What was the first Disney short to use the multiplane camera?

The first Disney short to use the multiplane camera was The Old Mill.

Released in 1937 as part of the Silly Symphonies series, The Old Mill was directed by Wilfred Jackson and produced by Walt Disney. Its story follows animals sheltering in and around an abandoned windmill during a violent summer storm.

The multiplane camera created an illusion of depth by photographing separate layers of artwork at different distances and speeds. Background elements moved more slowly than foreground elements, producing parallax and a more dimensional image. Disney’s version was developed by engineer William Garity and built for the production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but The Old Mill served as its practical test.

A common mix-up is choosing Snow White because it was the first Disney feature to make extensive use of the system. However, The Old Mill was released first and demonstrated the technology’s potential through moving water, lightning, reflections, rotating machinery, and atmospheric perspective. The technique later became especially important in films such as Pinocchio, Fantasia, and Bambi.