Walt Disney Animation Studios
Type	Subsidiary
Founded	1934
Headquarters	Burbank, California,  United States
Area served	Feature Animation
Key people	Ed Catmull John Lasseter
Industry	Entertainment
Parent	The Walt Disney Company

Walt Disney Animation Studios is a key element of The Walt Disney Company, and the oldest existing animation studio in the world. Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County California, United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Edwin Catmull, PhD (born 1945 in Parkersburg, West Virginia) is an Academy Award winning Computer scientist and current president of Walt John Alan Lasseter (born January 12 1957 is an Academy Award -winning American Animator and the chief creative officer at Pixar and For other uses of this term see Industry (disambiguation An industry (from Latin industrius, "diligent industrious" A holding company is a company that owns part all or a majority of other companies' outstanding Stock. The bouncing ball animation (below consists of these 6 frames The feature animation studio was an integrated part of Walt Disney Productions from 1934 (the start of production on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) until 1986, when, during the corporate restructuring to create The Walt Disney Company, it officially became a subsidiary of the company. Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a 1937 American film based on the eponymous German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) The studio was named Walt Disney Feature Animation (WDFA) until 2007, when it was renamed to reflect its change of direction under new management. [1] Its current logo - which debuted with the 2007 film Meet the Robinsons - is a sheet-to-screen time lapse using a clip from the classic Disney short Steamboat Willie. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Meet the Robinsons is a Computer-animated 2007 Film and the 46th Animated feature produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios Steamboat Willie ( 1928) is an Animated cartoon featuring Mickey Mouse released on November 18, 1928.

History

Walt Disney Feature Animation logo from 1998 to 2007

Walt Disney began the move into features in 1934, pulling selected animators away from the short subjects division that had previously been the whole of Walt Disney Productions. Walter Elias Disney (December 5 1901 – December 15 1966 was a multiple Academy Award -winning American Film producer, director, Screenwriter Short subject is a format description originally coined in the North American Film industry in the early period of cinema. The result was the first animated feature in English and Technicolor, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Technicolor is the trademark for a series of color film processes pioneered by Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a 1937 American film based on the eponymous German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. Snow White became an unprecedented success when it was released to theatres in February 1938, and it and many of the subsequent feature productions became film classics. These first features were presented as being made in 'multiplane technicolor', since both the multiplane camera and technicolor were still something new in the area of animation. Following the successes of these features, Disney expanded his company's operations, moving into live-action features, television, and theme parks. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic Theme park is the generic term for a collection of rides and other Entertainment attractions assembled for the purpose of entertaining a large group Beside successes like Snow White, Dumbo, and Cinderella, Disney also directed the Feature Animation staff create experimental and stylized films such as Fantasia and Sleeping Beauty which sustained losses and did not recoup their costs until decades after their original releases. Dumbo is a 1941 Animated feature Film produced by Walt Disney and first released on October 23 1941 by RKO Radio Pictures. Cinderella is a 1950 Animated feature produced by Walt Disney, and released to theaters on February 15, 1950 by RKO Radio Fantasia is a 1940 Animated film produced by Walt Disney, and is the third film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics. In 1962, Walt Disney shut down the corporation's short subject department, focusing its attention mainly on television and feature film production (the next short subject was the widescreen Mickey Mouse cartoon Runaway Brain in the mid 1990s). Runaway Brain is an Academy Award nominated 7-minute animated short-subject produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation Paris,

After Walt Disney's death in 1966, the animation department found itself without direction. The animators struggled to regain their footing but created films that were technically polished but told lackluster stories, even though most of them were successful. In 1973, lead animator Eric Larson began an experimental recruitment program to see if new young talent could be found to bring new blood to the industry. This article is about the Disney animator For the American comic book artist see Erik Larsen; for the American author see Erik Larson (author. This began the training of a whole new generation of animators that would bring animation to new heights and greatly influence the world's popular culture. After honing their craft on a series of fairly modest pictures, these new artists finally found true success again with The Little Mermaid in 1989. The Little Mermaid is a 1989 animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation with a pencil test beginning on September 23, 1988 and A string of successful films, such as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King followed suit, and Disney expanded WDFA to a total staff of over 2,400 by 1999, including employees located at satellite studios in Orlando and Paris. BATB redirects here If you were looking for Back at the Barnyard which is abbreviated as BATB see here. Aladdin is a 1992 animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, and released by Walt Disney Pictures on November 25 The Lion King is a 1994 American animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, released in theaters on June 15 1994

However, the expansion coincided with a decline in both revenue and quality of the department's output. Competition from other studios drove animator salaries to a high level, making 2D animated features a costly proposition, and beginning in 2000, massive layoffs were done to bring the staff back down to 600. Deciding that the reason for its failing box office draw was the fact that they still used traditional animation methods in a time when Pixar and DreamWorks Animation were producing highly successful CGI-animated films, Disney converted WDFA into an all-CGI studio, performing more layoffs and selling off its traditional animation equipment. Traditional animation, also referred to as classical animation, cel animation, or hand-drawn animation, is the oldest and historically the most popular Pixar Animation Studios is a CGI animation production company based in Emeryville California. DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc ( is an independent American Animation studio which primarily produce a series of critically and commercially successful Computer animation Computer-generated imagery (also known as CGI) is the application of the field of Computer graphics or more specifically 3D computer graphics The Paris studio was shut down in 2003, and the Orlando studio followed suit in 2004. The Orlando studio was turned into an attraction at a Disney theme park. Disney's Hollywood Studios is a Theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Walt Disney Animation Studios once announced that Home on the Range was the last traditionally animated film, and from Chicken Little onwards, all future Walt Disney Animation Studios films would be computer-generated-imagery CGI animation. Home on the Range is the 44th animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures on April

Walt Disney Animation Studios will be returning to traditional animation with the release in 2009 of The Princess and the Frog. The Princess and the Frog will be a 2009 upcoming American musical feature film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and based upon the classic fairy tale All films between Home on the Range and The Princess and the Frog will be done in CGI.

Management

From 1985 until his resignation in November 2003, Walt Disney Feature Animation was officially headed by Chairman Roy E. Disney, who exercised much influence within the division. Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Roy Edward Disney KCSG (born January 10, 1930) was a longtime senior executive for The Walt Disney Company, which his father Roy Oliver Most decisions, however, were made by the WDFA President, who officially reported to Disney but who in practice also reported to the Disney's studio chairman as well as its corporate chairman and CEO, Michael Eisner. Michael Eisner (born March 7, 1942) was CEO of The Walt Disney Company from September 22, 1984 to September 30 From 1985 to 1999, the President of WDFA was Peter Schneider. Peter Schneider became President of Feature Animation for The Walt Disney Company's Walt Disney Studios in 1985 and was responsible for turning the feature animation department around and

As of 2007, Ed Catmull serves as president of the combined Disney-Pixar animation studios, and John Lasseter serves as the studios' Chief Creative Officer. Edwin Catmull, PhD (born 1945 in Parkersburg, West Virginia) is an Academy Award winning Computer scientist and current president of Walt John Alan Lasseter (born January 12 1957 is an Academy Award -winning American Animator and the chief creative officer at Pixar and Catmull reports to Walt Disney Company President & CEO Bob Iger as well as Walt Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook. Robert A "Bob" Iger (born February 10 1951) is the head of The Walt Disney Company. Richard W "Dick" Cook is Chairman of the Walt Disney Studios. Lasseter, who has greenlight authority, reports directly to Disney's President & CEO Bob Iger.

Walt Disney Animation Studios, Burbank

Locations

Walt Disney Animation Studios is headquartered in Burbank, California, across the street from the original Walt Disney Studios in a specialized building completed in 1995. Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County California, United States. The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, United States, serve as the international headquarters Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Satellite studios once existed at Disney-MGM Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida (1989–2003) and at Paris, France (1995–2002), but those studios were closed in an effort to revive lagging profits by restructuring and recentralizing the division to produce fully computer-animated features solely in Burbank. Disney's Hollywood Studios is a Theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Lake Buena Vista is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar.

Collaborations

WDFA has occasionally joined forces with Walt Disney Imagineering to create an attraction for a Disney theme park that has required the expertise of Disney animators. Walt Disney Imagineering was formed by entertainment mogul Walt Disney on December 16, 1952 as WED Enterprises (WED Walter Elias Disney to Among this select number of attractions are:

• Mickey's PhilharMagic at the Walt Disney World, Magic Kingdom and Hong Kong Disneyland
• Stitch's Great Escape at the Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom
• Stitch Encounter at Hong Kong Disneyland
• Stitch Live! at Walt Disney Studios Park

WDFA and WDI also collaborated with the in-house entertainment studios at Disneyland and the Disney-MGM Studios to develop the night-time Fantasmic! show. Mickey's PhilharMagic is a 3-D film attraction at the Magic Kingdom theme park in the Walt Disney World Resort and at Hong Kong Disneyland Walt Disney World Resort is the most visited and largest recreational resort in the world containing four Theme parks two Water parks twenty-three themed hotels This article is about the Theme park at Walt Disney World Resort. Hong Kong Disneyland ( is the first Theme park inside the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and is owned and managed by the Hong Kong International Theme Parks Stitch's Great Escape! is a Tomorrowland attraction at the Magic Kingdom Theme park within the Walt Disney World Resort. Stitch Encounter is an interactive show located in Tomorrowland at Hong Kong Disneyland. Stitch Encounter is an interactive show located in Tomorrowland at Hong Kong Disneyland. Walt Disney Studios Park is the second theme park of Disneyland Resort Paris, but also owned and operated by Euro Disney S Disney's Hollywood Studios is a Theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Fantasmic! is the night-time fireworks and visual hydrotechnic show at Disneyland in California and Disney's Hollywood Studios, Florida

In the 1980s, WDFA collaborated with director Robert Zemeckis to create Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, a film that combined traditional hand-drawn animation with live action footage. Robert Lee "Bob" Zemeckis (born May 14, 1952) is an Academy Award - and Golden Globe -winning American Film director, Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 Live-action/animated film produced by Amblin Entertainment and The Walt Disney Company (released

WDFA did the Sprites and backgrounds for the Sega Genesis, Commodore Amiga and PC Video Game Disney's Aladdin (video game) and the SNES, PC, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis & Amiga video game The Lion King (video game)

Achievements

The Animation studio is noted for creating a number of now-standard innovations in the animation industry, including:

• the multiplane camera (for Snow White, but first used in the Academy-award winning short "The Old Mill")
• the realistic animation of special effects and human characters (for Snow White)
• advanced composition processes to combine live-action and animated elements using color film (for The Three Caballeros)
• the use of xerography in animation to transfer drawings to cels as opposed to ink-tracing (developed for One Hundred and One Dalmatians, but first tested in a few scenes in Sleeping Beauty and first fully used in the Academy-award nominated short Goliath II)
• the use of all-digital methods for painting, compositing, and recording animated features CAPS (Computer Animation Production System)

Among its significant achievements are:

• the first animated feature in Technicolor (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs). Disney's Aladdin is a Video game based on the 1992 motion picture of the same name, released in the 16-bit era. The Lion King is a Video game based on Disney 's popular animated film. The Old Mill is a 1937 Silly Symphonies cartoon produced by Walt Disney, directed by Wilfred Jackson, and released to theatres The Three Caballeros is a 1944 Animated feature film produced by Walt Disney and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures. Xerography (or electrophotography) is a Photocopying technique developed by Chester Carlson in 1938 and Patented on October 6 One Hundred and One Dalmatians (often abbreviated as 101 Dalmatians) is the seventeenth Animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. Goliath II is an animated Short film, produced by Walt Disney Productions and was released on January 21, 1960. The Computer Animation Production System (CAPS is a proprietary collection of Software programs scanning camera systems servers networked computer workstations and custom Technicolor is the trademark for a series of color film processes pioneered by Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a 1937 American film based on the eponymous German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm.
• the first major motion picture in stereophonic sound (Fantasia). Stereophonic sound, commonly called stereo, is the reproduction of Sound, using two or more independent audio channels through a Symmetrical Fantasia is a 1940 Animated film produced by Walt Disney, and is the third film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics.
• the first animated feature in CinemaScope (Lady and the Tramp). CinemaScope was a Widescreen movie format used from 1953 to 1967 Lady and the Tramp is a 1955 Animated feature film produced by Walt Disney, and originally released to theaters on June 22, 1955 by
• the first large format animated film (the 70mm Sleeping Beauty). Large format describes large Photographic films large cameras View cameras (including Pinhole cameras and processes that use a film or digital sensor
• the first film to have use of xerography (One Hundred and One Dalmatians). Xerography (or electrophotography) is a Photocopying technique developed by Chester Carlson in 1938 and Patented on October 6 One Hundred and One Dalmatians (often abbreviated as 101 Dalmatians) is the seventeenth Animated feature in the Disney animated features canon.
• the first animated feature to use computer-generated imagery (The Black Cauldron). Computer animation Computer-generated imagery (also known as CGI) is the application of the field of Computer graphics or more specifically 3D computer graphics The Black Cauldron (also known as Taran and the Magic Cauldron in some countries is the twenty-fifth Animated feature in the Disney animated
• the first animated feature using heavy use of CGI computer animation. (Oliver & Company). Oliver & Company is a 1988 Animated feature Film in which a homeless kitten named Oliver joins a gang of dogs to survive on the 1980s New
• the first animated feature to use digital coloring (The Little Mermaid, which introduced Disney's CAPS process).
• the first feature film to be shot using an all-digital process (The Rescuers Down Under, CAPS)
• the first and only animated feature to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture (Beauty and the Beast),
• the highest-grossing traditionally animated feature of all time (The Lion King). The Rescuers Down Under is the twenty-ninth Animated feature in the Disney animated features canon, produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation The Academy Award for Best Motion Picture is one of the Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS to artists working BATB redirects here If you were looking for Back at the Barnyard which is abbreviated as BATB see here. The Lion King is a 1994 American animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, released in theaters on June 15 1994
• the largest film premiere in history with over 100,000 viewers (Pocahontas). Pocahontas is the thirty-third Animated feature in the Disney animated features canon.

See also

• List of Walt Disney Theatrical Animated Features
• List of Walt Disney Animated Shorts
• List of Walt Disney Animated Featurettes

• The Walt Disney Company
• Walt Disney

• Pixar Animation Studios
• List of Pixar Animation Studios Feature and Short Films

• Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies
• Walt Disney Treasures

External links

• Walt Disney Animated Productions at the Big Cartoon DataBase
• Walt Disney Feature Animation at the Internet Movie Database

Notes