Toy Story Kaleidoscope
Dublin Core
Title
Toy Story Kaleidoscope
Subject
Toy Story
Description
The Toy Story Kaleidoscope was manufactured concurrently with the 1995 animated film of the same name. The toy is approximately 7 inches tall and 2 inches in diameter, and the exterior of the toy is covered by a paper cover of iconic Toy Story characters Woody and Buzz Lightyear. The small transparent box at the top of the kaleidoscope is filled with colourful round plastic beads and reflective sheets. When the player holds the kaleidoscope and looks out through the small hole at the bottom and turns its main part, a rich visual effect can be obtained by watching the arrangement of the coloured beads change in the transparent box. This toy is an ideal addition to Disney and Pixar's peripheral merchandise for the film, effectively extending the narrative of the Toy Story franchise.
The film about this collection, Toy Story, is undoubtedly a milestone in the history of cinema. The film revolves around friendship and growing up: some of the toys become alive in the absence of their owner Andy. Cowboy Woody is trusted as the leader of the toys and jealousy arises due to the arrival of a new toy Buzz Lightyear. Eventually the two go from being rivals, to having adventures together and finally turning enemies into friends. This humorous Toy Story was directed by John Lasseter, produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released on 22 November 1995 in the United States. As the world's first film to use entirely computer-generated animation, Toy Story was a huge success. As of 2024, the film has grossed $394,436,586 worldwide, won numerous awards and accolades, and was officially inducted into the National Film Registry in 2005. Toy Story's production concept and cultural transmission power still have a profound impact on today. The success of this film proved to the market the commercial potential and great value of animated films, Pixar has developed advanced rendering software, Renderman, which enables films to generate 3D scenes and characters with a high degree of realism. These core tools enabled the realism of the animation techniques allowing the audience to feel the emotions of the characters more deeply, such as Woody's loyalty to Andy and Buzz Lightyear's self-discovery. These pushed Hollywood's production philosophy to cross over from traditional hand-drawn to full CG production.
In addition to the success of Toy Story in terms of film animation technology, Woody and Buzz Lightyear, who are toys in the film, became the world's hottest cartoon characters almost in a day. This is because toys are a globally shared cultural symbol. There is a strong contrast between Woody and Buzz Lightyear's personalities in the film, with one being a reliable but traditional cowboy and the other a space hero with a modern sensibility. Their adventures in confronting their jealousy and coming to terms with their own self-awareness make this film transcend the definition of children's animation. Innovative characterization and a mature cinematic core made Buzz Lightyear's line ‘To infinity and beyond!’ the most popular and iconic slogan of its time, which is still widely quoted today.
The Woody and Buzz Lightyear trend also spilled over into the market for Toy Story peripheral merchandise in the years following the film's release. The excitement of this film is starting to make fans want to have peripheral products like kaleidoscopes to enhance the emotional connection with the film. Matt Hills (2002), in his work Fan Cultures, highlights how fans actively participate in constructing the value and significance of media-related objects. For many fans of Toy Story, owning a piece of peripheral merchandise is an emotional investment and a way of expressing the audience's emotional connection to the film. As a result, Woody and Buzz Lightyear have evolved from film characters to cultural icons, and more and more peripheral products are appearing in life, not only kaleidoscopes for children, but also dolls, clothing, stationery, and other increasingly diverse forms.
Transmedia Narrative Theory, developed by Henry Jenkins, emphasizes the need for successful transmedia brands to perpetuate narratives and deepen character-consumer connections across multiple platforms. Disney and Pixar produced a large number of shorts or spin-offs in tandem during this period, as in addition to the multiple peripheral products mentioned above. It's hard not to mention that Disney, as the film's distributor, provided a strong platform for Toy Story's transmedia narrative. As a world giant in the entertainment industry at the time, Disney set up an exclusive themed area in Disneyland for Toy Story. Visitors will immediately feel the atmosphere of the film when they enter Toy Story Land, which recreates the world of Woody, Buzz Lightyear and other characters. Visitors can feel like they've been transformed into one of the film's little toys and explore a huge world of toys. Disney’s efforts towards transmedia narratives go beyond providing themed rides to enhance the brand experience for fans; it has also transformed Toy Story from a single cinematic piece to a transmedia narrative system through video games. Viewed in this day and age, it has to be acknowledged that Woody and Buzz Lightyear have grown from film characters to cultural icons across generations, and the success of this narrative ecology is a testament to the immense potential and far-reaching impact of transmedia narratives in the modern culture industry.
Taking the current exhibit as an example, we see not only the important embodiment of the branding strategy in it, but the Toy Story Kaleidoscope is also an epitome of the consumer culture of the 1990s. Its raw materials are obvious: plastic as well as paper shells, and the item is not designed with durability in mind resulting in an appearance that can easily tear or oxidize, characteristics that underline its ephemeral nature as a consumer product. Unlike traditional art or craft products, this kaleidoscope reflects the democratization of cultural products in the 1990s. The consumer culture of the 1990s was heavily influenced by a fast-paced lifestyle, and consumers began to seek out short-term, low-cost entertainment products. This Toy Story kaleidoscope was designed to be a disposable consumer product, a mass-produced symbol of pop culture that made its way into millions of homes and became a part of the everyday life of the average person. It is an ephemeral memento of a specific moment in pop culture. Certainly, the real significance of this Toy Story Kaleidoscope Chant collection lies not in discussing the longevity of its materials, but in its ability to capture cultural moments. It demonstrates how a simple and inexpensive object can transcend its original purpose and become a vehicle for emotional and cultural connection. For many of the generation that grew up with Toy Story, the kaleidoscope is not only a symbol of childhood but also a memory of a shared cultural experience. From Disney and Pixar's transmedia narrative strategies to the consumer's construction of an emotional connection through the merchandise, the museum's collection gives this kaleidoscope new value and makes it a testament to the culture of the 1990s.
Works Cited
Hills, M., 2002. Fan Cultures. London: Routledge.
Flaim, K.B., 2007. TO INFINITY AND BEYOND! THE STORY OF PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS, Fast Company. Boston: Mansueto Ventures LLC, pp. 41–.
Bryman, A., 1999. ‘The Disneyization of Society’, The Sociological Review, 47(1), pp. 25–47. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-954X.00161 [Accessed 13 Dec. 2024].
Jenkins, H., 2006. Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: NYU Press.
Baudrillard, J., 1998. The Consumer Society: Myths and Structures. London: SAGE Publications.
Wasko, J., 2001. Understanding Disney: The Manufacture of Fantasy. Cambridge: Polity Press.
The film about this collection, Toy Story, is undoubtedly a milestone in the history of cinema. The film revolves around friendship and growing up: some of the toys become alive in the absence of their owner Andy. Cowboy Woody is trusted as the leader of the toys and jealousy arises due to the arrival of a new toy Buzz Lightyear. Eventually the two go from being rivals, to having adventures together and finally turning enemies into friends. This humorous Toy Story was directed by John Lasseter, produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released on 22 November 1995 in the United States. As the world's first film to use entirely computer-generated animation, Toy Story was a huge success. As of 2024, the film has grossed $394,436,586 worldwide, won numerous awards and accolades, and was officially inducted into the National Film Registry in 2005. Toy Story's production concept and cultural transmission power still have a profound impact on today. The success of this film proved to the market the commercial potential and great value of animated films, Pixar has developed advanced rendering software, Renderman, which enables films to generate 3D scenes and characters with a high degree of realism. These core tools enabled the realism of the animation techniques allowing the audience to feel the emotions of the characters more deeply, such as Woody's loyalty to Andy and Buzz Lightyear's self-discovery. These pushed Hollywood's production philosophy to cross over from traditional hand-drawn to full CG production.
In addition to the success of Toy Story in terms of film animation technology, Woody and Buzz Lightyear, who are toys in the film, became the world's hottest cartoon characters almost in a day. This is because toys are a globally shared cultural symbol. There is a strong contrast between Woody and Buzz Lightyear's personalities in the film, with one being a reliable but traditional cowboy and the other a space hero with a modern sensibility. Their adventures in confronting their jealousy and coming to terms with their own self-awareness make this film transcend the definition of children's animation. Innovative characterization and a mature cinematic core made Buzz Lightyear's line ‘To infinity and beyond!’ the most popular and iconic slogan of its time, which is still widely quoted today.
The Woody and Buzz Lightyear trend also spilled over into the market for Toy Story peripheral merchandise in the years following the film's release. The excitement of this film is starting to make fans want to have peripheral products like kaleidoscopes to enhance the emotional connection with the film. Matt Hills (2002), in his work Fan Cultures, highlights how fans actively participate in constructing the value and significance of media-related objects. For many fans of Toy Story, owning a piece of peripheral merchandise is an emotional investment and a way of expressing the audience's emotional connection to the film. As a result, Woody and Buzz Lightyear have evolved from film characters to cultural icons, and more and more peripheral products are appearing in life, not only kaleidoscopes for children, but also dolls, clothing, stationery, and other increasingly diverse forms.
Transmedia Narrative Theory, developed by Henry Jenkins, emphasizes the need for successful transmedia brands to perpetuate narratives and deepen character-consumer connections across multiple platforms. Disney and Pixar produced a large number of shorts or spin-offs in tandem during this period, as in addition to the multiple peripheral products mentioned above. It's hard not to mention that Disney, as the film's distributor, provided a strong platform for Toy Story's transmedia narrative. As a world giant in the entertainment industry at the time, Disney set up an exclusive themed area in Disneyland for Toy Story. Visitors will immediately feel the atmosphere of the film when they enter Toy Story Land, which recreates the world of Woody, Buzz Lightyear and other characters. Visitors can feel like they've been transformed into one of the film's little toys and explore a huge world of toys. Disney’s efforts towards transmedia narratives go beyond providing themed rides to enhance the brand experience for fans; it has also transformed Toy Story from a single cinematic piece to a transmedia narrative system through video games. Viewed in this day and age, it has to be acknowledged that Woody and Buzz Lightyear have grown from film characters to cultural icons across generations, and the success of this narrative ecology is a testament to the immense potential and far-reaching impact of transmedia narratives in the modern culture industry.
Taking the current exhibit as an example, we see not only the important embodiment of the branding strategy in it, but the Toy Story Kaleidoscope is also an epitome of the consumer culture of the 1990s. Its raw materials are obvious: plastic as well as paper shells, and the item is not designed with durability in mind resulting in an appearance that can easily tear or oxidize, characteristics that underline its ephemeral nature as a consumer product. Unlike traditional art or craft products, this kaleidoscope reflects the democratization of cultural products in the 1990s. The consumer culture of the 1990s was heavily influenced by a fast-paced lifestyle, and consumers began to seek out short-term, low-cost entertainment products. This Toy Story kaleidoscope was designed to be a disposable consumer product, a mass-produced symbol of pop culture that made its way into millions of homes and became a part of the everyday life of the average person. It is an ephemeral memento of a specific moment in pop culture. Certainly, the real significance of this Toy Story Kaleidoscope Chant collection lies not in discussing the longevity of its materials, but in its ability to capture cultural moments. It demonstrates how a simple and inexpensive object can transcend its original purpose and become a vehicle for emotional and cultural connection. For many of the generation that grew up with Toy Story, the kaleidoscope is not only a symbol of childhood but also a memory of a shared cultural experience. From Disney and Pixar's transmedia narrative strategies to the consumer's construction of an emotional connection through the merchandise, the museum's collection gives this kaleidoscope new value and makes it a testament to the culture of the 1990s.
Works Cited
Hills, M., 2002. Fan Cultures. London: Routledge.
Flaim, K.B., 2007. TO INFINITY AND BEYOND! THE STORY OF PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS, Fast Company. Boston: Mansueto Ventures LLC, pp. 41–.
Bryman, A., 1999. ‘The Disneyization of Society’, The Sociological Review, 47(1), pp. 25–47. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-954X.00161 [Accessed 13 Dec. 2024].
Jenkins, H., 2006. Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: NYU Press.
Baudrillard, J., 1998. The Consumer Society: Myths and Structures. London: SAGE Publications.
Wasko, J., 2001. Understanding Disney: The Manufacture of Fantasy. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Creator
Walt Disney Company and Pixar Animation Studios
Source
Toy story
Publisher
Disney Consumer Products
Date
1995
Contributor
Pixar Animation Studios
Rights
Copyright held by Disney and Pixar
Format
7 inches tall, 2 inches in diameter
Language
English
Type
Toy
Identifier
BDCM79476
Coverage
Global, with a focus on North American and European markets
Files
Collection
Citation
Walt Disney Company and Pixar Animation Studios, “Toy Story Kaleidoscope,” Archival Encounters: Digital Exhibitions form the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum, accessed January 22, 2025, https://humanities-research.exeter.ac.uk/archivalencounters/items/show/55.