... with a mouse.
A mere thought, nameless. A thought which soon grew into something that would never be forgotten. Disney is thought of as just a money industry now, no longer concerned with the educational and hopeful lessons it was intended for. Walter, the founder, is almost being forgotten... being blocked out by greed and politics. This is not what he wanted, yet there is hope.
He showed that a mere idea can grow and become something fantastic. Just a doodle of a mouse... became a hero of many stories, helping to show the good in things and in life. From that worlds were created, beautiful, colorful, vast. From the mouse to storytelling by visuals, one after another and it seemed that each idea was greater than the last!
The kind of animation Walt Disney came up with opened doors for not only his company but for many others. From drawings on paper to the mere click of a computer, studios now are able to create countless worlds that would make ours envious. The brilliant world of JRR Tolkien could be brought to the big screen. Author's are able to see their own characters jump out of their pages.
Just think about that. For a moment. Movies, we seem to take for granted. But if you take a look closer, you'll realize that the impossible can come true.... You never see a spaceship fly over you every day, or a grand castle mounted upon the peak of a mountain. There's no such thing as giant eagles, or fairies.... Dogs certainly don't talk.
Seems ridiculous, huh?
Perhaps, there are some ridiculous ideas put forth using animation.The things we see on television just blind us with idiotic humor, both light and vulgar, but then there's no other purpose. It's just to fight off boredom of a mundane lifestyle for just a few seconds. The more people watch, the more dull they become. They don't learn lessons.... Just mindless humor.
But amidst the raunchy language and disrespect in some shows, there are a few moments worth seeing. Family Guy, one well known character gets killed and his best friend goes to great limits to get him back. That was a hopeful come back. A nice idea to throw in. It's something Disney would have done. But it was short lived.
But nothing can outdo what Disney can when it comes to actual stories, with characters you can truly relate to. Some say Disney has a dark side and some say they teach bad lessons. But perhaps people just over think. When Disney worked hard on Snow White, there was no intention of sending bad messages to the audience. He wanted to create an enchanted world using new technology to bring the old story to life on a whole new level. He succeeded. It was a sensation when it came to the big screen.
Next was the story of Bambi which held true innocence, sorrow and bravery... speaking of how some would give their lives for you without a second thought. Love.
In Snow White and Pinocchio, when a loved one is in great danger, they drop what they are doing and go to your side.
Walt's drive in his animations was love. It's not always the True Love's kiss cliche, but the stories revolve around what love truly is.
He was creative by taking dark stories and brightening them up. Snow White was tracked down by a murderer. In Pinocchio, potential forced slavery of children and the character Pinocchio alone was a selfish, ignorant sort. In Bambi, it is the life of a deer and how they see man and what they would do just to survive. Each story he chose were very dark and perhaps too dark to even try to animate. It was brilliant as to how he did it. In a way, Walt was trying to prove that even in the darkest times in our lives, there is always a light. The friends we have, the families we are blessed with. You are never alone.
Sleeping Beauty; (despite True Love's Kiss cliches) who would go through Hell just to go make sure you were all right? Maleficent's blockade's did not make him give up.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame; There is someone to help you in your time of need and respects you. And he would do anything to keep you safe.
The Lion King; You need to be confident in yourself. The mistakes you make in life can make you wiser for the ware.
Disney's time had past, but there are still good people in the company doing their best amidst the turmoil in the company. Who knew that a single thought would grow into something this big? It tells you that dreams can come true. It's not WILL come true. For a dream to come true, you have your whole life and beyond it. There's a time of struggle, there's a time of sorrow, but with strength and determination you can reach your goal.
Walter was a strong man. He grew up maintaining a very small cartoon business that didn't really go anywhere. The Alice in Wonderland series where they blended moving comics with a live actress. It did not last. But he was committed to his family and devoted as much as he could to be with them each day. He had a terrible smoking habit which soon grew into lung cancer. Even when it was becoming more apparent, he kept his well-being quiet from his colleagues. They worried for him and he just kept on smiling. There's a saying that the kindest people are those who hurt the most because they don't want the ones close to them hurt the way they do. The brightest smile can hide the deepest frown. Walt was both. He cared that much. He wanted to make the world a brighter place for he had lived through wars and anger and betrayal and he trooped through as much as he could. He was blamed for things, he worked his ass off each day and still had time to be with his family. And then he knew that he had to leave his creations behind. He had no choice and he knew why he had to leave. His bad choice to smoke made his time short. He boldly fought his illness, but it won in the end. Even today, I read countless things saying Walt was racist, he was with the Nazi's and all that bullcrap, but no... He was a man who wanted to shine a light and he did. He did his best.
With the people he worked with; the Sherman Brothers, for one.... Each time they mentioned him, they started to cry.
Now that his time is past, it's up to us now to work towards our dreams like he did. It's a hard road, but if you want to be an artist, a writer, a movie maker, go and do it. Giving up is not an option because nothing will happen to you. Learn, make a mistake or two and learn, go down one path but then go back. That is how life is. We must strive to be the best we can be. Try to make good choices. Grow your ideas and ambitions. If Walt could do it, so can we....
*
Sarah watched the video go to an end and the suggestions popped up a few seconds after. She was doing a research paper and was scrolling through for sources, but this one YouTube video amazed her.
She wiped a tear or two from her cheek when the video finished and she glanced at the time in the corner of her laptop screen.
1:10
Oh no, was it that late? She had school in the morning.
She quickly clicked the watch later button and shut her laptop before getting ready for bed.
She was going to the 8th grade next year so she wanted this paper to be the best. She knew videos weren't good enough as sources but it was truly well done. She wasn't an all that big of a Disney fan. As soon as she got in her covers, her door opened.
"Jackie?" spoke her Dad's voice. "Were you really up this late?"
She grinned. Her curfew was actually 10:30, but... the internet sure was addicting.
"Uh yeah... sorry, Daddy...." she grinned. "Um, I was watching videos for my paper...and I got carried away."
"Hmmm..." the man hummed, still able to hear the hum of the computer on her desk as it was trying to fall asleep. "Well, as long as it's something productive. You feel confident?"
"I guess so..." she sighed, rubbing the back of her hand on her forehead. The words from that one video kept playing through her head. She did not know Walt died from cancer. It truly made her sad.
"Well, okay. Good night, hun..." he smiled before lightly shutting the door.
As soon as her room ran dark, she locked her eyes to the window, which were covered in random stickers from her baby brother. Her life was a little boring but it was fair. As cars flew passed, their lights danced over her room, enlightening her stuffed toys on her bookshelf. School ran through her head and how her friends worked hard on their reports. She wanted to be an actress and going to University for it was a dream, but she hasn't really started or even planned to get there. This report had to be perfect...and she had a week to finish it. She sighed...
If Walt could do it, so can we...
She sighed. Maybe she worried too much but... Oh well, she had to just drop it until morning.