Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
By designing what is right, visually, for the story, we end up pushing the technology.
We don't want to do what's been done before; we don't want to repeat ourselves. It's
more exciting, and it's more interesting creatively for all of us. And it kind of moves us
into the future.
Q: How do you begin to come up with the design for the fi lm?
Kendal:
We read the script, the treatment, and then break it down and start to design
the movie that visually tells that particular story. I often start by doing the visual structure
on the fi lm. This is a visual map that follows the drama. I use line, shape, space, and
color to enhance what's going on in our story. For example, if it's a movie about coming
home again I may use circles as a design element throughout. If there are emotional
highs and lows, I may enhance those moods with light and darkness. If it's a traveling
fi lm, I may choose to use deep space and focus. After this visual map is created, we
go into each set and sequence in greater detail. We also look for the style for the fi lm.
Is it a comedy or drama? Is it a certain time period? All these questions are asked and
answered visually.
Kendal:
I can take you through how Madagascar happened. Initially, what was really
striking about the story was that it was a real New York-style comedy. The characters
came across as real New Yorkers with a defi nite East Coast sense of humor. There was
a lot of physicality to it.
In talking with the directors, we felt strongly that here was our chance actually to do
something we had thought about before—to make a real 3D cartoon. It just seemed to
suit it.
One of the fi rst things we did was hire a character designer, Craig Kellman, whose
strength has been to take retro 2D character styles and infuse them with a modern edge.
He came from Cartoon Network and had designed characters for
Powerpuff Girls
and
Samurai Jack
.
He initially nailed down our four lead characters. They have a stylistic point of view that
was based in the design of the 1950s and 1960s. A strong design element is contrast
between straight edges and curves.
The humor in the design is in the pushed proportions. Alex the lion has a huge head
on a really thin body. Gloria has a huge body with tiny hands and feet.
When you look at something that has those extreme proportions, it's funny and that was
really important to the tone of our fi lm. So we took those elements and then designed
our world around them.
