THEATRE 80-N: WALT DISNEY WINTER 2012 Research paper chose one topic from the list below.

. DUE Feb 16, 2012 at the START of lecture. 1. The Walt Disney Corporation was a chronic and enthusiastic adopter of new technologies from its inception in the 1930s to the present. These included the development of sound and color in film, the multiplane camera, storyboarding as a way of creating visual narratives, audio-animatronics, the introduction of video and its distribution through television, and various stages of the development of computer animation. Select one example of the inclusion of a new technology in the Disney opus, and describe the changes that came about as a result of that development. Pay particular attention to the aesthetic changes that came about as a result of the new technology and to the particular effects that new technology was intended to introduce. 2 The Walt Disney Corporation created such successful popularizations of existing narratives that the Disney version is frequently taken as the genuine article rather than the sources Disney exploited. Select one Disney work (not yet discussed in class or used for the film review) that is based on an existing tale and describe the nature of the changes that the Disney version imposed upon it. What is lost and what is gained by the adaptation? Address the cultural and/or historical origins of the original and Disneys americanization of the tale. Discuss the reception of the piece in the media and by the general public. Pay particular attention to its classics status and the time period in which the film first premiered. 3. Critics have accused The Walt Disney Corporation of appropriating culture and promoting racial stereotypes. In the last several years the Corporation has published its own documentaries and books (South of the Border with Disney/ Walt & El Groupo) embracing the nostalgia of the South American trips. Discuss Disneys journey to South America and the films that trip generated, choosing one of the two films (Saludos Amigos, The Three Caballeros ) as your primary focus. Do the films meet the desired result of the Good Neighbor Policy? Discuss how films were initially received and how contemporary critics view them. 4. Donald Duck was the major star during World War II. Discuss how Disney used its brand to support the war effort. Pay particular attention to the impact of Disneys personally financed Victory Though Airpower. Discuss the use of ethnic and cultural stereotyping in the propaganda films. Discuss at least two short subjects. How has Disney used politics/war to enhance its reputation as a trustworthy American brand? 5. The representation of women in Disney films is a hot button topic and widely critiqued by feminist scholars, sociologists and psychologists. Compare and contrast the treatment of female characters in at least two Disney films or short subjects of your choice. Take into consideration the time period in which the film was created and the role women played in society during that era. FORMAT: FIVE (5) pages, double spaced, 1 margins. 12 point font Times New Roman Use a header to include your name, ID number, section and TA name. Follow MLA format Include endnotes and bibliography of sources sited (at least 2 sources cannot be from the Internet. DO NOT site Wikipedia.). This is an additional page and not counted as part of the FULL five pages.