Research Statement
From birth, Disney has been the center of my universe. I age side by side with it, and together we grow to be better each and every year. To me, Disney is not simply a company; it is a lifestyle and more importantly a family. I’m sure that for most people, if someone were to criticize their family without reason, they would feel pretty angry and frustrated; the same applies to me with Disney. I never justify myself to anyone. However, I felt the obligation to explain to people how Disney affects its fans when I encountered a negative conversation about the company this past summer.
I took it upon myself to explore the depths behind what makes Disney special to the fans in order to truly reveal to the outside population the meaning that Disney brings to its followers and the potential of giving the company a chance to make an impact on their lives. My research aimed to answer the big questions of ‘why?’ These include: “Why is Disney special to you?”, “Why has Disney impacted you?”, and “Why is the support for Disney so strong?” I do not aim at attempting to recruit more Disney supporters, however, I do wish to gain respect for the fondness that fans have for the company that is often ostracized by outsiders. More than anything, my research is meant to present the pure joy and appreciation that comes from Disney fans – the same joy and appreciation given in any family.
From the beginning, I knew that to convey my message in the most impactful way, I would need to produce a film of sorts. I choose to create a documentary-styled film because I believe that firsthand testimonial and accounts are strong visuals to my main questions. Rather than portraying the glam and glitz of the Disney enterprise, I choose to stick with depicting just the fans – in which I split into two groups; consumers and employees. Beyond my scope of research, I really wanted to grasp any media outlet that I could include as part of the visual and artistic side of my message. Capturing the emotion is much more valuable than stating it.
The greatest strength of my work revolves around how I was able to get my participants to show me what Disney meant to them. I dove right in to record interviews, piano covers, songs, and even firsthand experiences/reactions – all of which are portrayed in the film. I was also fortunate to take multiple trips to Disney offices where I got the support from the people who create the experiences to take part in my research. My hardest challenge was to condense my extensive research in a way that would still emulate the feel and message that I had originally designed. In the end, all of the segments that I chose were the best presentations of every aspect of my research.
To reiterate, Disney is much more than a company, or riches, or powerful people. Disney is a lifestyle. Disney is hope. Disney is a family. Just one man's opinion.