Description

Treasure is proud to present this circa 1939 Disney's Pinocchio Director's Continuity Sketch Book from the hit film, the 2nd feature length animation film from Walt Disney Studios.. Founded by brothers Walt and Roy Disney on Oct. 16, 1923, Disney has woven itself into the very fabric of the United States and the world with its animation, theme parks, and countless other properties that bring joy to billions.

Disney's impact on animation, film, and television is evidenced in the 1940 musical fantasy film Pinocchio, released on Feb. 23, 1940. The film served as Disney's second animated feature film and only the third animated film produced by an American studio. Pinocchio received critical acclaim upon its release, becoming the first animated feature to secure an Academy Award, as it won Oscars for "Best Music, Original Score," and "Best Music, Original Song," for the timeless classic, "When You Wish Upon a Star," which is widely considered to be Disney's leitmotif.  

Due to the intricacies of the animation—and the project having Supervising Directors Ben Sharpsteen and Hamilton Luke, along with Sequence Directors Bill Roberts, Norman Ferguson, Jack Kinney, Wilfred Jackson, and T. Hee—keeping the project aligned was a must, which necessitated this offered continuity book.  

Before we get into further detail, the label on the cover of the book features "Continuity Sketch Book," with "2003 – Seq. 1., Seq. 1.1, Seq. 1.5," typed and written on the label affixed to the cover. Within Disney, feature length films were projects numbered in the 2000s (shorts 1000's). Snow White was 2001, Bambi was 2002 and Pinocchio was 2003, even though Pinocchio was released before Bambi; Snow White contained some lesser developed animation of forest animals, further development of those animation techniques is a part of what delayed the Bambi project.  

Contained within this 47-page tome is Disney magic and a glimpse into the conception and production of one of the most celebrated films in history. The book (which has two sections) features typed, cut-and-taped, in verbiage form, script alongside images of the matching photographic model sheet cut out images depicting scenes from the film in the first section. 

The second portion of the book features select original storyboard drawings from concepting the film in the studio, with each affixed via tape to the book.  

Disney's creative process is on full display in the original storyboard drawings, with the particular drawing of the Blue Fairy in blue and red pencil that highlights the lengths the animators took to accurately portray the human body. Without comparing it to other animation of the era or their own work, when making feature films, it was of the utmost importance that the animation was relatable to audiences to allow them to get emotionally involved with the characters. Understanding the necessity to get the audience to believe in the story they were watching, and to maintain a level of interest necessary for a feature-length film and not an animated short, Walt Disney focused on realistic character depictions to foster emotional engagement with the audience.  

Thus, Disney took great care in their animation process. "Great stories are great characters in great relationships," a quote that was passed around to Disney employees, and great characters have to be believable, hence the great care Disney took in their animation process.  

What makes this portion of the book so crucial to the animation process is how it allows the reader to see the development of the artistic style of the Golden Era of Disney. You can see evidence of this evolution on Scene 49, BF. As the Blue Fairy, whose design at the time resembles Snow White, evolves into her own entire woman by Scene 51, showing the evolution of the character and the work of the artist(s) as the film slowly evolves on paper to become the finished product enjoyed by millions today.  

The book is held together by two fasteners, with the cover exhibiting scuffing and black marks. Stains are evident on the tape surrounding the label on the cover. The cover contains wear to the edges and corners, and the interior pages contain some toning. However, the contents, especially the storyboard drawings, remain vibrant and resplendent. The book is not only a piece of Disney history, but a work of art showcasing the animation and production process of a timeless and beloved Disney film, but also the evolution of Disney's animation, hailing from Disney's Golden Era.  

Accompanied by COAs (47) from Choice Collectibles ASG, for which we invite you to examine the extensive documentation that illuminates the rarity and beauty of this one of a kind offering.

Listed By: TreasureAdmin