The CalArts Story

The CalArts Story is a 1964 Disney documentary film about the California Institute of the Arts.

Synopsis
Walt Disney presents the vision of the California Institute of the Arts, a new campus that is being funded to dedicate entirely to careers in Art.

To provide an ideal framework for the training of its leaders and future leaders, Walt Disney and his brother Roy in 1961 decided to establish a university entirely dedicated to art: the California Institute of the Arts. This is due to the melting of the Chouinard Institute and the Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles, whose financial situations are not rosy. Walt Disney presents his vision in this typical short film of the 60s, The CalArts Story, it broadcasts in the first part of Mary Poppins, before an audience of notables from Hollywood during the gala for the premiere of his new movie.

This short film was essential to expose the Disney brothers project for the new campus they intend to finance the design and construction purpose. It shows a beautiful utopia mixed with a joyful optimism. The purpose is, indeed, then, to create a real center dedicated to the art, consisting of a campus, a museum and a concert hall ... In fact, Walt Disney provides location "his" school not far from the Hollywood Bowl, the famous theater located in the middle of the Hollywood Hills. Campus would complement the high places of culture in Los Angeles such as buildings (under construction at the time) or the Music Center of Los Angeles County Museum of Art ... Not a chance. His project will be realized in the state ever! The CalArts finally opened its doors in 1969 in Valencia, a good hour north of Los Angeles, in a place relatively removed and without the originally intended geographic reach ...

Nevertheless. The principal has been saved. Master of animation seen, it is true, its structure as a place where talent could discover and affirm. The musicians will live side by side painters, sculptors, animators, etc.. The goal is to create a pool, a melting pot where artists are in a position to learn from their teachers, but also for themselves by sharing their inspirations ... Thus, in the end, if the location and bombastic appearance of the original plan were not made, artistic and cultural objectives have, themselves, been perfectly. The California Institute of the Arts is, in fact, became a hotbed of talent for Disney but also for the whole Hollywood, forming students to become prestigious names: Tim Burton, John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Glen Keane, Andrew Stanton .. .

The CalArts Story is typical Disney short films of the 60s, both in its form (it even uses the voice of a regular studio productions, Sebastian Cabot came from (The) Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ... ) in the bottom (resolutely optimistic with this vision presented by Walt Disney optimistic as usual).