Go Behind-The-Scenes of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Artistry And Creativity at Disney: Magic of Animation9 min read
Reading Time: 7 minutesOriginal artworks from “Frozen 2” to make their exhibition debut at ArtScience Museum on 26 October
Uncover the magic behind Walt Disney Animation Studios’ most beloved animated movies at Disney: Magic of Animation, opening at ArtScience Museum on 26 October 2019.
The exhibition offers visitors the rare opportunity to experience over 90 magical years of Disney animation. One of the highlights of the show is the debut of original artworks from the highly-anticipated film, Frozen 2.
From Steamboat Willie (1928), the first Disney cartoon with a synchronised soundtrack, classic films including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and The Lion King (1994), to blockbusters such as Frozen (2013), Zootopia (2016) and Moana (2016), the exhibition pays homage to the artistry and technological innovation that have brought Disney’s world- renowned characters to life.
Shown in Southeast Asia for the first time, this landmark exhibition features over 500 exceptional art pieces, including original drawings, paintings, sketches and concept art curated by the Walt Disney Animation Research Library. In keeping with ArtScience Museum’s ethos of presenting captivating interactive exhibitions, the show also includes projections, audio-visual displays, alluring exhibits that transport visitors into the world of Disney’s films, and hands-on educational activities.
“Animation is an art form that literally brings still, static images to life. Whether it is a series of appealing line drawings, shot in sequential order to create a believable character, or complex digital imagery rendered to create a magical effect, animation has the power to transport the viewer into a world of imagination and beauty. The filmmakers and storytellers at Walt Disney Animation Studios have been creating, producing and pushing the boundaries of this medium for almost 100 years. We are thrilled to share this exhibition, Disney: Magic of Animation, with the people of Singapore and hope that the passion, creativity and artistry showcased in this exhibit will instill in the viewer a greater appreciation for what we believe is a truly unique 20th century art form,” said Mary Walsh, Managing Director of the Walt Disney Animation Research Library.
“This exhibition explores both the art and the science of animation – a filmmaking technique which Disney have pioneered and perfected for almost a century. The show reveals the technologies and scientific innovations that revolutionised filmmaking throughout the 20th century. At the same time, the exhibition tells the story of the artists who have been involved in creating the magical worlds and iconic characters that we have grown to love. Featuring hundreds of priceless historical artefacts plus an exciting selection of never-seen-before artworks from contemporary films, this show is a timeless blend of the past and the present, that instantly captures the imagination,” added Honor Harger, Executive Director of ArtScience Museum.
The Disney: Magic of Animation Experience
Presented in five chapters, the exhibition begins with “Creating Believable Characters: Bringing Drawings to Life” which reveals how early Disney animators pioneered new animation techniques. Visitors will see how the characters we have grown to love start as two-dimensional illustrations, and learn the ways that animators used innovative techniques to portray movements naturally.
This section features original story sketches and animation drawings from some of the earliest Disney films. This gallery also includes a physical recreation of the iconic steamboat from Steamboat Willie (1928), the first Disney cartoon to have sound synchronised with the animation on screen.
Bold technological innovations allowed Disney animators in the 1930s to explore and apply new artistic principles to capture nuances of people and animals’ movements and idiosyncrasies more accurately. Following the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), the world’s first fully animated film produced in Technicolor, artists from Disney Studios’ began developing a number of remarkable films including Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940), Dumbo (1941) and Bambi (1942). The second gallery, “The Magic Begins: Continual Research and Development” tells this story, through a series of concept artworks, sketches, the display of the revolutionary technological tool, developed at Disney Animation, and the multiplane camera.
The third gallery, “Producers of Magic: Creating Diversity in Expression and a Wider World” celebrates the talented Disney animators who produced films that expressed a bold and brilliant variety of artistic styles. Background paintings and concept art from films including Lady and the Tramp (1955), Sleeping Beauty (1959) and One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) showcase the talents of artists who created diverse visual worlds. This chapter also charts the scientific advances that Disney have become known for, highlighting some of the new production technologies developed by the studio, enabled by advances in global communications in the 1940s to 1950s.
The digital revolution in the 1990s provided an additional source of inspiration for Disney artists who are constantly looking out for novel ways of making film. With the advancement of computer graphics technologies, coupled with the involvement of leading Broadway songwriters, Disney’s films began to move beyond the world of animation to explore new musical possibilities, evoking powerful emotions among its audience. “Towards New Dimensions: Digital Advances, Musical Seas”, the fourth exhibition chapter showcases artworks from the striking films of this era, including The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), The Lion King (1994), Pocahontas (1995), Mulan (1998) and Tarzan (1999) and their memorable soundtracks
As Disney’s animated films shift from pencil and paper to computer graphics, and as the world continues to evolve, Disney films continue to incorporate the contemporary ideologies weaving them into the narrative of the stories. This gallery includes recent animated titles, such as Wreck-It Ralph (2012), Frozen (2013), Big Hero 6 (2014) and Moana (2016). The final section of the exhibition, “Bringing People Together: Social Diversity, Messages for Our Global Future” conveys impactful messages that build on social values, such as the importance of family bonds, cultural diversity and respect for nature.
Disney: Magic of Animation will run from 26 October 2019 till 29 March 2020.
Standard Chartered Bank is the Official Card for Disney: Magic of Animation exhibition.
Ticketing
Tickets are available for purchase from 1 October 2019 at all Marina Bay Sands box offices and website. Terms and Conditions apply.
Ticket prices as follows:
| Standard Ticket (SGD) | Singapore Resident (SGD) | |
| Adult | 19 | 16 |
| Senior (>65 y/o)/ Student/ Child (2-12 y/o) | 14 | 12 |
| Family package (2 kids & 2 adults) | 54 | 45 |
For more information, please visit the official website here.
About Marina Bay Sands Pte Ltd
Marina Bay Sands is the leading business, leisure and entertainment destination in Asia. It features large and flexible convention and exhibition facilities, 2,560 hotel rooms and suites, the rooftop Sands SkyPark, the best
shopping mall in Asia, world-class celebrity chef restaurants, a theatre and an outdoor event plaza. Completing the line-up of attractions is ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands which plays host to permanent and marquee
exhibitions. For more information, please visit the official website.
About ArtScience Museum
ArtScience Museum is a major cultural institution in Singapore that explores the intersection between art, science, technology and culture. It is the cultural component of Marina Bay Sands. Since its opening in February 2011, ArtScience Museum has staged large-scale exhibitions by some of the world’s major artists, including Leonardo da Vinci, M.C. Escher, Salvador Dalí, Andy Warhol and Vincent Van Gogh, as well as exhibitions that explore aspects of science and technology – including particle physics, big data, robotics, palaeontology, marine biology and space science. For more information, please visit this website.
About The Walt Disney Animation Research Library
The Animation Research Library is entrusted to conserve and protect the artistic heritage of the Walt Disney Animation Studios. It is the repository for approximately 65 million pieces of art produced over more than 85 years, representing Disney’s animated shorts, featurettes and full-length feature films. The diverse collection includes conceptual art, storyboards, maquettes, hand drawn production art, animation cells, 3D models, textures, image files and final rendered images.
In addition to its responsibility to conserve and protect this unique collection, the ARL also makes the collection available to the larger Walt Disney Company for creative inspiration, reference, research capabilities and image access. The Animation Research Library has an active museum exhibition program that works with museums throughout the world to curate and mount exhibitions of this distinctive 20th century art form.
About Walt Disney Animation Studios
Combining masterful artistry and storytelling with groundbreaking technology, Walt Disney Animation Studios is a filmmaker-driven animation studio responsible for creating some of the most beloved films ever made. Located in Burbank, WDAS continues to build on its rich legacy of innovation and creativity, stretching from the first fully- animated feature film, 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, to 2013’s Academy Award®-winning Frozen, the biggest animated film of all time. Among the studio’s timeless creations are Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Jungle
Book, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Tangled, the Oscar®-winning Big Hero 6, and Zootopia.
About SPACElogic
A one-stop solution provider that specialises in interior, permanent gallery and museum fit-out projects, SPACElogic has built a strong foundation of trust and an excellent track record to deliver high standard services. SPACElogic collaborates with experts from various disciplines to co-create spatial stories, integrating visual aesthetics with technology and functionality to craft out meaningful and engaging experiences for its customers. As thinkers and doers, SPACElogic thrives on ideas and solutions to create enthralling encounters in museums, commercial and artistic environments.
About Standard Chartered Bank
We are a leading international banking group, with a presence in more than 60 of the world’s most dynamic markets. Our purpose is to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, and our heritage and values are expressed in our brand promise, Here for good.
We are committed to increasing access to financial services and funding for our clients. By doing this, we not only encourage development but also open up new markets and opportunities for business to grow, and for international trade to flourish. We make the most of our deep roots in rapidly developing Asian, African and Middle Eastern local markets to seek out opportunities at every turn, placing a particular focus on supporting customers who trade, operate or invest across our footprint. What sets us apart is our diversity – of people, cultures and networks. We use this to give you the best possible customer experience, whether you’re an individual looking for easy, fast and convenient banking services, or a multinational corporation with highly complex financing needs. Standard Chartered PLC is listed on the London and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges as well as the Bombay and National Stock Exchanges in India. For more information please visit our website.
Featured Photo credit: Frozen 2, 2019, Lisa Keene © Disney
