the old mill celebrates 80th anniversary - davidbossert.comthe old mill celebrates 80th anniversary...
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TheOldMillCelebrates80thAnniversaryByDaveBossert
(Scene26,Moonbehindthesailwithfirefliesblinkingintimetothefrogchorus,fromTheOldMill;©Disney)
Eightyyearsago,thismonth,onNovember5,1937,TheOldMillwasreleasedtotheaters.This
isoneofmyfavoriteSillySymphonyshortsbecauseithadnodialogueandreliedsolelyonthe
visualsandmusictotellthestory.Itwasalsogroundbreakingfornewinnovationsand
technologythatwerefullofexploring,testingandexperimentation.Thefilmwasdirectedby
DisneyLegendWilfredJackson,whowentontobeasequencedirectoronalltheDisney
animatedfeaturesuptoLadyandtheTramp.However,thereisa“creditspage”fromthefilms
storysketchbinderthatlistsGrahamHeidasdirectoraswell,butbasedonTheOldMillstory
notesfrom1936,hewasanassistantdirectoraccordingtoDidierGhez.HeiddiddirecttheSilly
SymphonyshortWyken,Blyken&NodandlaterbecameasequencedirectoronBambi.The
AcademyAwardsProgramforcartoonshortdoeslistJacksonasthedirectorinthat1937
document.
TheOldMillistrulyacelluloidfeastaboutanoldmillandthesurroundingproperty
whichishosttoanabundanceofwildlife—birds,mice,bats,frogs,anowl,etc.Thestructure
anditsinhabitantsarethreatenedbyafiercesummerstormduringwhichthemilllookslikeit
mightcollapsefromthegustingwinds.Asidefromaslightlist,theoldmillsurvivesthebrutal
forcesofnatureandbymorningtheskyisclearandtheenvironmentiscalmonceagainas
dawnarrives.
(Scene47,theMillwithsailsrevolvingtowindwithlightningandthunder;©Disney)
Thefilm’scenterpiece,anoldabandonedwindmillinthecountryislush,detailed,and
fullofdepthshowcasingthemasterfulartisticskillsofthestudioatthattime.Thelayoutswere
donebyTerrilStapp,whohadalsodonelayoutsonTheBandConcertandWoodlandCafé.He
wentontodoartdirectiononSnowWhiteandtheSevenDwarfs,Pinocchio,theNightonBald
MountainandAveMariasequencesinFantasia,andDumbo.Theshortbeginsasatranquil
scenic,dusktonighttime,settingcompletewithnocturnalbatsleavingtheatticofthemillfor
theevening.Thisestablishingshotdrawstheviewerintoexplorethenaturalworldwith
vignettesoffaunathatinhabitthelocationuntilasummerstormstartstobuild,completewith
blowingwind,peltingrain,andlightningfurthertatteringtheoldmill.Thefilmreliesheavilyon
therich,flourishingsettingsandthecinematographytohelpmovethestoryalong.Thelanguid
cameramovesandlongerscenesinthebeginningoftheshortmakewayforthecontrastof
somefastcuttingasthestormbuildstoaclimaticcrescendoofalightningstrikecausingthe
milltoleanfurthertooneside.Asthestormsubsidesandpasses,itmakeswayfordaybreak
andthebatsreturntotheirperchintheraftersoftheoldmill.
(ModelsheetoftheOwlfromTheOldMill;©Disney)
Theanimatedeffectsandcamera/opticaltechniquesdevelopedandhonedonTheOld
Millwerealsoemployedinthefirstanimatedfeaturefilm,SnowWhiteandtheSevenDwarfs,
whichwasinproductionatthesametimeandreleasedaboutsixweekslater.Manyofthe
legendaryDisneyeffectsanimatorsworkedonthisshortincludingCyYoung,DanMacManus,
GeorgeRowleyandUgoD’Orsiamongothers.Theseweretheartiststhatformedthefirst
special effectsdepartmentatWaltDisneyAnimationStudio.Priortoaformalspecialeffects
department,thecharacteranimatorsdidmuchoftheirowneffectsanimationwhereneeded
whichwasinconsistentfromartisttoartist.Thisspecializedgroupofeffectsanimatorswere
abletobringavisualstandardizationtoelevatedqualitybycontributingtheirtalentstosomeof
themostmemorablemomentsinthestudiosearlyanimatedfeaturefilms.Notableexamples
includetheoceanwatereffectsfromtheMonstrotheWhalesequenceinPinocchio,allof
Fantasia,andtheforestfireinBambi.Theeffectsartistsdevelopedrealisticrepresentationsof
rain,fire,waterripples,lightning,reflectionsandothernaturalatmosphericandenvironmental
phenomenonoftencombininghanddrawanimationwithopticalcameraeffects.
Thespecialeffectsenhancedthestunningbackgroundsthatwerepaintedfortheshort,
manyofwhichwerecreatedbyDisneyLegendClaudeCoats.TheOldMillwas,morethanany
animatedfilmuptothatpoint,atruebackgroundfilm.Itwasthosebeautifulscenicpaintings
thatcaptivatedtheaudiencecreatingatoneandmoodthatoutweighstheanimationmore
thananyother.Itwas,accordingtoCoats,inaninterview,“Ithinkitkindofopenedthedoor
forsomescenestobeappreciatedforjusttheirscenicvalue,especiallythroughSnowWhite,
andthatsameideawentintoPinocchiotoo.”Thebackgroundshecreatedhadtheabilityto
combinemood,light,andcolorinawaythatcreatedanemotionalcorollary,avisceralreaction
fortheviewer.Thesescenicmomentshelpedestablishthefeelingandatmosphereinascene
contributingtothevisualstorytellinginawaynotexperiencedbefore.
(TheDisneyMultiplaneCamerausedmultiplecameraoperatorstoshootasinglescene.©Disney.)
TheOldMillisthefirstfilmtousethefamedDisneymultiplanecamerathataddedthe
illusionofthree-dimensionaldepthtotheanimatedfilms.Agreatexampleofthatdepthis
rightatthebeginningofthefilmwhichopensonaforegroundspiderwebcompletewith
glisteningdewdrops,whichthenrake-focusestothedistantmillasthecamerapushesin.The
multiplanecameraalsoallowedfortheuseofspecialopticaleffectssuchascomplextopand
bottomlighteffects;andtheuseofrippleglass,whichwereplatesofopticallyclearglassthat
hadspecialpatternsgroundandpolishedinthemtoachievevarioustypesofrippleddistortions
whenartworkwasfilmedthroughthem.Thecamerawaslaborintensivetooperatewithas
manyastencameramenworkingtosetupeachframe.UbIwerkshadinventedaseriesof
switchesthateachoperatorhadtofliponcetheytookcareoftheirtaskoneachframebefore
thecameramancouldexposethatframeoffilm.Initsheyday,themultiplanecamerawasbeing
operatedtwenty-fourhoursadaywiththreeshiftsofcameraoperators.Themultiplanecamera
wasusedforoverfiftyyearsonDisneyanimatedfeaturefilmsfromSnowWhiteandSeven
DwarfstoTheLittleMermaid.ItwasreplacedbydigitaltechnologywiththeComputer
AnimationProductionSystemknownasCAPS.
ThemusicforTheOldMillwaswrittenbyLeighHarlinewhoisbestknownfor
composingthesongWhenYou WishUponaStarfromPinocchio,whichwonanAcademy
Award®forBestOriginalSong.HarlinewrotethatsongwithNedWashingtonandithasbecome
ubiquitoustoTheWaltDisneyCompany.Harline’smusicforTheOldMillisnolessasupporting
charactertothefilmvisualscreatingacompletetapestrythatsetstheearlymoodasthesetting
isestablished,thenbuildstensioninunisontotheapproachingstorm.Theuseofmusical
instrumentsassoundeffectstocomplimenttheanimationwasacommonpracticeandis
evidentwithsceneslikethecattailshittingadilapidatedfencecomplimentedbyxylophone
notesandsomereedsbreakingandwobblinginthewindtoflutesandpiccolos.Thereisa
perfectcohesivenesstothismusicalarrangementandaccompanyingpicture.
(TheOldMillmovieposter;©Disney)
TheOldMillwontheAcademyAward®forBestAnimatedShortFilmof1937anda
ScientificandTechnicalAcademyAwardforthemultiplanecamera.Theshortwasaddedtothe
NationalFilmRegistryin2015.Ontheeightiethanniversary,TheOldMillstillenchantsand
maintainsitscaptivatingbeautyandcharmasatimelessanimatedclassic.