Where it all Started

Last week I talked about the new Disney Movie coming out this year. This week I would like to take some time and review the first Disney movie released. If we go back in time that Disney Movie was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which was released in 1938-1939. Since that date there have been 43 other movies to achieve the title Disney Masterpiece. One might wonder how Walt Disney made these timeless features without the help of today's technology's. It happen with the help of over 700 artist working round the clock for three years, and Walt Disney vision of Snow White was developed. This movie required over 3 million paintings and cost over 1.5 million Dollars. Wow in 1938 that was quite the chunk of change. This process starts with a story line....one we are all familiar with, probably the one that started it all, true love conquers all, and prince charming saves the day on his white horse. Then it goes into conference with Walt Disney and his writers and animators. After Walt has approved it production begins. Skilled Artist draw, redraw, and draw again each movement of every scene. Then they are transferred by hand to transparent paper to be painted. Expert chemist made over 1500 top secret shades for Snow White. After all celluloid's where painted they were sent to be photographed in technicolor, one frame at a time. This process was repeated over 1/2 million times.

I find the time and work that was put into this movie rather interesting. No wonder it is a self proclaimed Masterpiece.

List of Disney Movies. (n.d.). Retrieved January 25, 2009, from Disney Movies : http://www.disneymovieslist.com/disney-movies.asp

You Tube. (2004, September 4). Retrieved January 25, 2009, from You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhfp6Z8z1cI

The Frog Princess

Over the next sixteen weeks I will be digging deep into “Disney” movies, looking at the good, the bad and the ugly in these movies that have commanded the attention of our children for so long.

Today, I want to talk a look at the Newest addition to the Disney family.

Disney movies have brought families together for centuries. There have been many controversies over some of the content contained in the movies. However since 1992 Disney has added ethnical diversity into their films. Starting with Jasmine, in the movie Aladdin, Pocahontas, and Mulan, if you add these to Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and a few others there is a diverse ethnical background.

In 1999 Disney branded “Disney Princesses”, currently there are 8. The 9^th princess will star in “The Princess and the Frog” this year (2009). It is a story set in New Orleans staring the first African American Princess. Not unlike other Disney movies, this too has undergone its fair share of criticism. Disney announce what they thought was going to be a proud moment, and in turn was a disaster. After much criticism Disney had to change to story line, name of the Princess, and the Name of the Movie. After reading reviews on this movie, I do not understand why people are taking this movie as a negative thing for the African American culture. The movies character Tiana is an African American Princess growing up in the Jazz era of New Orleans. Ok, so Tiana’s living conditions may not be perfect, she may fall in love with a white guy, and she may live happily ever after. I guess I don’t see why this is any different than other Disney Princesses. Cinderella lived as a slave to her step mother. Pocahontas fell in love with a white man. Tiana is a girl with big dreams, who finds her happily ever after. Why is this any different from any other Disney Princess? I think that people should watch the movie before assessing criticism to it.

services, m. n. (2007, March 12). MSNBC. Retrieved January 18th, 2009, from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17524865/