Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse is one of the most recognizable animated characters ever. But have you seen how much he’s changed since his first appearance in 1928?
Mickey Mouse’s drastically altered appearance is just one example that showcases how Disney’s animations styles have evolved over time.
When Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released in 1937, it was Disney’s first full-length animated feature film. Since then, Disney’s animation style has made some clear changes. Just compare one of the newer movies, like Frozen, to Snow White.
Today, we explore how Disney’s animation style has evolved, and why they began to change.
Disney’s Animation Evolution
There’s no doubt that Disney’s animation style has evolved over the years. However, their evolution was not always linear. Many critics argue that the animation quality dropped significantly after Walt Disney’s death in 1966. They argue that films from the mid-60s to the mid-80s lacked the stylistic quality that some of the previous movies had.
The Little Mermaid marked the beginning of “the Renaissance Era,” where Disney’s animation quality made a huge leap and garnered impeccable attention.
Why Did Disney’s Animation Change?
While Disney has experienced significant ups and downs in terms of animation and overall production quality, the brand has remained iconic. Disney is one of the most recognizable brands, and that spans farther than just the realm of filmmaking. Some of the reasons Disney changed its style over time include:
- New technology and competition. Disney is the gold-standard for animation, but there are other incredible production companies nipping at their heels. As new technology and techniques were introduced, Disney had to capitalize on them to stay current and cutting-edge. Computer-generated imagery was one of the technologies that forever changed Disney’s animation style.
- Walt Disney’s death. In many people’s eyes, Walt Disney’s death marked a temporary dip in Disney’s animation quality.
- Realistic movements. Disney studied animals and live-action sequences for Bambi and Cinderella specifically. Of course, their animations are not meant to look like real people, but adding more realistic elements brings the stories to life even more.
- Ambition and innovation. Disney has pushed itself to continue improving, never settling for where they started. They continue to produce incredible animation that is constantly evolving. They have also begun to reinvent Disney classics into live-action films.
The Future of Disney Animation
As Disney continues to push the boundaries with incredible live-action films, we wonder what the future of Disney animation holds. As technology continues to advance and other production giants push the envelope, how will Disney respond?