Day 988: American Experience

Many of us had September 14th and 15th from 8 until 10 marked off for months, myself included. After all, it's not every day we get a whole documentary on Walt Disney, especially one like that which appeared on PBS' American Experience. The documentary was made with the agreement that the company would have no say in the content that was included, and while they may have been nervous, I certainly think that this documentary on Walt Disney was one of the best I've ever seen. A few comments on the program overall:

Walt and Roy: I've always had such a respect for the relationship between Walt and his brother Roy. They worked like a team, and it's one I know well. I tend to be a lot like Walt, with grand ideas that I'm set on no matter the cost, and my partner in crime somehow always manages to make it happen. I don't think I know what I'll do without her when I head to California, but American Experience really gave new insight into the relationship between the brothers that you don't always see explored.

"Disney Provides the Passage:" As I write this I'm going through my live tweets from watching the program, and this one stood out: the idea that Disney Provides the Passage, and that's why Disney is so successful. If you think about it, they really do. Magic Kingdom is perhaps the greatest example of this, as in order to get to the park you have to use some form of Disney transportation. It makes for a subtle experience that can make all the difference. When you're at Disney, you're in a world all it's own, and when you're watching a Disney movie, you can be right there with the characters. It's a crucial element that many other film companies still miss, even today.

Animated Pictures: Walt, as I learned in this documentary, was very concerned with how the world viewed animated pictures. They weren't making Cartoons at the Disney stoods, said Walt once, they were making art. I often wonder about the difference between Disney Animated films and animated features from other companies, and it's so true. Disney isn't there to make the next big cartoon character. They're making art, plain and simple. Additionally, there still hasn't been an animated picture that won best picture at the Oscars. That needs to change. Personally, I believe the film industry still sees animated pictures as not worthy, and it's one of those things I can just imagine Walt being upset about.

Disneyland: The Disney Parks segment of the documentary was everything I could have hoped it to be and then more. From sharing behind the scenes footage of the construction to opening day and into Walt Disney World, there was a lot of inspiration in just a short time. In particular, there was a video of Walt driving a jeep through a dirt covered Disneyland that was just priceless. A lot of us tweeted about it, and I think that one clip, while only a few seconds long, really showed Walt's spirit. He was so young at heart, and he taught all of us to be the same way.

Belief: Marty Sklar said in one of his interview moments that "He never tried to sell something he didn't personally believe in." That's an extremely important point, because being a salesperson for something you don't really care about is one thing, but when you really, truly believe something and are passionate about it, magic happens. I learned that from Walt, and it's that same idea that encourages me to follow my dreams every single day. I'm not going to sell out for something I don't believe in.

Untouched: This documentary made me cry, honestly, like I haven't cried in a long time. It was said near the end that "He affects all of us. No one is untouched by Walt Disney." As I sit here working on the 988th blog post of a website called Everyday Disney, I can't describe to you how true this is. My life wouldn't exist without Disney. Most of our lives wouldn't, and thinking of a world without Disney is a terrible thought indeed. He did so, so much good, and changed all of us for the better. He taught us how to love, dream, work hard, and believe in magic. We've all been touched by the life of this amazing man, and I'm so thankful that we were able to see some of it through the eyes of American Experience.

I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone who worked on the documentary. It was absolutely brilliant and I couldn't ask for a better four hours of my life. My roommates may have thought I was a little crazy running halfway across campus in order to make it back in time for the second portion, but I made it, and I'm so glad I did.

Did you watch the Walt Disney speical on American Experience?

Have a magical day!

Day 637: Keep Going

There's always so much work to be done at college, especially when you come off of a summer filled with side projects that all require their own individual attention. Then you add on some homework and practicing and classes and the simple need for sleep that a college student faces and everything just gets absolutely crazy.

Which is why it's often difficult for me to continue my Disney Movie Rewatch.

Don't get me wrong though, I'm not giving up on the entire challenge. After all, I've gotten further this time than I did the previous two times I attempted it. The first time I made it through so few movies I don't even remember where I stopped, and the second time I distinctly remember ending at Alice in Wonderland. Since I'm over a third of the way done now I figure that stopping would be ridiculous.

So today I watched The Aristocats, which has to be one of my favorites. Not in the top five, but probably in the top ten simply because of the music. I love jazz, as you probably well know, and this movie is completely filled with it. Plus there are kittens, and who doesn't love kittens?

But seriously, there are SO many Animated Disney films, and it's really interesting to see where everything started and head from that to what we see on the screen today. There's a huge difference and it's sort of beautiful to watch the progression, plus it really makes you appreciate the differences between hand drawn animation and digital animation. They're both art forms, both beautiful and both different. And each film has it's own storyline, although I find it amusing how in some of those middle films they use the same voice actors several times over. Such iconic parts, all by the same people.

As I continue on with my rewatch, I encourage you to join me or start your own rewatch of all the Disney films! It really is an interesting project and the great thing is there isn't really a time limit. It's probably best to watch them close together (and I hope to have them all finished by the end of the year), but you can space it out however you want!

Have a magical day!

Day 520: A Real Masterpiece

Now, I mentioned that while I'm watching all the Disney animated movies in order, the chances of me blogging about every single one are pretty bad. And that's very true. As much as I love all the Disney films, blogging about every last one seems like a ton of work, especially since when I watched I'm generally also working on something else at the same time, whether that be writing on another project I'm working on or tagging pictures or editing video. Whatever it may be, I sort of half watch the movie and half work on whatever it is I'm doing. Of course, I still am paying attention, and this is all really beside the point other than the fact that I'm saying I'm generally not blogging while actually watching the movie. If I did that, honestly the whole blog post would just end up being really jumbled and such anyway.

However, when I come across a film that gives me a fair topic for a blog post, I can't help but share with you. Tonight's film, the first one in several days because I've been so busy, was Fantasia. To be honest, most of my friends don't really like the movie, and after a little while it can be a bit of a bore to watch. It's not quite like the action movies we see today where everything is one thing onto the next. It runs at a much slower pace, and you have to sit and stop to appreciate the beauty that is in it. Which is kind of what I half did. For a while in the middle I wasn't paying the closest attention, but towards the very end I really got thinking about the film.

You, first of all, have to remember that Fantasia was made in the year 1940. That was a LONG time ago. Second, look at the length of the film, just over two hours. Compare that to Snow White or Dumbo, both clocking in at around an hour, and compare that to other films of the time as well. A full film with synchronized sound that was over two hours wasn't the most popular thing at the time, and when you compare that to the animated movies of today, many of those don't even beat that length, falling at least several minutes short of that two hour time span. So, while not everything in the film is actually animated, one could still point out the fact that for an animated movie, it's actually quite long. In addition, we must remember that everything is in color, also a newer basis at the time. Granted, films had been in color for several years, but each frame of that movie had to be hand painted at the time, while many of the animated films we see today are created with a computer. Now, I'm not saying that these computer animated films are any worse or took less time, because I very well know that computer animated movies can take years to create. Just look at Cars, which took four years alone! But hand painting is a daunting task. If you make a mistake on a computer you can just erase it. But a mistake in real life on a real board? That's not quite as easy to reverse.

Add all of this to the spectacular soundtrack that backs it, and maybe that's just the music major in me, and you have a true masterpiece. Maybe it is partly because of when it was made, but even today an undertaking like that would be crazy, and I honestly can't wait to watch Fantasia 2000 to see how it compares. I don't think I've ever watched them both within a close amount of time, so it shall be interesting to say the least.

But for now, I'll continue all my work, whether that be blogging or writing or video editing or just sitting down to enjoy one of these classic Disney films.

Have a magical day!

(This blog post was published on July 23, 2014).

Day 511: Remember That Time?

Do you guys remember that one time when I said that I was going to watch all the Disney movies in order and I didn't really get past Snow White? And then I decided I would try again and made it to like Alice in Wonderland, or somewhere around there. All I remember is that I didn't get to Peter Pan, so there's that. Well, I'm going to try again. The way I figured it, I have a while until I go back to school, and the movies can always play while I work on other stuff, just like this blog, so it's like a double win!

I think it's more because I actually intended to watch the movies that paired with fairy tales while I was taking the class, but with so little time during college, I didn't really get around to it until now, and I might as well just start at the beginning.The funny thing is, if I remember correctly, the last time I watched Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, I didn't like it very much. I don't really know why, but I just didn't. However, now that I'm watching it after loving OUAT and reading the fairy tale and just getting back from Disney and everything, I can't help but think about how I forgot just how adorable it is. I mean, this is a really cute movie with the dwarfs and everything. Plus, you've got the beautiful music and you're reminded just how much of a major accomplishment this must have been for Walt Disney and his team. A full length animated picture! It's so different from the movies we see today, but in my opinion it's just as good. Alright, so maybe there's a bit less action, but seriously the Evil Queen is pretty creepy, even if all I can think about when she's on screen is Lana.

I have no clue how often I'll actually blog about the movie that I happen to be watching, because I can't really just blog about movies for like 50 some days straight. Well, maybe I could. I mean, I have enough days to finish making up from before my hiatus, and I still have a ton of time left before I go back to school and the wonderful internet that I'll have there every day.

Currently, I'm just think about how silly it is for the old hag to bring a whole basket full of apples, all different colors. I guess the only one that's red is the poisoned one, but in reality, what would have happened if she had lost track and ate that apple herself? I mean, it couldn't be that far off, right? Then she would have never woken up! That is, unless we're talking OUAT. Regina has plenty of true loves that could come and save her.

Gosh, I could never animate an entire movie. I'm just no good at that. Maybe I'm able to draw the dwarfs, but that's about as far as I can go. I think I'll stick to writing, thank you very much!

Have a magical day, and feel free to join me in watching all the films! I'll post on Instagram when I do!

(This blog post was posted on July 17, 2014).

Day 349: Legacy

December is an important month for the Disney Company, in many ways. This month we celebrated the 90th anniversary of animation, and while this isn't necessarily important only to Disney, it is still crucial to the success and history of Disney. On December 5th we celebrated Walt Disney's Birthday, and it is in December that we celebrate the birthday of the first full length Animated Film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

But there is one other date in December that plays a particularly important role in the Disney company, and it's not really anywhere near as happy as the rest of the dates. And so, sadly, here is today's Disney History:

1966: Walter Elias Disney passes away at St. Joseph's Hospital of acute circulatory collapse (caused by lung cancer) just ten days after his 65th birthday. When the news of Walt's death reaches Disneyland in Anaheim, consideration is given to closing the park for the day, but instead it is kept open (as Walt would have wanted), but the flags on Main Street USA are lowered to half-mast. Also, that evening, Disneyland's Fantasy on Parade, a special presentation for the holiday season, steps off for the first time. An unusually cold night for Anaheim, a somber Disneyland experiences a light snow.

Yes, today in Disney History, the man that started it all, Walt Disney, died. If you remember yesterday's history I mentioned how the night before his death, Walt would have a visit from his brother Roy on what would become Walt's "Last Good Day." Walt would spend the evening planning out Disney World, and specifically Epcot, on the ceiling tiles above him. And at the end of the night he would gaze for the last time at the studio, where Roy ordered all lights be left on through the night.

A number of months ago I read "How to Be Like Walt." If you've been reading my blog long enough you'll know that that's now one of my all time favorite books, and one of the reasons this is is because when Walt's death is described, I legitimately cried. That portion of the book, and the ending, showcase the amazing man Walt Disney was. And I think the part that really got to me was the snow at Disneyland that evening. It was kind of like Walt was looking down on Disneyland that evening, just as he's been looking down on everyone since then.

The truth is, Walt Disney has impacted each and every one of us, whether we realize it or not. But throughout it all he kept true to himself and continued to be ambitious and follow his dreams, no matter what other people said. It's one of the reasons he's my primary role model, and it's why I can't wait to work for the Disney company someday.

We'll always miss you Walt.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on December 16 due to finals.)

Day 339: Happy Birthday Walt!

Today's Disney History is pretty obvious, at least it should be! But in case you're super out of the loop, here you go!

1901: Walter Elias Disney is born to Flora and Elias Disney in their two-story cottage at 1249 Tripp Avenue in a newly developed section of Chicago, Illinois. The fourth Disney son is named to honor the family's pastor and friend Walter Parr, a preacher at St. Paul Congregational Church. The pastor, in turn, will later name his son Elias, after Walt's Father.

In other words, today is yet another important day in the world of Disney. Today would be Walt's 112th birthday, which certainly is nothing to laugh at! That's a lot of years! Although I was thinking just this morning that in only a few years (ok, more than a few), Walt will have been dead as long as he was alive. That's ridiculous to think too, if you ask me. I mean, look at how many generations lived WITHOUT Walt Disney being alive, and I often times wonder what our world would be like had Walt continued to live his life. Either way, there's a very small chance that he'd be alive at any point in my life (He would have been 93 when I was born), but it's still something to think about.

But how different would our world be if Walt hadn't lived at all? I may have touched on this subject before (honestly everything kind of muddles together after 300 some days of blogging), but to say the least, our world would be very, very different.

I mean, other than the basic things that we wouldn't have, such as Mickey Mouse or Disney World or any of those Classic Animated Movies that we grew up with, there are a series of other things that, had Walt not lived, would be very, very different.

For instance, Walt Disney (and the studio) can be basically credited with the re-invention of animation, as they introduced more sophisticated techniques, enforcing the concept of personality in cartoon characters and making the first feature-length animated film (Snow White). Along with this, Disney was responsible for the first nature documentary and was one of the prime movers of the conservation movement, both through the film Bambi and then the Studios "True-Life Adventures."

Walt Disney founded the California Institute for the Arts (CALArts), intended as a school to train artists for motion pictures, and Walt was influential in the world of Mass Communication, largely through his theme parks, but especially through his presence on television.

And don't even get me started on the impact he's had on theme parks! Disneyland was an innovation in itself, and Walt Disney World continued with that. There are tons of innovations within the parks and the various attractions you can find there.

Also, Disney posted this timeline to promote Saving Mr. Banks (you better bet I'll be in the theater on December 20th), and I thought it was interesting, so I figured I would share it here! =)

For more information on Walt's Life, as well as some really interesting facts, some of which were even new to me, click here!

Have a magical day, and Happy Walt Day!