Though Disney began by creating animated shorts, in 1937 he released a feature-length animated movie, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” This film was the first to employ animation techniques that involved drawing the animated “action” of a scene on transparent sheets. These sheets were then laid on top of a static background image to create the “scene” for the film. The film also was the first animated film to be shot in Technicolor and was the first to employ a special camera that created a 3-D effect for the final product, by alternating speeds and distances as it shot the many animated images.
Disney’s Mickey Mouse has become an American icon. Mickey Mouse’s image is available for purchase on toys, jewelry, clothes, housewares and linens and games. All of this merchandise qualifies Mickey Mouse as a franchise or “brand,” terms unheard of in Disney’s early days which are used commonly now to describe media characters and titles that cross over into other product offerings. Nowadays, every Disney animated film spawns a plethora of products, all following the model established by Mickey Mouse in the early days.
Disney was closely connected with the advancement of Technicolor during its development in the late 1920s and 1930s. He used it for his “Silly Symphonies” shorts, winning public support for the innovative process. He participated in an exclusive contract with the Technicolor inventor for five years, securing the process’s use in animation solely through Disney studios for that time. His first animated feature, “Snow White,” solidified the viability of the Technicolor process. Disney’s use and support of Technicolor had a huge effect on the future of color images in both film and TV.
California Institute of the Arts was created by Disney by combining the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music and the Chouinard Art Institute in 1961. CalArts became the first professional training program to offer education in both performance and technical instruction for artists of all media. From the time of its founding to the present, CalArts continues to educate the media artists -- artists, filmmakers, animators, musicians, dancers and actors. National and international media have been widely influenced by this institutions many graduates.