Where all of the magic is stored, and preserved the Disney Animation Research Library #frozenbluray #piratefairybloggers

****Disney provided  an all-expense paid trip for me to cover this great event Pictures provided by Disney. All opinions are 100% mine. ****

On our recent blogger trip to explore the world of Frozen, The Pirate Fairy, and Saving Mr. Banks, we were all treated to a visit to the Disney Library. Now this is unlike any library you have ever imagined. 

 This was the home of the magic, the home of original cells, paintings and just about all you need to make a Disney animated movie. Imagine, original drawings from Walt Disney, original cells from Disney classics such as Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, and all others.

The Disney team is currently working on organizing and scanning the drawings in the library… This may seem like a simple goal, but if you really think about all of the Disney films that were made, the hours and hours of painting drawing that is needed to make a move.. You will see that this is a task that will take a generation to finish. Why scan the drawings? 

 Walt Disney knew the importance of saving and preserving the artwork, when saving the art was not a common practice, Walt still kept the work. When some movies art was put away and stored, they were just put in a folder or a box, with no organization… the drawings are all there but not in any order. 

 The Disney teams are in the process of organizing the drawings, then they are scanned cataloged and checked again for accuracy. All while giving the art the utmost respect, and white glove treatment. The scanning is essential, to preserving  these drawings for future generations. Having the drawing scanned will also make locating them, that much easier as well. 

So what if there is a fire? What happens to protect all of these priceless archives in the library?  Well water would ruin the artwork, so what is used ? A form of gas would be released throughout the building, to extinguish the fire and save the artwork. This is a fascinating way to put out the flames. Gas? How would the people in the archives survive, well they would have a few moments to get out of the building before the gas is released.

 The room where the animation is stored is filled with movable fried proof cabinets, that are filled with paintings, drawings and cells all separated numbered and labeled. I knew it look a lot of drawings and paintings to make a hand drawn animated movie, but I was amazed at how many rows and rows of cabinets that were filled with Sleeping Beauty artwork. 

Seeing a peak of the Sleeping Beauty artwork, just gets me even more excited to see the new upcoming movie Maleficent.  The room temperature is set for the survival of the artwork, a chilly 40 odd degrees, the cold helps keep the papers and the paintings safe, keeping them alive for future generations.

 From the very beginning  of Disney animation, when artists would either draw, sketch or paint their work, the art that they made was never signed. Walt Disney saw them all as Disney artists, not as individual artists. Even to this day the older Disney drawings pairing and animation work…. The artists are unknown. I asked if this was still a practice in Disney animation today? Well from the mid 90’s to today the artwork is signed, so the artists can get the credit they deserve.

We saw a lot of great artwork from “Disney Artist”, it was magical to see an array of paintings and artwork from Peter Pan, including original “Skull Rock” paintings, and Captain Hook, and Tinkerbelle cells.  Unfortunately we were not able to take any pictures, so I do not have a lot of photos of the artwork to share, but here is a sneak peak of what we saw..

 Here are other examples of what is stored in the library:

This was an amazing experience, seeing the classics and where they are stored, was a bucket list item for me. This is something I will never forget, and each time I see a Disney animated film, I will still be in awe because I got to see where all of this magic lives.

 You can now get some Disney magic for your home too, make sure to pick up a copy of Frozen, and Saving Mr. Banks available on DVD now.  

 


Disclosure: The reviews and or opinions on this blog are my own opinions . No monitory compensation was received. I was not required to write a positive review. Your experience may differ. The opinions I have expressed are my own I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement and Testimonials in Advertising .