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This article originally ran on February 3, 2017.
In 1944, Disney rereleasedSnow White and the Seven Dwarfsinto theaters nationwide.
But it does exist.
And Ive been inside.
In an anonymous block of Glendale, California, sits a nondescript beige building free of signage or distinction.
Even for employees of the company, the building remains elusive and hard to gain entry to.
For all intents and purposes, this building is off the grid.
Its Disneys Area 51.
Welcome to the Animation Research Library.
The building itself is something of a lost Disney treasure.
When theNorthridge earthquakestruck during the production ofThe Lion King, some animatorslivedin this building.
And we havent even gotten into the actual vault yet.
Before we go in, Tom tells us, we have to relinquish all pens.
Tom says to watch swinging bags or backpacks because original art will be on display.
Again: No fucking photos.
Just in terms of size, the vault is insane there are 12 vaults, each organized by project.
Each room is climate controlled and meticulously catalogued, with state-of-the-art security and fire-suppression systems in place.
Oversize items like large background paintings are housed in separate flat files.
A lot of that art may not exist, Carney admitted.
They may not have held onto that artwork.
But thats bordering on the realm of fantasy.
Besides storage, the main purpose of the Vault is curatorial.
The other function is educational.
For thisPinocchiorerelease, Carney told me a team of five archivists worked for almost a year compiling material.
The vault can also be helpful for those writing about these animated masterworks.
A lot of what I look at is the exposure sheets, Kaufman told me.
The exposure sheets will tell you a lot of information that just isnt available anywhere else.
There were 11 retake orders for this one scene.
Like most libraries, the Animation Research Library is creeping into the digital age.
They say that the task is turning physical into digital, and that the payoff is incalculable.
These are beyond high-resolution files, which can take up to two minutes to capture and download.
Everything is captured, from cigarette burns and coffee stains, to off-the-cuff notes from the animators.
The process is daunting.
But on the back end, the benefits will be huge.
This company is really investing a lot in this, Carney said.
Its beyond the bottom line.
Its bigger than anything.
Good luck getting inside, though.
