"M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E"
This History was found at..........."Disney.go.com!"
"In 1937, Disney's innovative first full length animated feature, SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS, was released to critical acclaim and worldwide success. In order to expand and meet the expectations of his audience, Walt saw a need to increase the size of his studio. With profits from SNOW WHITE, he made a deposit on 51 acres of land in Burbank and began designing a modern studio specifically for the purpose of making animated films. Walt was personally involved with all aspects of designing the studio. From the layout of the buildings to design of the animators' chairs, nothing was left to chance. His main concern was to produce a self-sufficient, state-of-the-art production factory that provided all the
essential facilities for the entire production process. The Animation Building, housing the Disney Artists and animators, was planned in the center of the lot. Across a small street were built the Inking and Painting and the Camera buildings, where the artwork was completed and photographed. Next to Camera, in the Cutting building, the post production process occurred. Sound facilities included dubbing, scoring, effects, and voice recording studios. Many of the buildings were linked together by an underground tunnel, so even in bad weather, the process of making animated films was not disrupted. To enhance the campus-like setting, all of the utilities were placed underground which was an innovation for 1940. During the 1940s and 1950s many prominent animated features were produced in Burbank, including FANTASIA, BAMBI, CINDERELLA, ALICE IN WONDERLAND, and PETER PAN."
"Beginning in the late 1940s, Disney launched into the production of live-action features and television programs. The Studio lot was subsequently expanded during the 1950s, to include sound stages and production craft facilities. Sound Stages Stage 1 is part of the original lot that was built in 1940. It was first used for filming the live-action scenes for FANTASIA. Stage 2 was built in 1949 in conjunction with Jack Webb, who used the stage for the filming of the television series DRAGNET. A popular television show filmed there was THE MICKEY MOUSE CLUB. Stage 2 is one of the largest sound stages in Los Angeles at approximately 31,000 square feet."
Well-known tenants on our stages have included Disney classics such as DAVY CROCKETT, MARY POPPINS, POLLYANA, THE LOVE BUG, BLACKBEARD'S GHOST, PETE'S DRAGON, and BEDKNOBS & BROOMSTICKS. Other well-known tenants have included ARMAGEDDON, HOME IMPROVEMENT, ELLEN, MTV, MADONNA, and SPORTS NIGHT. " Riverside Lot Shops
"Nearby is the Staff Shop where they make
molds, plaster casts, and fiberglass figures, many of which are in use at
Disneyland and Walt Disney World. In addition to manufacturing small pieces,
they also produce facades, entrances, columns, pillars and walls (almost
all of which are shells) that are molded, put into service, and then stored
for later use."
"Across the studio is another metal structure of the same size. The Electric/Plumbing building has its own machines for installing and repairing all plumbing and mechanical equipment within the Studio, along with equipment for work in sheet metal, welding, and plastics." "Nearby are the plaster sheds and shops, where the Studio makes its own forms, plaster casts, and products. In addition to small pieces, whole facades, entrances, pillars, and walls (almost all of which are shells) are molded here, put in service, and then stored for later needs. Many of the plaster and fiberglass figures in use at Disneyland and Walt Disney World were cast here." "Next to Electric/Plumbing was the Special Effects shop, where our craftspeople created the myriad of unique effects that have come to be associated with Disney films. Flying cars, spaceships, miniature paddle wheelers, and medieval armor that comes to life are just some of the effects produced by this department. Today the building houses the Set Lighting/Grip department. " "The Paint Shop, which is in another large metal building, does everything from spraying cars and furniture to be used on a movie set, to spraying the set itself." "Other prominent shops throughout the back-lot include Property, Moulding, Sign Graphics, and the Mill." Back Lot "Most of the buildings on the Western Street were constructed in 1958 for the ELFEGO BACA and TEXAS JOHN SLAUGHTER television shows. Other productions which modified the structures for filming were DARBY O'GILL AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE, THE LOVE BUG, THOSE CALLOWAYS, and THE APPLE DUMPLING GANG. The last major feature films to utilize the street extensively were HOT LEAD AND COLD FEET and THE APPLE DUMPLING GANG RIDES AGAIN." "Sets representing a downtown area were constructed in 1965 for THE UGLY DACHSHUND and FOLLOW ME, BOYS. They were changed extensively for various films, and then completely demolished in 1981 to make way for a new town set for SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES." "There were four original buildings on the Residential Street originally constructed in 1960 for THE ABSENT-MINDED PROFESSOR, including the main house and garage used for the laboratory. Other houses were used for THE SWAMP FOX and the original THAT DARN CAT." A well-known set was constructed for the ZORRO television series in the 1950s. This was once the Pueblo de Los Angeles with a fort, a jail, a square, an inn, and a church. Later, one of the old Spanish squares was redesigned to become a French village. Hills, pools, berms, and caves were built nearby for other productions. "With the increased use of "on location" shooting, the back lot sets were gradually replaced by the Property building, the Zorro parking structure, the Frank Wells office building, and Stages 6 & 7." The Golden Oak Ranch "A western street was created for the renowned television miniseries ROOTS II in the late 1970s, and has remained as an active filming location ever since. Other ranch sites include a rural bridge on a lake, an entertainment and event venue, "THE GOLDEN OAK HALL," farm houses, barns, fields, country roads, tree groves, a forest area, a creek bed, and a running waterfall. Currently being developed is a pine lake designed to give the feeling of a High Sierra setting." "The Golden Oak Ranch is used by the entire industry and has been seen in LASSIE, BEVERLY HILLS 90210, CHARMED, RED DRAGON, MURDER SHE WROTE, DIAGNOSIS MURDER, BONANZA, INDEPENDENCE DAY, PROFILER, and X-Files." Imaging
"In the 1950s, as live-action films increasingly played a major role in the success of the studio, so did the inclusion of visual effects. Such memorable films as 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA and DARBY O'GILL AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE began a tradition of combining complex optical effects with miniatures and matte paintings to create rich fantasy worlds on the screen. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the Process Lab, renamed Photo Effects and then Visual Effects, was home to the distinguished artists and technicians responsible for the effects seen in MARY POPPINS, THE ABSENT MINDED PROFESSOR, BLACKBEARD'S GHOST, BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS, PETE'S DRAGON, and TRON. During the 1980s, the unit was named Buena Vista Visual Effects Group and expanded its facilities into the Camera building to include a motion-control stage. In 1990, the unit became Buena Vista Visual Effects (BVVE) and shifted rapidly to digital-imaging technologies. Rooms within the Camera building, which formerly housed multi-plane cameras used to shoot animation, were filled with computer equipment. BVVE transitioned to Buena Vista Imaging in 1996." "Today, Buena Vista Imaging occupies the Camera building, providing a full range of photo-optical and digital-imaging services, which include a black and white lab, digital workstations, film recorders and scanners, optical printers, and title graphics." Post Production Sound
"Stage A, situated next to the Main Theater, was originally used for scoring. For many years, the music for innumerable Disney movies and cartoons was recorded here. In 1985, the stage was converted to a dubbing stage and theater. Like the Main Theater, Stage A is an all-digital, state-of-the-art dubbing facility." "Stages B & C were designed to provide sound elements for the animated films. Because of the Studio location near the Burbank Airport, special priority was given to soundproofing with "building within a building" design for noise reduction." "Stage B is known as the dialogue stage, where character voices were recorded for many animated classics including ALICE IN WONDERLAND, LADY AND THE TRAMP, PETER PAN, and THE JUNGLE BOOK. The tradition continues today, as Stage B is still used for such recent films as ALADDIN, THE LION KING, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. Today, that tradition continues not only on Disney films, but also with Pixar hits such as TOY STORY, BUGS LIFE, TOY STORY 2, and MONSTERS INC. Stage B accommodates Automatic Dialog Replacement (ADR), a process that allows the talent to re-record their dialogue. One such use is for scenes shot on location, where an talent's lines were destroyed by outside sound or noise, such as a plane flying over at the time of filming." "Stage C was originally used for the recording of various sound effects for the animated features and short subjects. Many of the unique sound-effects props and gadgets for these processes were invented by Disney technicians. Today, Stage C serves as a dubbing stage for film and television. It was recently renovated in 2001 and like the other stages it features an all-digital, state-of-the-art film console." |
