Steamboat Willie

For this week's post I looked at one of the earliest examples of a Disney animation that I could find - Steamboat Willie.  In this classic animated short film we see the beginnings of Mickey Mouse and other cartoon characters play out a few scenes on a steamboat going down a river.  What I enjoy about the animation is the use of sound to accompany the action on screen.  Disney is a talented artist but the story would be far less effective if it was missing a soundtrack.

This animation was completed one frame at a time, with the artist drawing each frame with slight differences from the previous one.  These drawings were then photographed and when played back at speed, they show the story of Steamboat Willie and his friends.  I can't imagine having to draw each frame over and over again, so I have a deep respect for Disney and all of the animation team.