Fantasia for Children is a fantasy movie released in 1940 by Walt Disney Pictures. It was the final film of The Hall of Heroes, a trilogy produced by Walt Disney that consisted of films about classical Greek and Roman mythology and the final installment, Thru the Eyes of Time, is about Eastern philosophy. Of all three films, Fantasia for Children is the only one that does not have any direct connection with its predecessors. It’s also one of the few non-Disney animated films to be released in 3D cinema. Fantasia is most notable for being one of few films that combine music with psychedelic visuals. The “psychedelic” part refers to distorted imagery and sounds that are reminiscent to hallucinations experienced under the influence of certain drugs such as LSD or psilocybin mushrooms (psilocybe). Although this particular aspect was not common at the time Fantasia was made, it can still be seen as an inspiring step in animation history even if it isn’t treated as such by many people today.
What is psychedelic art?
Psychedelic art is the art movement that began around the 1960s and 70s that was heavily inspired by psychedelic drugs. Many artists who were part of this movement experimented with different types of drugs and some of them even became famous for their artwork that was critical of society and associated with the hippie movement. The term “psychedelic art” was first used by British artist Michael W. Smith in the late 1960s. He was referring to the visual hallucinations and other altered states of consciousness that are often experienced by people who smoke or take various types of psychedelic drugs like LSD or psilocybin mushrooms. The most well-known artist who dealt with psychedelic art is probably Jackson Pollock. He was a famous artist and a famous user of psychedelic drugs. He painted with liquid paint on a large number of canvases and he also used a number of other types of visual media such as incense, sand, and paintbrushes. Other well-known artists who were part of psychedelic art movement are Robert Crumb, William S. Burroughs, Brion Gysin, and Rene Magritte.
Fantasia and psychedelic animation
Animation is known for being able to create fantastical images and themes that would be impossible to do using any other type of artistic technique. Yet, the psychedelic art movement brought psychedelic animation to another level altogether. The “Magic Notes” sequence in Fantasia is one of the most iconic psychedelic visuals ever created. It’s also the only one that wasn’t created by an animator. It was created by artist Robert Crumb and it was added to the film by American producer Walt Disney. The sequence was created by fusing a number of different visuals that were inspired by classical music, art, and psychedelics. It was done by filming live actors performing on a soundstage using a black-and-white stop-motion film technique. Then, footage from the film was edited together and it was then given a soundtrack made up of loops and samples. Basically, the sequence is a visual and auditory collage that combines visual elements from classical music, art, and psychedelics.
“Magic Notes” and the soundtrack of Fantasia
The soundtrack of Fantasia for Children was composed by pianist and composer Leopold Stokowski. The unique thing about the soundtrack of Fantasia is that it combines various types of music. Classical music, Disney fairy tales, and psychedelic music are combined in one single soundtrack. This was another way that Walt Disney wanted to make his film stand out from the rest. He wanted to create a unique film that was unlike any other film at the time. He accomplished this by incorporating a variety of music genres and styles into the soundtrack. Stokowski’s Fantasia soundtrack was the first soundtrack to use stereo sound. It was also the first soundtrack to use electronic equipment to create sound effects.
The legendary “Invisible Girl” sequence – a tribute to LSD?
Many people believe that the “Magic Notes” sequence in Fantasia was inspired by the LSD experience. This is especially the case since the sequence was added by Walt Disney himself. This belief is based on speculation and assumption, but there is no direct evidence to support it. The “Invisible Girl” sequence in Fantasia for Children does have some visual similarities to LSD visuals, but this does not necessarily mean that the inspiration for the visuals actually came from LSD. As mentioned above, the “Magic Notes” sequence in Fantasia is a visual collage made of footage from live actors performing on a soundstage, a soundtrack that was created using loops and samples, and visual elements inspired by classical music, art, and psychedelics.
What do you get after taking an acid trip? An acid bath!
The final scene of the “Invisible Girl” sequence in Fantasia is a tribute to LSD. This final scene shows the Invisible Girl singing along with the piano and walking towards a psychedelic acid bath with a smile on her face. The bath is filled with psychedelic imagery and sounds. The Invisible Girl is the only character in this sequence that is actually a human being. The rest of the characters are animated animals. There are many people who believe that this is a reference to LSD because it seems to be a metaphor for taking LSD.
Conclusion
The psychedelic art movement was an interesting step in the evolution of animation. It brought psychedelic visuals to animation films and it also inspired many artists who were part of the psychedelic art movement. The movement was also an inspiration for the hippie movement and many people who were part of the hippie movement experimented with various types of drugs. The “Magic Notes” sequence in Fantasia for Children is one of the most iconic psychedelic visuals ever created. It’s also the only one that wasn’t created by an animator. The visual collage was created by fusing a variety of visuals that were inspired by classical music, art, and psychedelics. The “Invisible Girl” sequence in Fantasia for Children is a tribute to LSD. This final scene shows the Invisible Girl singing along with the piano and walking towards a psychedelic acid bath with a smile on her face. The bath is filled with psychedelic imagery and sounds.
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