Walt Disney: The Architect of Childhood Memories

(Source-www.biography.com)

Hello readers, I live in your childhood memories and you have seen me several times on your Cartoon Network. My father, Walt Disney the one who created and represented me as a role model of 20th and 21st-generation children. Before him, who would have thought that mouse could look this pretty? Holding my hand, he produced a cult figure that still enriches the childhood memories of hundreds of generations.

From the humble beginning with an ordinary family background to creating a world of dreams enhanced with innovation and pursuit of excellence, Walt Disney revolutionized the art of storytelling and captivated audiences of all ages. And I am about to tell you how. In this article, you will be getting an overview of my father, Walt Disney and how he became the brand icon of the animation industry. 

Brief Overview: 

As a visionary animator, filmmaker, and entreprenuer, Walt Disney had left a lasting impact on the industry. Other than me, Disney has introduced a plethora of iconic characters like Donald Duck, Goofy, and countless others. With technical advancements like sound synchronization, using multiplane cameras, and Technicolour, Disney elevated the quality of animation and set new benchmarks in the industry. You might have watched The Lion King, Cinderella, and Frozen several times, however, before that Disney’s groundbreaking release of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” in 1937 marked the first-ever feature-length animated film.

Since the beginning, he has emphasized storytelling, character development, and emotional depth in his animated films. With the foundation of Walt Disney Studios and Disneyland, Disney expanded the reach and influence of the animation industry. 

The Micky Mouse Club: 

Disney’s first animated studio, “Laugh-O-Gram Studios” was a failure because of bankruptcy. He created his first animation series in 1927, in which Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was featured. Disney altered the character with me, Micky Mouse when his distributor appropriated the rights to the character. In the early years, I was accompanied by my beloved girlfriend, Minnie Mouse, and a gang of friends that included Donald Duck, Goofy, and Pluto.

I became a worldwide figure through the television show, The Micky Mouse Club, and became one of the widely distributed items in the merchandise industry. In 1932, Disney was awarded by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science for the creation of my character. Do you know that before calling me a Micky Mouse, I was originally called Mortimer Mouse? Disney’s wife insisted on changing the name to Mickey Mouse. 

In the beginning, I was created to be a silent cartoon who could not speak, eventually, Disney lent his voice to me and Jimmy MacDonald took over in 1946. I first appeared in the silent film Plane Crazy. The most noteworthy changes were made when I appeared in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice to recover declining prominence.

Interesting Facts You Probably Don’t Know about Walt Disney  Disney was born more than 120 years ago in 1901 and is remembered as one of the most legendary Americans ever. He holds the record for most Academy Awards wins by a single person ever. At 16, he dropped out of high school to enlist in the army, but unfortunately, he was caught joining while underage. Before founding the studio, Disney worked as an artist in the Kansas City advertising agency.At one time, Disney was the only person who was allowed to make a cartoon in full Technicolor. He had exclusive rights to use the three-color animation process. Disney was laughed at for wanting to create a feature-length animated film.

The Timeless Legacy of Walt Disney 

The Walt Disney Company, an American multinational mass media conglomerate has become the leader in the animation industry. Being home to many iconic cartoon characters like me, Disney has provided a platform to flourish every aspiring animator in the world. Disney’s character captures the hearts and imaginations of millions and is ranked 53rd on the 2022 Fortune 500 list of the most prominent companies in the United States by revenue.

However, the company has faced severe criticism for alleged plagiarism, racial stereotyping, and lacking LGBTQ-related elements in the films. Nevertheless, Walt Disney’s legacy influences pop culture, the entertainment industry, and the world. The Orange County Register stated that Walt Disney World has “changed entertainment by showing how a theme park could help make a company into a lifestyle brand.”

Walt Disney faced numerous challenges in his journey which contributed him to becoming more resilient towards failure and becoming a better version of himself. He had gone through financial stress in the early years of his career. The bankruptcy of his first animated film, Laugh-O-Gram Studios forced him to move to Hollywood to pursue new opportunities. Due to his bold leadership style, he was caught in conflict with laborers in the early 1940s.

Animators from his company went on strike, resulting in tensions within the studio. Despite being a successful creator, Disney encountered challenges regarding creativity. Not his all projects were successful, for example, “Fantasia”, a groundbreaking experiment that included a blend of animation and classical music, struggled to reach the right audience in its initial days. The outbreak of World War II imposed restrictions on Disney’s studio due to which it had to shift the focus of producing propaganda and training-based films. 

Business Lessons to Learn from Walt Disney 

Disney never stopped dreaming about the future despite facing failures in his life. There are many business lessons you can learn from him that may help if you are having a tough time in the journey of making dreams come true. 

1. Surround yourself with outstanding talent: While starting his career as a cartoonist, Walt learned that his drawing skills weren’t enough to make him successful. To make his dream come true, Walt hired a director, planner, animator, etc who came up with new ideas and stories. 
2. The story is the winner: Walt was a storyteller and Disney had a collection of compelling stories. He ensured that various elements of his movies were based on a strong story so that the audience could relate to the story. His stories inspired employees as well as customers. Effective data and statistics can crack a business mind but an engaging story can capture your mind. 
3. Keep learning: Disney preferred to research every idea he wanted to implement which helped him to put his learning mode on. Moreover, he sent his animators to art classes so that could be equipped with better skills. He enjoyed reading books and talking with experts to gain knowledge. 
4. Perfection is a myth: Walt believed in experimenting rather than following the norms of any industry. Before Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, nobody believed that there could be full-length animated feature films. However, he paid attention to every small detail which resulted in wide success. 
5. Never stop dreaming: According to Walt, as long as there is imagination left in the world, Disneyland will keep flourishing. With the success of the Disney animated film, Three Little Pigs, in 1933, movie theater operators begged Walt for “more pigs.” His response was simply, “You can’t top pigs with pigs.” He had other ideas in mind.

Once Walt Disney said, “All our dreams can come true if we dare to pursue them”. Children loved my character and I remembered how each of them insisted on watching my show while having lunch and dinner back in the past. I was put at the center of Disneyland which impacted the theme park, however, my father, Walt Disney kept growing in his life. I am more than grateful to him for creating my character and making me alive with his wife. Though he is not with us today, he left his work behind and I promise to entertain you for a lifetime.