‘Once Upon a Studio’ Will Honor Disney Legend Burny Mattinson
The upcoming original short film Once Upon a Studio will bring together over 500 characters from Disney’s storied history to celebrate the studio’s 100th anniversary.
It is not only the characters that are being honored in the short however, but the artists and storytellers who helped bring the characters to life.
Photo: Disney
Once Upon a Studio begins with artists heading home for the day, with Disney Legend Burny Mattinson the last person to walk out the door.
A Legendary Disney Career
For those who don’t know, Burny Mattinson was the Walt Disney Company’s longest-serving employee, working for the company for 70 years.
Mattinson began his tenure at Disney in 1953, working on such Disney animated classics as Lady and the Tramp, The Jungle Book, and One Hundred and One Dalmatians.
The Disney Legend’s career would continue through the Disney Renaissance, where he was an instrumental team member on Beauty and the Beast, Tarzan, and The Lion King.
Mattinson continued to work for Disney until he passed away earlier this year at the age of 87.
An Obvious Inclusion
According to Clark Spencer, President of Disney Animation, Mattinson was a no-brainer for inclusion in Disney’s 100th anniversary short.
Photo: Also Disney
“For 70 years, Burny was such an important part of this studio. His career spans everything from working in the mailroom to being an animator and story artist to directing feature films to being the best mentor anyone could ever ask for. His smile lit up the Studio, and the joy he brought to every room was infectious. Simply stated, his influence on the people and the films of Disney Animation was extraordinary,” Spencer says. “For those of us who had the honor to work with him, he inspired us to truly be the best that we could be.”
Mattinson Got To See ‘Once Upon a Time’
Mattinson filmed his part in Once Upon a Studio in August 2002. Fortunately, Mattinson got to attend a screen of the short before his passing.
Photo: Disney
“Oh, he loved it,” says Dan Abraham, who wrote and directed Once Upon a Studio with Trent Correy. “When I storyboarded this, in the very first frame, I drew, ‘Burny Mattinson walks out of the door with a young intern.’ And that was all about handing the baton on to the next generation. He was in the storyboards for months and months before Burny even knew he was in them. When Once Upon a Studio was greenlit, we went to Burny and asked him, ‘How would you feel about being part of this?’ And he was really, really into it! I don’t think he had done any on-camera work up until that point.”
“But Burny is an animator and a story artist, so he’s an actor with a pencil; he has been his entire life. When he delivers his line—”If these walls could talk…”—there is a sparkle in his eye. It is just undeniable the things that Burny has seen in his 70 years at the company: Walt Disney, the death of Walt Disney, the emergence of computer animation, all the different people who were in charge throughout the decades. And he just rolled with it all.”
A Fitting Tribute
During his storied career, Mattinson was a mentor and friend to generations of Disney artists. It is only fitting that Once Upon a Studio’s credits end with a dedication that reads, “For our Pal Burny and his 70 years of legendary storytelling at Disney Animation.”
“Burny’s first film as an artist was Lady and the Tramp and he was still making an impact at Disney Animation all the way up to Once Upon a Studio,” Spencer says. “And what I think the short captures so beautifully is all the incredible work thousands of people brought over the decades to create the stories and characters that define Disney Animation—including Burny.”
Photo: Disney
Once Upon a Studio will debut as part of ABC”s The Wonderful World of Disney: Disney’s 100th Anniversary Celebration! on Sunday, October 15 at 8. p.m. ET.
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