Research Memo 

Five

I have always found it remarkable how much one can get done in a finite amount of time. Although my accomplishment is no Hollywood blockbuster, I am quite happy with the substance that I have been able to include in my research film. What started out as a mere topic – Disney – has been honed into focusing on the fans, and more importantly, the meaning that Disney brings to its fans. Through the scope of my research, I have been lucky enough to uncover real evidence, facts, and scientific support to backup any information that I have disclosed about Disney. Even though most of such information has not been included in the film, there will be time during the official presentation to talk about those findings. What I really would like viewers to understand is that the topic being presented is more than just word-of-mouth, and it requires the time and respect to fully understand the importance and meaning of [Disney] the establishment beyond the scope of the term ‘fan’ in its traditional sense.

I truly believe that constraining the content also had a beneficial impact on the final product. I never say that there are too many questions; sometimes, there are never enough. However, I quickly found that I could not handle the freedom to limit the number of questions that I started out with. As numerous unrelated answers were given, I decided to focus on a much smaller set of questions. This proved to be helpful when piecing the film together as all of the content was related. Over the course of my research, I had been fought by numerous people (colleagues as well as random strangers) about the Walt Disney Company. Some of the arguments ranged from poor movie quality, to unethical treatment of its workers, to the company’s financial stature. The more complex arguments were about the cruelty and hatred of Walt Disney as well as harsh backlash as to why I was fond of Disney. I made the decision then and there that there would be no room for negativity in my research. Though it may seem somewhat obvious, that decision was actually very big because there was an extremely small side of me that was a bit upset with Disney – my disappointment lies in the management. I knew if I wanted to convey the pure love of Disney from myself as well as the fans, I could not even let my own silly frustrations break out.

I truly feel that I was able to capture the juxtaposition of both the fans and professionals of Disney in the matter of their hopes, feelings, and experiences in the past, present, and future with Disney. I also think that the way I have designed the film works brilliantly in showcasing the many forms of research that I have collected. As previously mentioned, I simply couldn’t include every single bit of information that I wanted to, and hence the overall structure of my film resembles only interviews. Beneath the surface of these interviews, I have overlapped performances from some of my participants – piano and vocal – as well as other symbols of Disney throughout – color schemes, hidden Mickey’s, sounds, and more. One might argue that my research is vastly an array of obsessed people talking about a subject that does not really entail concrete research. I disagree. I certainly would not bring forth this topic if I did not have a purpose. I asked the crucial question of, “Why?” Truth be told, there is a population of people that undermine, mock, dislike, and question Disney. This is for them. Understanding is the first step to appreciation, and Disney fans have that down. It is time to give the rest of the world the opportunity to understand, and this is my contribution.

What always keeps my spirit up are Disney’s ideals. Ideology definitely had an enormous role in my visual research. Just as there is an ideology that goes hand-in-hand with the United States of America, there is an ideology that corresponds with Disney – an ideology that is strictly followed (as a lifestyle). From our own learning community, we have learned that ideologies can shape policies and theories, politics, ideas, and even entire societies. Disney fans are perfect examples of their own sort of society that has been influenced by a particular umbrella of ideologies. I find that this is the best way to explain to people who don’t understand the connection I make with the fans and the company. Everything in my research and film revolves around this key element of material that we have embraced in our learning. What makes any country strong and united? The answer lies in its belief, trust, and support of its ideologies. Disney is one and the same. Just one man's opinion.