We have a delightful tribute to Walt Disney today. Walt was born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 5th, 1901. Even more than five decades after his passing, Walt remains an icon, a household name the world over. One animation company has taken on a project to honor their hero, the man who gave breath to the very industry in which they now make their living.
The Wonderful World of Walt is a passion project created by David Molina, Terry Shakespeare, and Sue Shakespeare, owners of Creative Capers Entertainment, an LA-based independent animation studio that has been providing design and animation services to many divisions at The Walt Disney Company for nearly 30 years.
According to Sue Shakespeare, the film was inspired by a set of recordings of Pete Martin interviewing Walt Disney. These interviews provided the foundation for the book: The Story of Walt Disney, by Diane Disney Miller and Pete Martin.
Sue explains:
“We’ve always felt a close connection with Walt, and during the economic crisis of 2008 these recordings helped keep us going when things were really bad. Listening to Walt share some of his life lessons, along with the challenges and triumphs he experienced in building his business, was both inspiring and uplifting.
After listening to the recordings over and over, until every one of Walt’s words was ingrained in his memory, David felt the urge to sculpt Walt’s head, which he did. The minute Terry saw the sculpture, he was galvanized to bring it to life in stop motion animation. The guys built a stop motion puppet of Walt Disney, and then studied hours of film footage of Walt so they could convincingly reproduce his movement in animation. We chose some of our favorite moments from Walt’s recordings, and then animated this film. Along the way we had the opportunity to visit Walt’s office on The Disney Studio Lot, and that guided our building of the set for the film.
From the moment the idea to make this film was born, it felt as though Walt was there in our studio guiding us, inspiring us, and prompting us to finish this very special project! We feel that Walt wanted it to happen. Thanks Walt!”
Here’s the charming 6-minute film, which serves as the perfect tribute for Walt’s Birthday:
MORE WALT DISNEY OPPORTUNITIES
MiceChat has partnered with Walt Disney’s Storybook Mansion in the Hollywood Hills to provide you with rare access to the glorious estate. The historic home was built by Walt in 1932 to raise a family. This is the home he lived in longest and is designed in a whimsical European fairytale style.
We are working on securing a date or two for holiday-themed tours in the stunning mansion. All you have to do is follow the Facebook page for Walt Disney’s Storybook Mansion and you’ll get access to tours, events, and livestreams.
- Follow this Facebook page for more info: The Walt Disney Storybook Mansion (HERE)
- Or join the mailing list for more information direct to your inbox (HERE)
Let’s Hear From You
Our heartfelt thanks to the amazing and talented crew at Creative Capers for their clever Walt Disney tribute. To see Walt’s actual words brought to life via animation was the perfect fit for this special day.
To learn more about Creative Capers, please check out their website and demo reel here: CREATIVE CAPERS
We’d love to hear from you folks. What do Walt Disney and the industries he created mean to you? We’d love to hear your thoughts and own tributes below!
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