SPRING 2000
This information effective for Spring 2000.
Check with instructor the first day of class for any changes.
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Course Description An examination of Walt Disney's creation of the American vision of "family entertainment." Particular attention will be paid to the classic animated feature films of Walt Disney and to the way this Disney invention has been preserved and developed since his death. We will also look at the live action films, theme parks and other Disney creations. |
Discussion topics:
1. The "Disney" logo. - Walt Disney reflects a concept of the role of the artist as redefined in the 20th Century: the most important creation of the artist becomes his/her name. Who actually creates the works that carry the Disney name? What was Walt Disney's role in the creative process? What eventually caused the Disney Company to produce work that does not carry the Disney name?
2. Animation I. - A history of the practice that lead to the creation of the first feature length animated film. Walt Disney's early years.
3. Animation II. - Pushing the envelope. The extent (and expense) to which Walt Disney went in order to expand the capabilities of film animation. This discussion will include an examination of the basic elements of traditional Disney animation such as the building of a plot, the creation of character animation, and the concern for visual effects.
4. Disney's battle with "high" art. - Walt Disney consistently scorned the art of museums and high culture. He gently mocked the critics and the university professors, and avowed his interest in entertainment rather than art. Here we will examine how Disney used this manufactured distinction to promote a view of the arts which he used to his advantage.
5. American childhood and the rural romance. - Disney idealized a childhood in rural America that practically no one of his generation actually experienced - certainly not Disney himself. We will look at the myths he chose to elevate the human spirit, and consider their usefulness in promoting a vision of America and what it could be.
9. Animation III. - Disney animation after Disney. This discussion will examine the innovations that have been incorporated into the animated films of The Disney Company after the death of Walt Disney. Of special interest will be the creation of feature length films that are entirely computer animated.
7. Technological Imperialism. - Walt Disney reflected an enthusiasm for new technologies which has characterized one aspect of the arts in 20th Century America. In this discussion, we will examine Disney's relentless efforts to incorporate new technologies in his work and to use them to expand the possibilities of the art.
8. Utopian Fantasies. - An examination of Walt Disney's intention to create utopian communities within the post-World-War-II sprawl in the Sun Belt (each the "happiest place on earth").
9. Utopias Franchised. - As the theme parks turned out to be big business, they began to spread like big business. Here we will discuss some of the lessons learned from the successes and disasters that grew up in the wake of Disneyland and Walt Disney World (including Tokyo Disneyland, Euro Disney, Celebration, Disney's America, and Hong Kong Disneyland).
10. How big? - In the period after 1984, the Walt Disney Company voraciously set out to expand its empire. Touchstone, Caravan, Miramax, Hollywood Pictures, ABC, ESPN,the Disney Channel, Arts and Entertainment, the History Channel, Lifetime, nine TV stations, eighteen radio stations, The Disney Stores, a hockey franchise, a cruise line, two housing developments - the acquisitions and expansions are enormous. In one way or another Disney touches (and reaches into the pocket of) every American. This is rapidly becoming true throughout the developed world. The question for discussion is "to what extent is this intrusion into our lives being used to redefine our culture?"
Required reading:
Eisner, Michael D., Work in Progress, Random House, New York, 1998
Hiassen, Carl, Team Rodent: How Disney Devours the World, Library of Contemporary Thought - Ballentine Books, New York, 1998
Smooden, Eric (Ed.) , Disney Discourse, Routledge, New York, 1994
Thomas, Frank and Johnston, Ollie, Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life, Abberville Press, New York, 1981
Watts, Steven, The Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney and the American Way of Life, Houghton Mifflin , New York, 1997
Additional selected essays and articles
Film showings: (One per week)
Snow White and the Seven DwarfsPinocchio
Bambi
Dumbo
Fantasia
Peter Pan
Cinderella
The Little Mermaid
Toy Story
Assignments and examinations
One class paperone story boarding assignment
one assignment in the Disney process of "gagging"
A final examination
Class meetings -- 1 lecture, one film showing with discussion, and one discussion section meeting per week.
1. Students in this course will be introduced to the fundamentals of creating multimedia projects on the computer. They will be expected to both acquire technical skills and to learn some fundamental principles in putting them to use. These will include a consideration of the following topics:
-- Learning to create an effective and efficient graphic interface for multimedia projects.-- Composition of screens that are graphically engaging and effective for their purpose.
-- Creating an engaging sequence of events for a project.
-- Mixing sound, text, video, graphics and virtual reality effectively.
-- Basic computer animation which includes not only in-betweening and frame-by-frame animation, but also animation governed by computer code.
-- Making projects that are not only presentational, but also demand a certain level of interactivity.
-- Strategies for effective interaction.
-- Basic coding skills necessary to create interactive projects.
2. Texts
--Jason Robert, Director 7 Demystified, Macromedia Press , 1999
3. Each student will design and create a complex computer game, presentational project, or web project. They will be evaluated both on the quality of their work in creating the project and on the final result.
