The entertainment giant Disney celebrates 100 years, and to celebrate this, the studios of the American company have composed a nine-minute short film in which all the endearing characters parade.

Disney is celebrating its 100th anniversary with commemorative short films and content on TikTok

From Mickey Mouse to Princess Elsa and Captain Hook, more than 500 Disney heroes come to life in this declaration of love for the animation studio.

Graduated Once upon a time there was a studiothis fun and moving work combines digital images, signatures and real shots.

The result of two years of work shows 543 characters from 85 feature films and short films.

They all emerge from the paintings hanging in the hallways of the group’s U.S. facilities, to take a family photo after the employees leave.

“It was like putting together the biggest puzzle of your life”summarizes Trent Corey, co-director of this artistic and technological tour de force that involved more than a hundred people, as well as former animators and forty actors who returned to the sets especially for the occasion.

“We wanted all the characters to have exactly the same voice as they did in their original films,” adds co-creator Dan Abraham.

Pencil, paper

It is also a tribute to traditional animation, which was finally replaced by 3D in 2011 with the film ‘Winnie the Pooh’.

“Of the 543 characters in the film, about 450 are drawn by hand,” pencil on paper, notes artist Eric Goldberg (“Aladdin,” “Pocahontas”), who oversaw the 2D portion of the film.

“We didn’t find anything from existing films,” whether in 3D or 2D, “so technically it was difficult,” he admits.

The film is also a tribute to the approximately seventy-year career of animator Burny Mattinson, who died in February, and the composer of Mary PoppinsRichard Sherman, who revisited Walt Disney’s favorite song at the age of 94, Feed the little birds.

“Everyone wanted to be involved!” says Dan Abraham.

Concerts, exhibitions, parties… the entertainment giant is expanding the festivities for its centenary, culminating in the November premiere of the film “Wish”, inspired by Disney classics.

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The release of the short film coincides with the date considered the founding of the Walt Disney Company.

October 16, 1923 is the day that Walt Disney and his brother Roy – who had founded the Disney Brothers Studios in a Hollywood garage – signed a decisive distribution contract for their Alice comediesshort films that followed a real girl in an animated world.

Mickey Mouse was created later, in 1928, in response to Universal gaining control of the rights to its predecessor, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a character that fell into obscurity.

“It really is 100 years in which we look back and say thank you to the people we work with (…) and to our fans,” emphasizes Hélène Etzi, President of Disney France.

The Californian company, which has acquired Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel in the 21st century, is going through a hectic period.

Given the decline in subscribers to the Disney+ platform, the company has announced the layoffs of 7,000 jobs as Hollywood’s historic actors’ strike continues.

From being a staunch opponent of unions, Disney has come to embody the progressive (“woke”) views in vogue among the American intelligentsia.

But Disney helped create his country’s modern-day mythology. ““Disney films resonate with everyone,” says cartoonist Eric Goldberg.

Disney movies are usually the first you see as a child.

“Their characters and stories have brought much joy and hope (…) and hopefully will continue to do so for another 100 years”says Goudberg. (JO)