Walt Disney Pictures Logo PNG
The Walt Disney Pictures logo symbolizes an entire era of American cinema. It promises many interesting stories that viewers will see after the opening credits. However, this emblem has extended beyond theaters and is associated with various Walt Disney projects, including amusement parks.
Walt Disney Pictures: Brand overview
| Founded: | October 16, 1923 |
| Founder: | The Walt Disney Company |
| Headquarters: | California, United States |
| Website: | movies.disney.com |
Meaning and History
Walt Disney himself drew the original versions of the logo. In his youth, he worked as a designer at an advertising agency and became a cartoonist, so he had excellent artistic experience.
The company’s logo is part of the credits and adorns the entrances to popular theme parks. However, for the first 48 years, Disney had no distinctive sign: viewers saw only “Walt Disney Pictures Presents” or “Walt Disney Presents” on the screen. Sometimes, they were supplemented by Mickey Mouse’s profile, which was outlined and changed color in the animated version. In 1937, the phrase “Walt Disney Pictures” began to be used as a logo. It is still relevant, although designers have made minor changes to it.
In 1985, a castle appeared on the emblem – an integral part of the brand’s visual style. It first appeared in the credits of The Black Cauldron and was already very recognizable, as the castles of Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella inspired it.
The image has continuously transformed. Initially, it was a two-dimensional picture drawn with white horizontal lines. However, as technology developed, Walt Disney decided to show its viewers that it kept up with the times and that its graphics met the highest quality standards. This was aided by a three-dimensional logo, which Pixar created. The modernized design was first seen in 2006 when the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” was released.
What is Walt Disney Pictures?
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film production company, a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is a division of Disney Entertainment, owned by The Walt Disney Company. The brand was founded by the famous animator Walt Disney. It is located in Burbank, California. The company’s main activity is the production of live-action feature films.
1929 – 1937
Walt Disney himself participated in creating the brand’s first logos. One version contained the image of walking Mickey Mouse, who was already a symbol of the animation studio then. Above it was the phrase “WALT DISNEY PRODUCTIONS Ltd.” “MICKEY” was on the left, and “MOUSE” on the right. Under the first was the phrase “TRADE MARK,” and under the second was “REGISTERED.” The inscription “SOUND CARTOONS” occupied the next line, consisting of light letters with a dark frame. At the very bottom was the text “2719 HYPERION HOLLYWOOD.” A unique font, in most cases – an individual set of glyphs, was used for all parts of the logo.
1937 – 1948
The debut logo was one of the famous cartoonist’s signatures. Designers stylized it and enlarged it to branding size. The inscription is executed with combined uppercase and lowercase letters. The capital “W” and “D,” which are twisted, as well as the lowercase “i” and “y,” visually reminiscent of the ears and tail of a mouse, are unique as an allusion to the main character of the Mickey Mouse cartoon.
1948 – 1979
Ten years later, artists changed the style of the logo, so the “Walt Disney” inscription, although it looked handwritten, did not have an italic tilt.
1979 – 1983
A studio was launched in parallel with the general logo at this time. It was the 1937 version with the inscription “Productions” at the bottom. The additional word from the sans-serif category is executed in a smooth font.
1983 – 1985
During this period, a version appeared with the word “Productions” with serifs. The font is close to a classic universal one. But the upper inscription did not change: it is still executed in the Waltograph font.
1985 – 2006
In the mid-80s, a graphic was added to the text. It is a castle located above the phrase “Walt Disney.” The film studio chose it as a fairy-tale symbol. The palaces are depicted as horizontal stripes surrounded by a solid arch. Above each tower, there is a triangular flag.
2006 – 2011
In 2006, developers proposed an emblem that visualizes magical castles: the stripes disappear, realistic details appear, wide-open gates and a falling star hints that the film studio fulfills most fairy-tale wishes. The word “Productions” is reduced using a new cursive font, and the inscription “Walt Disney” becomes slightly thinner.
2011 – today
The current version is similar to the previous one except for the inscription. Instead of the full version, a shortened one is used—only “Disney,” the name of the founder of the animation company.
The new emblem is adorned with towers, windows, balconies, and flags. An animated star leaves a long line in the form of an arch. But the creators did not stop there and, over time, added even more details. Thus, several festive fireworks and clouds expressed the brand’s magic. The castle, in turn, symbolizes romance, love, and fairy tales.
However, with the release of “Toy Story,” changes occurred in the world of cartoons. Animators began to accompany each cartoon with their version of the logo so that the picture matched the plot. For example, “Maleficent” is similar to the Cliffside Castle, and “Tron” is like a city of lights.
Disney 100 Logo
For its centennial anniversary, the Walt Disney Company introduced a new logo based on the classic signature of its founder. The designers took as a basis the style of the emblem first used in 1979: featuring a wide “D” with a single loop around the vertical stroke and a curly “s” with an inwardly twisted bottom end. The right side of “N” is bent to the left, the dot over “i” is a complex swirl, and “y” resembles a mouse tail. The famous cartoonist’s first name is absent in the festive emblem – only his surname is present, rendered in the proprietary Waltograph font.
The number “100” is playfully interpreted despite the serious occasion. The two zeros are connected, making them look like the huge eyes of an animated character: surprised but unusual due to the absence of pupils. They also resemble Minnie’s bow and Mickey Mouse’s ears – the image from which it all began. “100 Years of Wonder” is written in a strict geometric font in the second row. All letters are uppercase, bold, and sans-serif. They harmoniously combine sharp angles and smooth curves. The lines are aligned on both sides and colored in black to emphasize the solemnity of the round date.
Walt Disney Pictures: Interesting Facts
Walt Disney Pictures is a big part of the Disney Company and is known for making movies that families love to watch together. It’s been around for almost 100 years!
- How It Started: Disney was started by two brothers, Walt and Roy Disney, in 1923. They made the first big cartoon movie, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” in 1937, a huge deal back then.
- Colorful Cartoons: Disney was one of the first to use bright colors in cartoons, starting with “Flowers and Trees” in 1932. This movie even won an award because it looked so good.
- New Camera Tricks: In the 1930s, Disney created a new camera that made cartoons look more 3D by stacking the pictures in layers. This made the movies look cool.
- Disney Parks: Besides movies, Disney made Disneyland in California in 1955. It was so fun that they built more parks all over the world.
- A Movie Nominated for Best Picture: In 1991, the movie “Beauty and the Beast” was nominated for a major movie award, showing that cartoons can be just as good as other movies.
- Joining Forces with Pixar: In 2006, Disney bought Pixar, another cartoon studio. This helped Disney make even more awesome movies.
- More Cool Movies: Disney also bought Marvel and Lucasfilm, which means they now make superhero and Star Wars movies.
- Disney Renaissance: From the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, Disney made some of its best movies, such as “The Little Mermaid” and “The Lion King.”
- Using Computers: Disney uses computer tech to make movies like “Tangled” and “Frozen” look amazing.
- Walt Disney’s Awards: Walt Disney, one of the founders, won 22 Oscars, more than anyone else. He’s remembered for making Disney what it is today.
Disney has made a big mark on movies and fun places to visit, bringing stories to life that kids and adults enjoy worldwide.
Font and Colors
The graphic part of the logo appeared in 1985. It became an image of a fairy-tale castle since the animation studio is associated with magic, princes, princesses, kings, and queens. Initially, the palace looked constructed, but another, more tangible and realistic image appeared. According to the designers’ idea, it still changes depending on the plot of the cartoon or film.
The colorful image is accompanied by the phrase “Walt Disney Pictures.” The company’s name is encountered in early versions of the emblem, although the style has noticeably changed since 1937. There is an opinion that the phrase “Walt Disney” is nothing more than the owner’s brand signature. However, some are ready to argue with this, as the famous animator’s autograph looks completely different on old letters and postcards.
Like many animators, Disney had several signatures, including Roman or print. Moreover, he constantly improved them, almost as he changed the design of Mickey Mouse. Until the early 1970s, the logo included one of the old versions, with careless lines and connected letters. Later, a few years after Walt Disney’s death, new leaders decided to use a more original version.
The studio owner left behind many handwriting samples. Based on them, designers developed a universal word sign – most likely hyperbolic and stylized. They chose the most memorable signature with the strange letter “D.” The other symbols are also unusual: “T” resembles “Y,” and the dot above “I” looks like a large circle, crossed diagonally.
The media conglomerate has never had an official font, but in 2000, typographer Justin Callaghan tried to recreate it based on existing inscriptions. He developed two versions of the Waltograph: bold and regular, with lowercase and uppercase letters. Walt Disney Company noted that if Mickey Mouse were to write memoirs, he would choose the Waltograph font.
