Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
The Animator and the Seat
Chunk Model Sheet
Building Location
A good location:
Sets the stage for the animation
Determines the mood of piece
Supports the story
Setting the Stage
Some of the most cutting-edge work in animation is in the design of the environment. We
only have to look at the ballroom scene from Disney's
Beauty and the Beast
, the vast, frozen
terrain of Blue Sky's
Ice Age
, the underwater world of Pixar's
Finding Nemo
, or the complex
kitchen in
Ratatouille
to see how environments have been innovative in pushing both visual
and technological progress as essential storytelling elements. The location is not just a back-
ground for a piece. It is not just a space in which the character acts. The location is the
world in which the character lives.
Props.
Props are objects that populate the environment that the character uses to drive
the story forward. A landscape is never just a landscape, a town just a town, a build-
ing just a building, or a room just a room. The location, and the objects in it, is specifi c
to the character and the story. They give the audience many visual cues that provide
instantaneous information about the character, the back story, and the situation.
