Arts & Sciences' Alex Prager Directs "Once a Princess, Always a Princess" for Disney

Disney’s latest short film is an homage to practical magic.

Once a Princess, Always a Princess, created by Disney and ad agency Fallon, debuted on August 17 for World Princess Week. It’s a four-minute-long tale about the joy of childhood friendship and play, set both in a modern city and the fantastical imaginations of its two protagonists.

Aside from the touching story at its heart, the film shines because of its sets: Every single effect was made almost entirely practically (meaning no CGI was used), including its “bigature” castles, underwater scenes, and hand-painted backgrounds. Just a day after the video’s launch, it’s already amassed nearly 7 million views.

In a press release, director Alex Prager explained: “I brought the idea of using practical filmmaking techniques to Disney from our very first conversations because of their history, I wanted to go back to their roots.”

Prager’s instinct to spotlight old-school practical effects for this project is one that’s recently been reverberating across advertising and Hollywood. As AI and CGI make smooth, optimized visuals increasingly accessible, audiences are craving the unique touch that only human-made effects can provide—and studios are catching on.

A physical wonderland
Disney and Fallon pulled out all possible stops to make Once a Princess, Always a Princess a practical wonderland.

In the shots where the two protagonists’ apartment buildings are transformed into castles, for example, those turreted structures are real “bigature” models. Built to stand as tall as an adult, the castles were designed by blending architecture from Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Little Mermaid. On set, the young actresses were able to stand directly alongside them, creating real depth and forced perspective on camera without green screens.

In an underwater sequence, the team used “dry-for-wet” stagecraft, shooting on a blue-lit soundstage with oversize physical kelp, coral, and drifting fabrics to allow the performers to “float like true swimmers.” Another scene, which shows the two girls traipsing through a ballroom, required extensive puppeteer work to bring characters like Sebastian from A Little Mermaid and Lumière from Beauty and the Beast to life.

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