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Leslie Iwerks' The Imagineering Story



I am a huge Disney fan, so watching The Imagineering Story, directed by Leslie Iwerks, was really interesting to me. The docu-series focuses on the Imagineers, the physicists/creative minds behind the Disney Theme Parks and attractions. The documentary starts out explaining Disneyland's beginnings and how Walt Disney pulled off making the world's most popular theme park. We continue on to follow the imagineers and how this group of people basically built and made the theme parks possible.

This is particularly an interesting documentary because it explores the history and uses much historical footage and archive imagery. We get to hear from original Imagineers and know their exact thought processes when creating iconic attractions. Iwerks does a great job at storytelling and giving the audience a behind the scenes look into the creation of basically every attraction and park that Disney operates.

The trailer is inspiring for my documentary because it uses quick cuts and voice-over interviews that convey the whole story in just a few minutes. 

The interviews with the key players behind Disney attractions are what makes the documentary successful. Their stories are what make the documentary entertaining. They recount their experiences, which were challenging, funny, and just plain brilliant. I especially loved hearing about one of the original artists, Mary Blair, whose graphic style shaped the look of "It's a Small World" and several Disney films.
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Mary Blair's Illustration for Cinderella

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