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o c t o b e r • n o v e m b e r • d e c e m b e r 2 0 2 1 c g w 2 3 animated musical er Lorelay Bové created distinct color palettes for the members; for example, Julieta and Agustín's family has cooler colors, while Pepa and Félix's side has a warmer color palette. Abuela Alma's costume palette and de- sign have far more weight than that of the other characters, with a traditional 1900s look that is more conservative, with lots of lace and embroidery containing butterflies and candles, which symbolize the moment the Encanto was created. Meanwhile, Mira- bel, the central character, wears a tradi- tional top from the region — a white blouse with black trim that is heavily embroidered, and a skirt embroidered with iconography. With an athletic build to convey her gi of strength, Luisa wears a traditional blouse inspired by the coffee region and a folkloric skirt with iconography of weight. Isabela, the golden child, has a costume that is less folkloric and more ethereal. One of the technical achievements on this film, according to dos Anjos, was a completely revamped eye shader for the characters. "On this film, we were able to accommodate every department's need for this one shader, which actually adds depth into the eye and pupil. So, when you see the eyes on our characters, they have a lot more depth, and the way the light hits it, it reflects much differently. And you get this little bit of a kick of a shadow on the side where the light is hitting the side of the eye and pupil," he says. "It's really stunning," dos Anjos contin- ues, noting that if you compare previous WDAS films and those aer Encanto, you should see a huge improvement with the characters' eyes. "And the eyes are such an important part of our characters. It was an important process to get that to work for everyone, not just for the texture artists, but also for animation. In many ways, it is a lot more precise." Prior to this eye shader, the artists had a little bit of discrepancy between what they were animating and what was in the final film, says dos Anjos, but this new shader is more accurate. HOUSE WITH CHARACTER It isn't just the family members who have magical gis. Because in Encanto, the house itself has powers, too. And like the ocean in Moana, Casa Madrigal became a character in the film, albeit one that is opinionated and flawed, and oen toys with the inhab- itants. It plays favorites among the family, as it likes some family members more than others and relates to each one in a different way. "It's alive with magic and has its own unique personality," says Howard. To this end, the house became a literal representation of the family and their emo- tional connections. If the family is happy, the house is healthy. If the family is being playful, the house will be, too. But if the family is going through struggles, the house cracks. According to Ian Gooding, production designer, Casita Madrigal reflects the look of traditional Colombian homes in its overall aesthetic and method of construction, color palette, interiors, and the color and form of the elaborate windows and doors that give it a seamless connection between the indoor and outdoor environments. The house contains a central outdoor courtyard from which magical doors become visible, and behind each is a fantastical realm that represents the personality and magical powers of the Madrigal who lives there. For instance, the room of Mirabel's cousin Anto- nio (who is Afro-Colombia) is inspired by the country's Chocó rain forest, and the animals within are mostly native to that region, as are the plants. Isabela's room, meanwhile, is inspired by the flower festivals in Colombia and is filled with various blossoms. The kitchen, meanwhile, is warm and bright, with plants and a wide variety of textures and tiles, which the house can use to move things around. Exposed stonework adds informality to both the kitchen and dining room. Local props were also craed and added, along with traditional pottery. "The kitchen is the heart of every Colombian house, and we wanted the colors to give it a warm, nurturing effect, as if the kitchen is embracing the characters," says Gooding. When it came to the magic of the house, it was important to have truth in materials — for instance, tiles did not flex or perform in ways that looked unnatural. They had to look more or less mechanically possible and always motivated by the house, Gooding says. "It's all part of the magical realism. The furniture is not coming alive like in Beauty and the Beast; instead, it is being manipulat- ed by the floor tiles or boards of the house," he explains. "It was a fun challenge for all of us to come up with ways for the casita to interact with the Madrigal family, to make it a really rich and memorable character." The house itself was built by the envi- ronmental modeling team, and was oen too heavy for the tools the animators use. "We needed to make sure that our scenes didn't take three hours to open; we needed them as light as possible," says Lehtomaki. "If we would have rigged everything in the house so we could move it, no matter where the camera was pointing, it would not have been feasible for us to work on our scenes. We needed a tool that enabled the anima- tors on the fly to move objects [based on notes from the directors] and share that rig and pass it downstream." In addition, the house required a deep level of emotional connection with the audience and had to emote, just as a character would. Encanto has many main characters, including the house.