Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1469966
D E PA R T M E N T 21 KEYFRAME One of the hardest parts of capturing the cities, Cronkhite shares, was the establishing shots. "Because [the animals] were traveling so much and so quickly over the course of the film, it was super important for our audience to get, 'Okay, we're here now,'" she says. It was a challenge to find dramatic establishing shots that were unique but also completely recognizable. With London, she explains they did the establishing shot from the London Eye. "Luckily, being there helped because we could move to those places, shoot lots of photos and video, and try to get [what we needed]," she says. Another challenge was just how much had to be designed with so many different locations and chase scenes. There was also the issue of how different the light is in each of the cities. "Monte Carlo is so crisp, white and blue," says Cronkhite. Everything seemed brightly lit, which influenced the design. It was a contrast to then go to London where "everything felt sort of tall and narrow" with spaces more enclosed. Cronkhite also enjoyed working the characters into the landscapes. She loved the scenes with King Julien, the lemur, who falls for a circus bear, Sonya. The couple tour the streets of Rome, stopping at the Vatican, the Spanish Steps, and Trevi Fountain. "To travel to those places and to be able to try to represent them in the film," she says, "was so, so fun." TR AVE L TI P After two years of shutdowns, European cities are beckoning travelers with history, culture, and cuisine. Pick London, Rome, Monte Carlo—or all three. A whirlwind tour of Europe might be just what the doctor ordered to heal the pandemic blues. opposite page: The rooftop of the Monte Carlo Casino was just one of many real-life sites used in Madagascar 3. this page: The use of light was one of the ways to establish visual differences between destinations. Madagascar 3 images courtesy of DreamWorks Animation. SUMMER 2022 21