From reading the original tales I can conclude that..

Although there are certain themes and issues that are already present in the original stories, (royalty, good vs evil, vulnerable female protagonist figure), Disney consistently include themes of their own which do appear to be signatures of the studio.

• Enchanted animal or objects as friends add to the element of fantasy in the films, as well as being able to let a lot more depth of the protagonists' character be explored.
• Representation of women - traditional, negative- women in Disney animations are either vulnerable and weak, home makers and house keepers, cooking and cleaning after people, dependent, yet beautiful and dainty, or they are evil, controlling, psychopathic, desperate for wealth, youth, beauty and attention.
• The antagonist in Disney animations is predominantly actually part of the family of the protagonists. - Evil Step mother, Uncle Scar, etc
• A broken home/single parent family - appears to be a very Disney stamp on the stories, sometimes finding a mother/father figure of their missing parent in another character - Rafiki shows Simba his father is in the sky, Mrs Potts mothers Belle.
• Love and romance, - emphasized much more in Disney animations than the original stories, love is represented as a dream to aspire to - very idealic.
  
• Adventurous fun developing friendships is also a theme which Disney force upon each of the tales in order to make them family friendly.

These are conventions which the Disney audience has learned to expect from Disney animations, without them the success of the films may be effected dramatically. Disney make conscious decisions to cut out any themes and issues which may take away from the happy, adventurous and romantic tone to their animations, which give a consistency to their work.
The Lion King was the first Disney animation to be written from an original idea. It's controversy with the not-so-suitable for children scene of Mufasa's death was a risk. However the bright and exciting African theme with catchy songs and exciting friendships and subplots managed to make it so successful that Disney took it out of the American cinemas in order to re-release it at Thanksgiving in order to make even more money.
Is this because it was fresh and new or because it followed the same themes and issues expected from it's audience? I will look at the success of the other Disney films using Box Office Mojo.

Textual Analysis of a Scene in Cinderella

The end scene of Cinderella in which Cinderella finally gets to prove herself and marry the Prince includes themes of love, friendship, royalty, good vs evil, family and fairytale/fantasy; all the themes and issues I found recurrent between my chosen Disney animations.

• Medium long shot of the Grand Duke asking whether Cinderella's Stepmother and step sisters are the only ladies in the house. He is obviously royal, as can be told from his costume.
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• He's interrupted by Cinderella's Stepmother, who by this point in the film is recognised by the spectator as the antagonist. (Obviously interrupting someone, especially of importance, is a rude thing to do - although she says "your grace".)
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• The evil Stepmother stands in the shadows, low key lighting, with dark arched eyebrows and a long thin face with high neck to make her look more crow-like and menacing.
• The way that the Stepmother speaks is purposeful and stern, showing she is powerful.
• Shot reverse shot between the Grand Duke and the Evil Stepmother show the Grand Duke putting on a rediculously tall hat (likely for comic effect as this is a film for all the family), and start to leave the house - a moment where the spectator almost believes that the evil Stepmother has won, and that Cinderella has missed her chance..
• "Your Grace, Your Grace!" - Cinderella's diegetic voice is heard from offscreen. - Cinderella is extremely polite, in contrast to how her Stepmother spoke.
• An extreme long shot of Cinderella running down the stairs towards the Grand Duke accompanied by non-diegetic parallel music highlight the film's protagonist taking back the control - the confrontational moment of the "showdown" between good and evil, although the non-confrontational moment played more of a part, where the animals helped free Cinderella from the tower that the Stepmother had locked her in.
• An eye level medium shot shows Cinderella's Stepmother and Step-sisters in shock and disgust at Cinderella being free and brave enough to come stand her ground.
• Diegetic sounds of them complaining about how Cinderella shouldn't be allowed to try on the slipper are offscreen on a medium shot of Cinderella's legs running down the stairs from the Great Duke's point of view - this confirms to the spectator that he is not going to listen to them anymore and that Cinderella is finally getting her moment.
• "A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes" plays non-diegetically, the song which has represented Cinderella's hopes throughout the film.
• A long shot shows the Stepmother try to block the Duke's path calling Cinderella "an imaginative child" - but she is pushed aside by the Duke, who scorns her as his orders were to try every maiden. - giving Cinderella more of the power between them all the time.
• A tracking shot of the man carrying the slipper on a pillow has the Stepmother hold her cane out in front of his feet so he trips and the slipper smashes all over the floor, quickly pulling away the hope and confidence built in both the Duke and the spectator.
• The non-diegetic music becomes distressed and sorrowful, adding to the feeling of dispair, as the Duke lays on the floor and cries over the shards of glass - making the spectator think there is no way to rectify the situation.
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• A medium close up of the Stepmother in the shadows smiling an evil smile also adds to this feeeling, as well as showing that the Stepmother has taken back power over Cinderella, which is what Cinderella had been wishing for freedom from throughout the whole film.
• Medium shot of Cinderella sat in a red and gold chair - makes her look more important, power, she brings out the other slipper and the music cruscendos - sounds more hopeful and exciting.
• Close up of the Stepmothers shocked face as the music cruscendos is the final strike against the films antagonist in this showdown scene. She has obviously been defeated, as Cinderella is now to marry the Prince, and become a member of the royals.
• The mice and birds celebrate Cinderella's good fortune at the top of the stairs together in a low angle long shot - showing their true friendship, as they are supportive.
• Probably the most iconic shot of all is a tracking shot inwards as the Grand Duke slips the glass slipper onto Cinderella's foot, and the shot dissolves to a shot tracking outwards of wedding bells which dissolves again to a large clock, and then dissolves again to Cinderella and Prince Charming running down the stairs together after getting married. The dissolve has been used again to show romance, as well as time passing. This moment is where the spectator knows for sure that Cinderella has a very happy ending.
• The extreme long shot of Cinderella losing her shoe on the stairs not only pays homage to the night that she met the Prince, but also creates the running joke on Cinderella, feeling like an inside joke for spectators, and making Cinderella more endearing.
• The King slips Cinderella's shoe on, in a medium long shot, which tilts upwards to show Cinderella kiss his bald head - not only comical, but also expressing that she has already been very welcomed into her new family.
• All very high key to show the change in mood.
• "A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes" plays again, Cinderella's theme. And now her wish has come true. A tracking shot of the carriage shows her wave goodbye to her old life as she rides off with her new Prince Charming. Shots of the mice waving goodbye, as well as Bruno the dog running by the carriage, show that they won't stop being friends, and that their friendship is true.
• The final shot of the film of Cinderella and Prince Charming kissing, and the book closing, also reinforces their love for each other, and the fact that it is a romantic fairytale.

Textual Analysis of a Scene in Beauty and the Beast

The scene in which Belle and the Beast fall in love, "Something There". I felt that this scene expressed quite a lot of the signatures that are present in the Disney animations I have been researching.

• Two-shot of Belle and the Beast eating together - pink curtains, red carpet - warm rich colours symbolising love.
• Chandelier to show riches/royalty
  
• Snow outside the caslte windows - picture perfect, very romantic.
• High key lighting - happy.
• Sound bridge of song "Something There" to show their love develp over the course of the song, the lyrics of the song act as a narration of this as they sing out their true feelings.
• Close up as the sugar and milk pour in the bowl by themselves - this is an enchanted and magical castle - they are helpful and friendly.
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• Eye level medium shot of Belle eating with a spoon very elegantly - her dress is also pretty and elegant.

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• This is in contrast to a medium shot of the Beast with food all over his face, his clothes, and the table, with his face in the bowl making load slurping noises.
• Shot reverse shot between the two of them, Belle doesn't know how to act to the Beast's table manners.
• Mrs Potts and Chip - friends of both Belle and the Beast, in a high angle two shot, to put the spectator in the position of the Beast- offer him guidance by pushing forward a spoon in encouragement.
• .
• Mrs Potts is motherly to the Beast - mother figure.
• Chip laughs when the Beast can't use a spoon, but Mrs Potts is able to shame him with just a look.


• Shot reverse shot of eye level medium shots of Belle and the Beast show them both come to a compromise of sipping from their bowls to bring them onto the same level. This is then shown in a long two shot to show that they are equal now, as they raise their bowls to each other and drink.


• The music is parallel, and lighting is high key giving off a positive mood.
• This dissolves into an extreme long shot of the two of them in the snow - the dissolve is an editing technique often used to express romance.


• Belle is wearing pink and red again - to represent their love and her beauty.
• Although it is winter, the snow and high key lighting makes the scene appear more pure, romantic, and happy, rather than cold.
• Birds sing outside - ambient sound.
• The Beast tries to coax the little birds onto his hands with seeds in a low angle medium show, but they fly away - a long shot of him approaching the birds quicker and quicker with them escaping each time shows his naivety and innocence, as he doesn't mean to scare them but doesn't know what he's doing.


• Belle shows him if he is gentle and waits for the birds to approach him then they will be more comfortable in doing so - the birds then all surround him, showing that Belle has things to teach him, and that she can complete him.


• As the couple start to have feelings for each other they don't understand them
• "..and when we touched she didn't shudder at my paw,
• no it can't be, I'll just ignore, but then she's never looked at me that way before."


• "New, and a bit alarming, who'd have ever thought that this could be?
• True, that he's no Prince Charming, but there's something in him that I simply didn't see."
• They have a snowball fight as Lumiére, Mrs Potts, and Cogsworth sing - strong friendship/family unit - they hope for the best for Belle and the Beast.


• Belle and the Beast sit by the fire in the background of a long shot of Lumiére, Cogsworth, Chip, Mrs Potts, and Babette, and read together - the mise en scéne is full of warmth, warm colours, lots of red to again symbolise their love - purples to show royalty, as well as the sheild above the fire.


• The lighting is low key but warm, as the main light source is the fireplace.
• The characters in the foreground act like a family.
  

Here is a video of the clip I have analysed.

Auteur theory research

The Origin of the Auteur theory in France

• The Auteur Theory originated in france, initially known as "Le Politique des Auteurs".


• A left wing intellectual and film maker in post-war France, Alexandre Astruc, wrote an article named "The Birth of a New Avant-Garde: la Caméra-Stylo", 1948, constructing the theory.


• This named the film maker as an artist.


• During the war, Americans had developed light-weight 16mm cameras - making it possible for small groups to create films, as well as the big studios.


• Combined with television, film making was now becoming available to many- like it had never been before.


• After the war, Hollywood films could be seen in France.


• The Politique des Auteurs was established to show film making as an art, serious, and to support its quality.


• André Bazin resisted this theory, and felt that the film maker should be seen as passively recording the real world, not constructing and manipulating it. - However hypocritically, he was a fan of Hollywood directors Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock.


• Bazin criticised that the work could be ascribed to an "auteur" if they had never been part of the history of film or society.


• "Bazin's criticism of the politique was perceptive" (The Cinema Book, Pam Cook & Mieke Bernink, 1994)


• "Metteurs-en-scene" - discussions began about directors of film and true auteurs who have a uniquelly individual style in their film making.


• Bazin again criticised that mise-en-scene shouldn't reflect the director but the film itself, to allow the meaning of the film to be expressed.

The History of the Auteur Theory in America

• In the '40's and '50's, the "best films" were social realism films, with commertial films not being classed as "quality".


• In the '50's, Hollywood started selling old movies to television, so people could see earlier work of directors who were at their peak at the time.


• In the late '50's/early 60's, Andrew Sarris, writing for "The Villiage Voice", and "Film Culture" began arguing for the Auteur theory, as well as that cinema and it's mass audience were declining.


• In 1960's, Sarris's critical polemic was against social realism and in favour of "the art of popular cinema".


• Coming out of the Golden Era, the director became a criterion of value, rather than the star - which lead to the decline in the Hollywood Studio System, where stars were used as products rather than people, tied down by contracts to be a certain person who acts a certain way to give off a false image designed by the Studios. - This meant a growth in small-scale production facilities.


• "Many artisrs in America began experimenting with 16mm film after the war. Thus some of the social conditions which gave rise to the french "politique des auteurs" also contributed to the emergence of the auteur theory in America." (The Cinema Book, Pam Cook & Mieke Bernink, 1994)
• Andrew Sarris was responsible for introducing politique des auteurs, translating it to auteur theory, and expanding it to evaluating/classifying Hollywood cinema.
• Auteur theory was a way to evaluate films according to the directors technical competence, talent, and distict visual style.
• Sarris altered his theory to limit it only to Hollywood directors and some others who had influenced them.
• He didn't belittle those others who worked on the films, but found the director most important in the work.
• "After years of tortured revaluation, I am now prepared to stake my critical reputation, such as it is, on the proposition that Alfred Hitchcock is artistically superior to Robert Bresson by every criterion of excellence, and further, that, film for film, director for director, the American cinema has been consistantly superior to that of the rest of the world from 1915 throught 1962. Consequently, I now regard the auteur theory primarily as a critical device for recording the history of the American cinema, the only cinema in the world worth exploring in depth beneath the frosting of a few great directors at the top." (Sarris, 1962/63)