Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1469966
OLD MEETS NEW Familiarity and change are both on the menu for the latest TV spin-off of DreamWorks' Kung Fu Panda franchise. In the upcoming Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight TV series, show creators expand the realm of 15th century China to introduce characters from different nations. Among them are weasels Klaus and Veruca Dumont and hero Po's quest partner, Wandering Blade, a knight who hails from England. Since Po's journey may ultimately take him far from home, the Kung Fu Panda team conducted new research, says series art director Ellen Jin. "It was an excellent opportunity for us to go beyond China when it comes to char- acter design," says Jin. "We could research other cultures and sort of focus on diversi- ty, in terms of the architecture styles and the costumes and weapons that come with characters from other countries. In that sense, we were expanding our world. It was really fun to go a little bit further than what we have seen before." Although The Dragon Knight harkens back to the look of the original 2008 film in certain ways, the technology has evolved over the past 14 years in both TV and feature animation. Jin points to the advancements in lighting and the ability to do rendering much more quickly. But even with a new adventure and technol- ogy, the franchise's title warrior will not undergo any sort of a visual makeover. "Po hasn't changed at all," says Jin. "He might have a little backpack that he wears, but other than that, it's best to keep his look as original as possible." Concept art shows the series' aesthetic affinity with the original Kung Fu Panda (opposite, top). The new Kung Fu Panda series brought an opportunity to introduce characters from cultures beyond China including (from left) Wandering Blade (England), Rukhmini (India), and Klaus (England). The panda Po (above center) has not changed from film to TV (opposite, bottom). F E AT U R E Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight images courtesy of DreamWorks Animation. 26 KEYFRAME