Film & Culture
After World War II, many entertainment companies struggled to get out of the adverse economic effects of the war. The war was over, and the American public wanted a change in entertainment forms that reflected the societal shift that came with the end of the war. At the time, Disney studios under the stewardship of Walt Disney was an animating studio and gained fame through characters like Mickey Mouse. Television was a relatively novel medium, and Walt Disney saw its potential in revolutionizing the entertainment industry. Walt Disney came up with the idea of Disneyland, which employed a revolutionary and innovative programming style to serve its expansive and narrative and marketing purposes. Disneyland uses serialized television formats, behind the scenes footage, Disney showmanship, and its integration of advertising into regular television.
Disneyland adopted the new serialized model to release its weekly episodes. The serialized format gave the public a familiar cultural experience. When people know they will always have an episode to watch every other week, their anticipation for the program is built. Additionally, the serialized format also allows people to attract new fans into the showing, as it gives people a shared cultural experience, which appealed to the American viewership. This serialized format was a technique by ABC and Disney as an “expression of a unique relationship to the broadcast audience” (Anderson, 21). The new format was also revolutionary, and its innovative method attracted new viewership. The serialized approach also allowed Disneyland to promote its studio and merchandise in bits. An aspect of the studio and the theme park would be promoted in a weekly episode, and on the next weekly episode, another aspect of the studio and theme park would be promoted. This serialized promotion was instrumental in creating the anticipation for the theme park, and audience inclusivity to the audience in Walt’s dream. This is one of the innovative ways that Disneyland programming to expand is narrative purposes.
Disneyland also insisted on creating an authentic viewing experience that was attractive to the audience. Disneyland inculcated programming such as behind-the-scenes footage to include the audience in the studio’s production process. The audience felt like a part of the show and satisfied America’s fascination with the “trickery” of the studio. This behind the scenes looks added to the narrative aesthetic of the program. Additionally, through the behind the scenes looks, the program promoted its Disney studios and its amusement parks. The audience was given glimpses into the amusement park’s construction progress and the strengths of the Disney studios. It, therefore, also served as a marketing strategy for Disney’s products.
The program also exploited Walt Disney’s unique showmanship to advance it’s narrative and marketing purposes. Disney himself offered commentary and added to the authenticity of the program. Riding on Disney’s reputation and skill before the camera, the program provided the audience behind the scenes insight into the studio. The program thus simultaneously entertained fans by giving them a relatable and authentic experience and marketed the craftsmen and engineers that made the program.
Works Cited
Anderson, Christopher. “Disneyland.” Television: The critical view (2000): 17-33.