Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1500204
38 KEYFRAME this page (top): Ruby, the giant Kraken; (bottom): Ruby's bioluminescent glow is activated in a final render. opposite page (inset): Storyboard by Carlos Romero. GLOW UP During a promposal mishap, love interest Connor accidentally gets knocked into the ocean. Ruby is faced with a conundrum—go against her mother's rule to avoid water or jump in to try and save him. She dives in. As she sinks to the bottom of the ocean, her lungs fill with saltwater and the giant kraken inside of her is awakened. She begins to glow and transforms into the sea creature. The artists on the project refer to this transformation as the kraken's activated form, a translucent bioluminescent glow that radiates from inside the body. Turning the character essentially into a light source demanded a close collaboration between lighting and FX. "We provide a 3D map to lighting so they can illuminate the progression of what's going on," says Lawrence Lee, Head of FX. This map consisted of volumetric data that directed when and where to activate lights on the character's body. It allowed the lighting department to create "the effect of the glowing [path] starting from the hand and then traveling up the body," says Joanna Wu, Head of Lighting. Plus, Ruby's activated form radiates light on objects and characters around her. The pink light casts a flattering glow on other characters and creates an intentional connection between them, says Wu. Plus, her energy affects environments and locations like an underwater castle, which reacts to her presence by glowing pink. When Ruby first transforms into a kraken, the energy she emits in the ocean draws the attention of her estranged grandmother. Ruby learns that she and her mother are part of kraken royalty tasked with protecting the seas from evil enemies, including Nerissa, a mermaid who stole a magical trident that transformed her into a threatening titan. Grandmamma shares with Ruby that many years ago her mother battled Nerissa and hid the powerful weapon inside a magnetic volcano for safekeeping before escaping from the kraken kingdom onto dry land. F E AT U R E