Browse: Home / Disney Byways: Disney Test Projects

Menu

Skip to content
  • Home
  • Who We Are
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Contact Us
  • Login

The-SoluteLogo

A Film Site By Lovers of Film

Menu

Skip to content
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • Long Reviews
  • News
  • Articles and Opinions
  • Other Media
  • Sometimes the Narrative Is Pure
  • The Solute Book Club: FURNACE (An Introduction)
  • TV on the Internet: PAUL T. GOLDMAN
  • Year of the Month: DRY SUMMER (SUSUZ YAZ)
  • New on DVD and Blu-Ray
Collaboration is also important to art

Disney Byways: Disney Test Projects

Posted By Gillianren on July 29, 2022 in Features | Leave a response

Work on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was started in 1934, with the movie itself coming out three years later. Now, most of the work on that film was actually work on the film, obviously. However, it’s definitely arguable that work on the film started even before the night Walt acted out the plot of the film to his staff. Perhaps it started in 1932, when the animators started taking art lessons which eventually became a studio process. Perhaps it started in 1933, when Ub Iwerks invented the first multiplane camera. However, if you look through projects the studio released in the ‘30s, you can see Walt working toward what would become the studio’s first feature.

It’s an ongoing process, or it was in the era of theatrical shorts. The studio used those shorts to develop techniques that would be used in the features. This was both artistic and technical, too. “The Old Mill” was a final test of the multiplane camera, and of course its artistic style can be seen in the finished film as well. As we’ve talked about before, “The Goddess of Spring” was part of the work on creating more realistic human figures. We’ve also talked about how “The Worm Turns” was in part practice for creating the Evil Queen’s workshop. “Flowers and Trees” was the first-ever three-strip Technicolor film, which wasn’t deliberately experimenting for future films but definitely did come in handy for them. I’d argue that “The Pied Piper” shows a midpoint between Funny Animal Animation and convincing human characters.

It isn’t just things tied into Snow White, either. “Grand Canyonscope” was filmed in Cinerama. Sure, that didn’t stick around, but if it had, Disney now knew how to animate for it. The Silly Symphonies faded away as the feature division took off, but for decades to come, there were details that showed up in the shorts before appearing in the features. We’re not talking xerography, here, where the details literally showed up, but again we’re talking techniques and technology. The shorts were practice, because if they go wrong, you haven’t screwed up something that could once again bring the company to the verge of bankruptcy.

In theory, even after the end of the theatrical-release shorts, Disney animation could have continued being tested with the stuff the studio made for television. In practice, the two divisions were fairly separate. This means that the laboratory Disney had for their experimentation was closed. Oh, there are still shorts being created by the studio now and again, but it’s hardly being used as much as it could be. This is yet another reason for my passionate belief that we need to bring back animated shorts before features. Test the technology; experiment with the art.

Honestly, this is why I’m kind of glad to discover that Disney produced a rare commercial recently, for Givenchy. It’s 2D-animated. It’s hand-drawn. And, okay, it’s part of a partnership that has produced an insanely overpriced collection based on 101 Dalmatians. (There is no such thing as a T-shirt worth $600.) Still, that could actually be practice for doing another 2D, hand-drawn film, and my goodness but it would be lovely if they’d do that. And the way to make sure it looks good when you get there is to practice. It’s one of the good things we could learn from what Walt did.

I’m not asking for a $630 “nylon bucket hat” from Givenchy, just that you give a few bucks to my Patreon or Ko-fi!

Posted in Features | Tagged Animated, Disney Byways, test projects

About the Author

gillianmadeira@hotmail.com'

Gillianren

Gillianren is a forty-something bipolar woman living in the Pacific Northwest after growing up in Los Angeles County. She and her boyfriend have one son and one daughter, and she gave a daughter up for adoption. She fills her days by watching her local library system’s DVD collection in alphabetical order, watching everything that looks interesting. She particularly enjoys pre-Code films, blaxploitation, and live-action Disney movies of the ’60s and ’70s. She has a Patreon account at https://www.patreon.com/gillianren

Related Posts

Wilderness travelersDisney Byways: THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY→

Out of context Disney images strikes again!Disney Byways: SAVAGE SAM→

This is what grey horses look likeDisney Byways: MIRACLE OF THE WHITE STALLIONS→

One of the many beautiful photos you can see if you follow Anthony on Instagram!Disney Byways: Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room→

  • Comments
  • Popular
  • Most Recent
  • j*****@yahoo.com'
    mr_apollo on Year of the Month: Mon OncleWonderful piece, Sam. It's made…
  • j*****@yahoo.com'
    mr_apollo on Year of the Month: Mon OncleFellow heretic here. I've never…
  • n***********@gmail.com'
    Ruck Cohlchez on Film on the Internet: AN AMERICAN CRIMEI wouldn't have called it…
  • j***********@gmail.com'
    Son of Griff on LIFE ITSELFGlad to hear back from…
  • n*********@gmail.com'
    Jake Gittes on Film on the Internet: AN AMERICAN CRIMEThis is the single most…
  • “The End” of SAVAGES

    33251 views / Posted November 10, 2014
  • What the fuck did I just watch? SPHERE

    27267 views / Posted March 19, 2015
  • The Untalented Mr. Ripley: The Craft of Standup Comedy and the Non-Comedy of TOM MYERS

    24588 views / Posted June 26, 2018
  • Scenic Routes: SHOWGIRLS (1995)

    19945 views / Posted November 20, 2014
  • Yvonne, or: CASABLANCA In One Character and Three Scenes

    10917 views / Posted August 21, 2014
  • Don't they look comfy?

    Sometimes the Narrative Is Pure

    February 1, 2023 / Gillianren
  • The Solute Book Club: FURNACE (An Introduction)

    February 1, 2023 / CM Crockford
  • TV on the Internet: PAUL T. GOLDMAN

    February 1, 2023 / Ruck Cohlchez
  • Year of the Month: DRY SUMMER (SUSUZ YAZ)

    January 31, 2023 / Sam "Burgundy Suit" Scott
  • New on DVD and Blu-Ray

    January 31, 2023 / Greta Taylor

Last Tweets

  • Sometimes the Narrative Is Pure - https://t.co/EMnSPhPe3P, 17 hours ago
  • The Solute Book Club: FURNACE (An Introduction) - https://t.co/nM1pl98Pee, 23 hours ago
  • TV on the Internet: PAUL T. GOLDMAN - https://t.co/6p35fILNOI, 23 hours ago

©2014 - 2016 The-Solute | Hosted, Developed and Maintained by Bellingham WP LogoBellinghamWP.com.

Menu

  • Home
  • Who We Are
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Contact Us
  • Login
Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!