Alex Prager's Disney Princess Film: A Surreal Take on Iconic Characters
To honor World Princess Week, photographer and filmmaker Alex Prager produced a short film for Disney entitled 'Once A Princess, Always A Princess.' This project, which Prager described as a 'dream project,' delves into the bond between two girls as they navigate their imaginative realm and the real world. She highlighted the significance of these transitions, aiming to keep the real world playful. Collaborating with cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, Jahmin Assa, and Paul Rogers, Prager employed traditional practical effects, all captured in-camera, which she proposed to Disney. The film features elements like floating carpets and puppets, with minimal use of digital effects. Having grown up with Disney Princesses, Prager sees them as contemporary myths of womanhood, reflecting her own childhood experiences.
Key facts
- Alex Prager created a short film for Disney titled 'Once A Princess, Always A Princess'.
- The film was made to mark World Princess Week.
- The film focuses on the friendship between two young girls, alternating between imagination and reality.
- Prager collaborated with cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, Jahmin Assa, and Paul Rogers.
- The film was shot entirely in-camera with practical effects, including puppets made of wood and felt.
- Underwater sequences used the classic Hollywood 'dry-for-wet' technique.
- Prager described Disney Princesses as iconic, comparing them to an Hermès bag or Marilyn Monroe.
- The project was a dream project for Prager, who has a personal connection to Disney Princesses from childhood.
Entities
Artists
- Alex Prager
- Hoyte van Hoytema
- Jahmin Assa
- Paul Rogers
Institutions
- Disney
- Wallpaper*