Animators have always used photo reference and models to help them create character designs and make the character's motion look as realistic and fluid as possible, but Disney took it to a whole other level.
Their character performances are top notch, their human character designs are so believable we feel like we know them in real life, all thanks to their crafty methods of using live-action reference.
Disney animators used Kathryn Beaumont as their Alice in every way, since she also voiced the character and obviously provided inspiration for many of Alice's facial expressions as well.
The clip above shows how they turned a small acted out segment into an iconic scene from Alice In Wonderland, and below we see how Alice's character design was created by drawing over photographic reference of Kathryn, to keep proportions correct and make her more believable.
It may look like cheating, but when there are tens of thousands of frames of character animation to be drawn, inked, painted and filmed for the movie animators need all the help they can get!
See more Old Photos Reveal How Disney's Animators Used A Real-Life Model To Draw Alice