Written by Neil John Vildad
Have you ever wondered how your favorite Disney movies are animated and produced? Bryn Imagire, the shading art director of Disney Pixar, explains the wonderful and magical process that goes on in the creation of the Disney movies we all love.
Bryn has worked on the art of some of the well-loved Disney movies such as “Coco” (2017), “Up” (2009), and her most recent work “Incredibles 2” (2018). In an exclusive interview with her, she talks us through the process of conceptualizing, animating, and producing these movies.
For those who do not know, the shading art director is someone who is in charge of designing the texture, colors, “mood,” and overall feeling of the characters in an animated film. The shading art director oversees the entire process of the production of the movie from start to end.
According to Bryn, the creation of an animated film starts with coming up with an idea that starts with the director followed by the creation of a team of producers, artists, researchers etc.
that do “fieldwork and research trips to find out what the area looks like once a location is decided upon.”
After a lot of research, conceptualization, and planning; the animation begins using computer graphics (CG). This is the part where the shading art director becomes greatly involved. Bryn explains that the shading art director is a position that only exists in CG. At this stage in the creation of the movie, the designing of the “colors and textures come in for the characters, props, and set.” “Everything is made from scratch, so we make everything, animate it, and light it, and then it comes out.”
There is only so much we can learn about the process involved in creating our favorite animated films; the creative process that goes on in the minds of these creators still remain a secret to us. Despite this, having a glimpse of the process of creating our beloved animated films help us appreciate the effort that is put in the production of it. The work and the love that is put in every film that has ever been produced in any animation studio manifests in the finished product, where lives are changed and people are touched by the magic these films bring.
One of our childhood classics is back this year. Incredibles 2 is now showing in theatres all over the Philippines!
