale, Disney’s adaptation combined innovative technology and timeless storytelling to create a formula that appeals to audiences of all ages.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves was a pioneering project for the motion picture industry on many fronts. Not only was it the first feature-length animated film, it was also the first animated film completed in color. Taking on such an innovative endeavor was met by skepticism amongst some critics, calling it “Disney’s Folly.” Producing and implementing the new technologies required to bring the film to fruition was only one challenge. Another element to consider was how to effectively translate an animated story and create characters audiences will care about. One technique used to accomplish this was the decision to produce the film similarly to an operetta, using musical themes and songs throughout the movie. The risk paid off in monumental way with Snow White becoming the largest grossing film of its time and garnered Disney a special Oscar as well as seven miniature Oscars. The elements used in Snow White would set the foundation for Disney films for years to come.

With my montage I hope to provide a sense of nostalgia while demonstrating the rigor of the animation process. What was revolutionary process a mere seventy years ago, is now thought of as a traditional means of animation compared to modern computer generated characters, therefore I want the montage to have a vintage appeal. Being that Snow White was the first full-color animated film, color will also be a large component in creating that classic Disney appeal. The main message I want to convey is the importance of storytelling and the whimsy of fairytales that captivates audiences.

Thanks to the number of Disney fans, there are an abundance of online resources to draw from for this project. To incorporate the animation process, I found sketches of a particular scene with the Seven Dwarves.