~Walt Disney Animation Studios

The Walt Disney Animation Studio is the most integral mainstay of the Disney citadel. It is the oldest animation studio in the world. It was founded in 1937 and initiated the production of Disney's first animated feature - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The studio was named "Walt Disney Feature Animation" and took its current name - The Walt Disney Animation Studio - in 2007. All the Disney Animated Features were made in this studio, for a full list of their products, see here.

Headquarters: Burbank, California, United States
The studio official website makes the following statement about what their artists: "Our crew is filled with diverse talent from all around the globe whose passion is to create beautiful and timeless films through the art of storytelling, the magic of animation and the science of cutting edge technology." Nested in a valley of movie studios, television productions, and related industry companies, the Animation Studio creates masterpieces in Mickey Mouse's Sorcerer Hat, what could be more inspirational?!

Breathtaking craftsmanship, beautiful artistry, compelling storytelling, combined with groundbreaking, state-of-the-art technology: the Walt Disney Animation Studio stands firm as the pioneering animation studio in the world, one that stands the test of time and shall remain timeless until Planet Earth's last breath.

The studio strives to honour and develop Walt's legacy, his philosophies, creative soul, compelling inner-strength and heart to create a world of enchantment we all fell in love with. Walt Disney's spirit lives on in this legendary studio. It is a place where artists dream, muses sing and imagination reign.

~Are YOU an aspiring Disney animator?

Click here to check out career opportunities, detailed explanations of artistic and technical roles and student/internship opportunities!!!

Images below from the Animation Studios official website.

~Studio History

In 1937, Walt Disney initiated the move into animated features (full-length animation films), a feat unprecedented and risky at the time. He selected several animators away from the short subjects division that had previously been 'Walt Disney Productions'. History was made. Walt and his team produced the first full-length animated film in English and Technicolor - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

When Snow White was released in theatres in 1938, it became an instant phenomenon. Walt's newborn animation studio was set to lead the world into a new era of animation magic.

After the popularity and financial success of Snow White, Walt's production team produced several films that continued to enjoy success. Furthermore, they achieved ground-breaking techniques 'Multiplane Technicolor' in animation.

Not all of Walt's films were box office hits. More abstract/experimental and less popular films such as Fantasia and even Sleeping Beauty sustained losses and did not recoup their costs until decades after their original releases.

In 1962, Walt Disney shut down the corporation's short subject department, focusing its attention mainly on television and feature film productions.

After the death of Walt Disney (R.I.P) in 1966, the studio began struggling to fill the void that is lack of masterful direction. The animators created films that were mostly successful, but recognized there was a certain Tinkserbell-pixiedust quality missing from the films.

In 1973, lead animator Eric Larson began an experimental recruitment program, aiming to seek young talent and bring new blood to the industry.

After honing their craft on a series of fairly modest pictures, these new artists finally found true success again with The Little Mermaid, a Disney classic masterpiece that instigated the era known as Disney Renaissance. Disney's unrivaled glory returned.

The Disney Renaissance guaranteed Disney's unmatched position as supreme leader in the animation world. Phenomenal films such as Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin, Hercules, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Lion King and Tarzan followed suit. By 1999, Disney had expanded the Walt Disney Feature Animation (the 'now' Walt Disney Animation Studios) to a total staff of over 2400 employees, including artists located at satellite studios in Orlando and Paris.

However, at the dawn of the 21st century, the animation studio started a decline in both revenue and quality of the department's output. Competition from other studios and high salary demand for animators made traditional/2D animated features a costly proposition. At the same time, Pixar/20th Century Fox/Dreamworks were producing highly successful CGI films. Finally, Disney converted the animation studio into a CGI Studio.

More staff members were cut and the studio sold their traditional/2D animation equipment. Gone are the Renaissance Era days, and computer-generated films were ushered in.

In 2006, Disney purchased the Pixar Animation Studios; the Feature Animation studio was renamed Walt Disney Animation Studios (current name) in 2007.

Despite the acquisition, Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios continue to maintain separate studios and release their films under separate banners, with former Pixar executives Edwin Catmull and John Lasseter serving as both studios' president and Chief Creative Officer, respectively.

Under the leadership of Disney Company CEO Roger Iger, films such as Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) only received modest success, while others such as Treasure Planet (2002) and Home on the Range (2004) were box office bombs

In late 2000s, the Disney company had vacillating policies on 2D vs. CGI production. With the release of Home on the Range (2004), Disney announced it would be the company's last traditional animated film. Chicken Little (2005), Meet the Robinsons (2007) and Bolt (2008) were living proof of the 2D-animation-discardment philosophy. However, with the 2009 release of The Princess and the Frog, the animation studio is blatantly returning to traditional animation.

~Today and Tomorrow

Controversies and disapprovals had bubbled beneath the surface of Disney's current/future direction into CGI/non-traditional styles in storytelling and artistic techniques. Disney fans are disgruntled at the company's indistinct philosophies, moviegoers are disappointed at the short-lived glory of the Disney Renaissance era.

Longtime A-list Disney animator Glen Keane was to simultaneously make his directorial and CGI debuts in the 2010 release of Rapunzel. A film that had potential to excite long-time Disney fans and promised a return to Disney's traditional ways. However, in late 2008, Keane stepped down and turned the reins over to Bolt co-director Byron Howard and writer/story artist Nathan Greno. This event contributed to even more fans turning away and giving up hope on Disney's tomorrow.

What does the future hold for the Walt Disney Animation Studio? Can this old warrior stand the test of time and never lose her unique flair? Will the animation studio do Walt proud in a decade or two? Will we see another 'Disney Renaissance' or are the good ol' days gone for good? Or perhaps 3D and CGI are the destiny for Disney?

Who knows? All we can do is wish upon a star and say "I believe in Disney. I do. I do". Or perhaps do something less dorky but shows our royalty nonetheless.

~Pioneering Achievements

Revolutionary creations and now-standard innovations that attribute their credit to the Walt Disney Animation Studio include:

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 101 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).

The first animated feature of the American society (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs).

The first animated feature in Technicolor (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs).

The highest-grossing animated feature in adjusted dollars (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs).

The first major motion picture in stereophonic sound (Fantasia).

The first animated feature released in 3D (Peter Pan).

The first animated feature in CinemaScope (Lady and the Tramp).

The first large format animated film (the 70mm Sleeping Beauty).

The first animated feature to use computer-generated imagery (The Black Cauldron).

The first animated feature using heavy use of CGI computer animation. (Oliver & Company).

The first animated feature to use digital coloring (The Little Mermaid, which introduced Disney's CAPS process).

The earliest animated feature to gross $100 million domestically (The Little Mermaid)

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 first animated feature to gross $200 million domestically (Aladdin)

The highest-grossing traditionally animated feature of all time (The Lion King).

The largest film premiere in history with over 100,000 viewers (Pocahontas).