Disney crafts a whole new world

Launching for World Princess Week, this touching campaign for Disney, directed by Alex Prager through Arts & Sciences, blends cinematic filmmaking and practical craft to tell the story of a lifelong friendship formed through a shared love of Princess stories. 

Created by Fallon, Once a Princess, Always a Princess: A Disney Short follows two young girls in neighbouring apartment towers who build a magical world together through play. 

The project was brought to life through an intricate combination of hand-crafted sets, painted scenery created using classic Disney matte painting techniques, a 56-piece live orchestra, eight hand-made puppets, an entirely from-scratch wardrobe (including hand-stitched princess gowns), and lots of practical trickery.  

"Practical filmmaking is at the core of everything I do. When they are practical and in-camera, it feels more visceral because the sense of gravity and tactile nature reflect how we perceive emotion as something very physical,” says Alex Prager, Director. 

"Every effect we used was physically rigged, from floating carpets to drifting clouds. I brought the idea of using practical filmmaking techniques to Disney from our very first conversations because of their history, I wanted go back to their roots; they have always been at the forefront of new technology and finding new ways to tell stories without taking away what made them beloved in the first place.”