Disney Movies

How were the holidays, my little blogger bugs ?!

I'm back & inspired more than ever to share what I've been doing over my Thanksgiving break and time off from school. I've been catching up on my all time favorite Disney movies & it's reminded me that one of Disney's big startups and collision with technology all began with Disney's original movies.

   

Catch up with some of my personal Disney favorites!

Brief History: In early 1923, struggling animation creator Walt Disney created a short film called Alice Wonderland, which featured a young female child interacting with animated characters. Working with his brother Roy O. Disney, they were able to sign a contract with M. J. Winkler Productions, who produced a series known as, "Alice Comedies," based on Disney's original creation. Later that year on October 16, 1923, Walt and his brother Roy created The Disney Brothers Studio. This new animation studio with the continuous support of M. J. Winkler Productions created an all-cartoon series based on one of Disney's first original character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. However, Disney later found more success with the creation of another original character, Mickey Mouse. On November 18, 1928, Steamboat Willie was released as the very first Mickey Mouse cartoon and immediately found success with audiences. In January 1929, Disney renamed their studio to the Walt Disney Studio as they continued to create more of Disney's original characters such as Donald Duck and animated films such as, The Band Concert. In 1934, Walt Disney began shifting its focus from animated cartoons towards full length features for the big screen. Disney found its first success with the 1937 release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. With the new technology of multiplane camera and full color Technicolor process, Walt Disney's features caught quick success. However, with World War II in 1940 creating a worldwide concern, Disney's features began to decline, losing viewers. In 1985, Disney decided to take another direction with the studio, focusing rather on animated musicals and using music to attract audiences and renamed their studios to Walt Disney Feature Animation. With the focus on music, Disney immediately found dramatic success with features such as The Little Mermaid (1989), Aladdin (1992), The Lion King (1994), and many more. However, as time progresses technology advances with it and calls for new ideas from the studios. Beginning in 2000, Disney decided to ditch their animated features for a more technological advanced originals featuring computer animation, including CGI, computer graphics imagery. In 2006, Disney learned they could not compete with the other studios already familiar with computer animation, so instead Disney bought Pixar Animation Studios. After acquiring Pixar, Disney renamed its studio one last time to Walt Disney Animation Studios, and remains as a separate studio from Pixar. Under this new acquisition, Disney was able to find success with their 3D movies, such as Chicken Little (2005), and Pixar's originals, such as Wall-E (2008). That ultimately leads us to Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios today, who continues to create classics for audiences everywhere including Brave (2012), Wreck-It Ralph (2012), and many more.

Walt Disney Animation Studios & Pixar Studios continue to dominate movie screens

What makes it so successful: As the years passed and the trends of society with children to teenagers have changed, Disney has always put in an effort to keep up with these trends. One of the strengths that Disney has consistently continued is their ability to target a specific audience. Whether movies such as Tangled are directed towards young female children or The Avengers directed towards adventure seeking children and adults, Disney always has a direct target audience when it comes to promoting their movies. According to The Setonian, "...latest Disney film brings out the kid in everyone," referring to Wreck-It Ralph. Another strategic factor that Disney has consistently continued are their plans to promote the music for the movies. Disney has always focused on making a memorable soundtrack that reminds audiences of the movie itself, while just listening to the music. According to Ariana Roussos, online Disney blogger, "The star power for the voices and the soundtrack alone would make all ages intrigued by the film." Music can speak louder than the film when it is just as memorable. Another strategic factor for Disney's success in movies falls under its ability to cast a familiar, known cast. In other words, Disney always implements known actors/actresses that already have a large fan base so fans can continue to support their favorite actors/actresses. In addition, Disney loves to keep it in the family, by re-using many of their Disney related celebrities from other Disney productions to feature in another Disney film. Another important factor is the ability of Disney to make sequels of a particular story, by bringing up familiar faces. According to Forbes, "To continue to grow at its current pace, Disney needs to keep producing films that are going to provide the company with opportunities of theme park attractions, TV spin-offs and lots and lots of merchandise." Disney has always played smart by using familiar background stories and familiar characters to create sequels, such as the Toy Story sequels and Pirates of the Carribbean sequels.

  

Disney continues to find success re-creating sequels to familiar faces

How technology has aided the success: One of the main changes in technology was the increase in popularity of 3D movies. As time progressed, audiences didn't want to just watch a movie feature, they wanted to experience what the characters in the movie were actually experiencing. Take The Lion King 3D re-release for example. It's September 2011 re-release to the big screen has claimed that box office opening weekend with a sweeping $29.3 million. According to CNN, "In 'The Lion King's' original theatrical run, it roared up a stunning $312.9 million total, becoming the highest-grossing animated film in box office history at that time. The film earned another $15.7 million during a 2002 re-release, and now another $29.3 million during the first weekend of its two-week run. All told, Simba and company have grossed $357.8 million in theaters domestically over the last two decades." With it's success, Disney has followed suit to what the viewers like. According to The Huffington Post, after the success of The Lion King 3D, Disney has agreed to re-release 4 more Disney films in 3D including, Finding Nemo (2012), Beauty and the Beast (2012), Monsters Inc (2013), and The Little Mermaid (2013). In addition to its re-release in 3Ds, Disney has also seen the success of Disney movies with computer animation. When it comes to CGI concentration, Pixar has always found the main success with Disney. According to Forbes, Pixar currently accounts for 7 out of the company's 15 highest grossing films of all time. Pixar has found favor with the viewers as they find the images on the screen more crisp and the effects much more believable as compared to Disney's previous animated films.

Disney found immediate success with the re-release of The Lion King 3D

Hope I've inspired you to go and look up your favorite Disney features as well!
If you find some spare time, take a stroll down to your local movie theater and give Wreck-It Ralph a chance, which I heard is going to be an instant Disney classic!
Toodles my darlings, until next time!

Sources: 
http://www.disneyanimation.com/studio/ourstudio
http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/about-disney/disney-history
http://www.forbes.com/sites/dorothypomerantz/2012/08/28/disneys-success-and-the-death-of-mid-budget-movies/
http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/19/showbiz/movies/lion-king-box-office/index.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/04/disney-re-releasing-films-3d_n_994701.html