Cinderella: Signature Collection – Mary Walsh Interview
Disney is releasing the Cinderella Signature Edition on Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital this week and we spoke with Mary Walsh, who is the Managing Director of the Walt Disney Animation Research Library and Walt Disney Ink & Paint Department.
With Cinderella being re-released this month as part of the signature collection, what was your role in helping with this new version?
Several members of the Research team at the Animation Research Library (ARL) worked with the producers of the bonus material to supply much of the imagery – story sketches and concept art – that accompany the new “In Walt’s Words: Enhanced Edition” on the Blu-ray™ and Digital release. The Researchers had a great time going into our original art collection to select the hundreds of images that contributed to the creation of that piece.
What is the one thing that Cinderella fans should check out in the extras?
I would definitely recommend the ‘In Walt’s Words’ piece – I think it provides a really intimate and fascinating look into the creative process of making Cinderella. Plus, all of the concept and story sketch art is so beautiful and it helps to shed a light on how the final look of a film evolves during the development of a production.
If you could tell Disney fans just one story about the creation of the Cinderella movie, what would that be?
I love the anecdote about how Walt credited the dress creation scene from Cinderella as his favorite scene from all of the animated films that he worked on. I can completely understand that – think about how impactful that transformation was for Cinderella. Not only was it a beautifully crafted scene that was extremely challenging to create, but from a story point of it, it put Cinderella on her path to achieve her dream.
What’s your personal favorite Disney movie?
That is a really hard question – you realize that you are asking me to choose one movie out of 57 feature length films and hundreds of short films?
I have so many Disney films that I love and I find myself revisiting different movies for different reasons. For example, Lion King was released the month before I started at Walt Disney Animation Studios, so when I watch that movie, it takes me right back to the start of my career at Disney and always puts me in a very happy and appreciative mood.
No matter how many times I watch movies like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio and Fantasia, I am still in awe of how Walt and his artists crafted such beautiful films during what was truly the infancy of feature animation film production. The visuals and storytelling are still so compelling, even decades later. I am also a big fan of the films produced at Disney Animation in the recent past – Tangled, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Moana, Wreck-it Ralph – not to mention Frozen! I can’t wait until we release Frozen 2 later this year – I think fans are going to love it!
How would you describe the “Ink & Paint” and the Walt Disney Animation Research Library departments?
The Walt Disney Animation Research Library and Ink & Paint Department are true legacy departments within The Walt Disney Company.
The Ink & Paint Department is still located in the Ink & Paint building on the Studio Lot and continues to produce hand inked and hand painted cels, employing the same expertise and commitment to quality that has been a hallmark of Disney since the very beginning. While the current group consists of only 5 team members, the cels they craft today are unique pieces of collectable art that beautifully reflect the tradition and artistry of our Ink and Paint legacy.
The Animation Research Library (ARL) is the repository of the original artwork used to create the Disney animated short and feature length films from the 1920’s until today. We estimate that we have over 65,000,000 pieces of physical art in our collection – and that art consists of all of the elements used in the production of a film – including story sketches, concept art, animation drawings, layouts, backgrounds, efx drawings and maquettes.
We are also the archive for the digital born assets used to create our most recent films. With so much wonderful material, we believe that we have the world’s largest collection of animation art!
Our mission at the ARL is to preserve the artistic heritage of Walt Disney Animation Studios for enrichment and inspiration. We do that by not only caring for the collection utilizing the most current and accepted archival methods, but also by sharing the art with others in the Walt Disney Company who need access to the collection for the varied projects inspired by our animated characters and worlds.
What’s the best part of your job?
Being surrounded by beautiful artwork and really amazing people every day. I truly do have the best job at the Walt Disney Company!
Why does Disney take its history so seriously?
The creative legacy of the Walt Disney Company is so important not only to our past, but to our future as well. I have the opportunity to talk with Disney artists at different stages of their careers and besides being amazingly talented, they also have one more thing in common – their appreciation for the storytellers and filmmakers who came before them.
The artists of today are inspired by the creativity and innovation of their predecessors, so they spend time studying and understanding that work in order to elevate their own skills.
They are constantly challenging themselves to create art, story and films that will be as impactful to future generations, as the past Disney films were to them.
What’s your favorite item in the Disney archive?
That is like asking me which of my 2 children are my favorite! While I don’t have a favorite piece of art, I am drawn to the concept art in our collection. I love seeing the beginnings of what a character or environment looked like when the artists where in the early phases of conceptualizing a film.
Cinderella: The Signature Edition will be released on Tuesday 25th June and can be purchased from retailers including Amazon.