The journey of Disney animation through the years

From the first Mickey Mouse talkie 'Steamboat Willie' in (1928) to 'Moana 2' (2024), the exhibition features more than 600 exceptional art pieces from 100 years of Walt Disney Animation Studios artwork. Read on to learn more about the range of artworks and their films as seen in the exhibition.

Bringing drawings to life

For Walt Disney, animation was all about the power of imagination – if you can dream it, you can bring it to life through animation.

Walt Disney and his team experimented with shape, weight, and timing to create fluid, lifelike movements and characters capable of expressing a wide range of emotions.

'Steamboat Willie' (1928) was the first Mickey Mouse animation to hit the big screen. It was also the first Disney animation to feature synchronised sound, where the sound perfectly matches the characters' movements, adding an extra layer of magic to the experience.

Mickey Mouse quickly became one of the most recognisable characters in the world.

The magic begins

After achieving great success with their lively and innovative short animations, Walt Disney Animation Studios decided to take on a new challenge – creating feature-length animated films.

'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' (1937) is Disney's first-ever feature-length animated movie and the first feature-length animation produced in Technicolor.

In planning and creating this movie, Disney Animation used all they had learned to craft a magical fairytale world. They also experimented with many new ideas to bring the characters and their stories to life. The movie was made for audiences of all ages and became incredibly popular.

One of the unique features of Disney Animation's films is how the story world reflects the emotions of the characters, enhancing the storytelling. The enchanting worlds of films like 'Pinocchio' (1940), and 'Dumbo' (1941) are part of the magic that captivates audiences.

Walt Disney believed it was crucial for Disney artists to start with real-life examples and then apply their imaginations and creativity. When planning and designing the film 'Bambi' (1942), the team spent months sketching live deer in the studio to help create the character of Bambi and tell his story.

Producers of magic

The character development continues through films such as 'Sleeping Beauty' (1959), art directed by artist Eyvind Earle. He created hundreds of concept artworks as well as painted many background paintings that were used in the movie.

While other artists before him had inspired the style of a Disney cartoon, such as Mary Blair for 'Alice in Wonderland' (1951), this was the first time that one of the Studio’s films had so directly used an artist’s backgrounds designs and colours as they were initially presented by the artist.

The animators had to adapt the design of the characters to match the style of the world created by Earle. This explains the angular and stylised shapes of the characters.

It was around this time that animators and artists began developing Disney villains, from the evil fairy Maleficent in 'Sleeping Beauty' to Cruella De Vil in 'One Hundred and One Dalmatians' (1961).

When designing characters and integrating them into the animation world, Disney artists ensure everything is designed with a purpose. Everything about Cruella – her face, body, clothes, and car – screams that she is a villain who cannot be trusted.

Towards new dimensions

In the 1990s, Walt Disney Animation Studios released some of their most beloved films of all time. Some of the notable films of this period are 'Beauty and the Beast' (1991) and 'The Lion King' (1994).

These films also mark Disney Animation's entry into the digital age, with the development of new tools for animators to explore. Computer graphics improved with each new film, eventually becoming the primary method for producing animation.

'The Little Mermaid' (1989) began this process, with characters and backgrounds being digitally combined in the next-to-last scene of the film.

By the time 'Mulan' (1998) was produced, artists were using new techniques for computer-generated graphics to create a massive battle scene with over 2,000 warriors on horseback, each with individual movements.

Bringing people together

'Tangled' (2010) is Disney’s first fairy tale adaptation using computer-animated characters. Disney Animation used innovative CGI technologies to bring her hair to life.

In the digital age, storyboards are still essential for animators to visually map out each scene. Concept art is created to build the world of the characters.

The bond between characters and their worlds is central to compelling storytelling, especially in animated films where visual storytelling plays a crucial role. In movies like 'Frozen' (2013), 'Moana' (2016), 'Zootopia' (2016), 'Frozen 2' (2019), 'Raya and the Last Dragon' (2021) and 'Moana 2' (2024), concept artists craft artworks that inspire the animation and production teams, helping to bring both characters and their story worlds to life.

Disney: The Magic of Animation at Tākina is the first time the original artwork of 'Moana 2' has been shown, with a specially designed Fale so people can immerse themselves in the environment of this film.

Experience the magic of Disney animation at Tākina. You’ll get to see 600 art pieces up close, from original sketches of timeless characters to modern, computer-generated wonders. Book your tickets now.

All images provided by WellingtonNZ.