Movie File

ARE DISNEY CLASSICS ON THE BRINK OF A NEW ERA?

By PETE PERRY

Nikki and I went to see the 3D version of The Lion King the other day, and it ocurred to me that this could be the start of a whole new era for Disney animated classics.

As many of you will now, I am a self-confessed Disney Freak, and I have also animated by own films since the mid-fifties, so I have a pretty good idea how the industry works.

The first thing people may ask is: 'How can they possibly take an old film like this and turn it into 3D?' The answer is simple: Walt Disney was generations ahead of his time, and filmed all his animated features, going right back to Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs in 1937, - not only in 3D, but also in stereo!

Walt Disney had the foresight, in the 1930s, to develop what is known as the multiplane camera.

In fact, it is a rostrum, with a 35mm camera on top, with several planes (see picture right). Primarily, there is the foreground, middle ground and background, - but Disney added other in-between planes, so that the finished creation had depth.

You only have to look at the opening scene of 'Bambi', in ordinary 2D, to see the effect this has. Although it was originally shown on a normal cinema screen, you get that feeling of depth. The same goes with all other Disney animated classics.

Indeed, my partners, Derek and Cyril and I built our own multiplane rostrum in the late Fifties, in order to make our animated films for Filmart Studios (see picture left)'

Now imagine all those old drawings (cells) being re-shot with a 3D camera (Disney have kept all the drawings of every film they ever made) - and you have an instant 3D film.

Long before the advent of stereo records in the fifties, Walt Disney also developed 'High Fidelity Stereophonic Sound' for his classic 40s masterpiece Fantasia, so that the full impact of the orchestra could be recorded and reproduced.

Indeed, at its premiere, the cinema was fitted with a sound system very similar to the stereo cinema surround sound we have today.

SO, THANKS TO THE GENIUS AND INNOVATION OF WALT DISNEY, I CAN FORESEE A NEW ERA DAWNING, WHERE A NEW GENERATION OF CINEMAGOERS WILL FINALLY GET TO WATCH AND HEAR THOSE CLASSIC FILMS THE WAY THE GREAT MAN MEANT THEM TO BE SEEN AND HEARD.

PETE

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CAN YOU HELP RICH SMYTH GET WORK?

RICH SMYTH IS A TALENTED YOUNG MOVIE MAKER WHO HAS WORKED WITH PETE IN SEVERAL PROJECTS. HE IS LOOKING FOR WORK, SO IF YOU CAN HELP, PLEASE GET IN TOUCH.

Here Rich himself gives you the lowdown...

RICH SMYTH'S SHOWREEL CLICK HERE 

TALKING HEADS WITH PETE PERRY CLICK HERE



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