In 1933 Walt Disney Studios developed a Multiplane Camera that simultaneously shot several levels of cels and backgrounds to give depth to two-dimensional animated films. The Studio used it in a Silly Symphony, “The Old Mill,” in 1937, and then in Disney’s first feature-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This technology was last utilized for The Little Mermaid in 1989, after which time it was retired. There are only three Multiplane cameras on view in the world today, one of which lives in The Walt Disney Family Musuem’s Gallery Five.
On a smaller scale, but designed specifically for the museum, the Multiplane Camera Kit is portable, easy to assemble, and adds sophistication to even the simplest stop-motion animations. Whether starting from scratch or continuing lessons learned during a Technological Innovations field trip (grades 4 – 12), renting the Multiplane Camera Kit is sure to animate your classroom!
Please email schoolexperience@wdfmuseum.org if you would like to reserve a kit.