Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1343869
D E PA R T M E N T 27 KEYFRAME KUNG FU PANDA DREAMWORKS ANIMATION ART DIRECTION: TANG KHENG HENG This intricately designed mountaintop haven, overlooking a soaring valley, offers the perfect setup for enforcing the six-foot rule—not to mention an atmosphere conducive to contemplation. Tang Kheng Heng, Art Director on the first two Kung Fu Panda movies, explains that the Jade Palace was inspired by the Temple of Confucius in Qufu in China's Shangdong Province. Its design unites references to classic Chinese architecture and the yin-yang theory, to reflect elements being in harmony with each other. Color plays a key role in the palace's design. It was given its name because in the realm of Kung Fun Panda, green symbolizes wisdom. There is also a yellow roof to symbolize good and blue water patterns in the floor to express a sense of government or order. The enormity of the spaces—like the Hall of Warriors, filled with artifacts of past kung fu masters— could feel daunting and impersonal, but Heng says that he and his team created intimacy by always lighting the Jade Palace from ground level. "The fact that it's a jade floor created this really beautiful reflectivity [bouncing] light back into the space." He compares the jade to an infinity pool or mirror that shines up around the characters with each step they take. "At the same time," he points out, "it makes the space feel even bigger and more grand." Shelter-at-home verdict: Tops for quaranteam getaways with bonus activities like color therapy and lessons in ancient Chinese philosophy. opposite page and above: The Jade Palace. REALITY TV For most, house envy never goes beyond the daydreaming stage. For a rare few, the lines between fantasy and reality blur. Case in point: Two of cartoons' most iconic homes, belonging to the Jetson and Flintstone families, can actually be found in the real world. On a Malibu bluff in SoCal, a prehistoric-style house was conceived with an ulterior motive. Word is that Dick Clark, of American Bandstand fame, wanted to build in the Santa Monica Mountains, but the area's conservancy resisted. Clark figured a structure that looked like rocks would blend in and make his project more palatable—he was right, and the result was a one-bedroom, Yabba Dabba Doo-worthy dwelling with views of the sea. Not that this explains the equally Stone Age interior, with its rough- textured walls and cave-like ceilings. While there's no pelican mailbox or crab lawn mower, we still think the Bedrock HOA would approve. Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Animation Images courtesy of DreamWorks Animation. SPRING 2021 27