Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Visual Design: Interviews with Kendal Cronkhite
and Kathy Altieri, DreamWorks Feature Animation
Kendal Cronkhite
graduated from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Cali-
fornia, with a major in illustration. After working for magazines and newspapers, a
former instructor recommended her for work on
Tim Burton's
The Nightmare Before
Christmas.
Kendal then art directed on
James and the Giant Peach
before coming to
DreamWorks to art direct on
Antz.
She was production designer for
Madagascar
and
is now production designer for
Madagascar: The Crate Escape.
Madagascar
™ & © 2005 DreamWorks Animation LLC All Rights Reserved
Q: Some animation studios seem to have an identifi able style or
“look” to all their fi lms while DreamWorks seems to develop a new
look or style for each fi lm. Do you agree this is true? And could you
talk a little bit about how content infl uences design?
Kendal:
It's absolutely true. It's a standard that we try to hold to studiowide. I remember
sitting down with the
Antz
directors and producers, and saying, “All right, do you want
us to design for the computer?” And they said, “Absolutely not, we want you to design
what's right for our story and we'll fi gure out how to make it technically later.”
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