Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/48986
n n n n VFX•Animation Doug Chiang and his top-notch art department scream in every shot, as you can literally com- pare the design work to the final frames." Puss in Boots Release date: October 28 Production company: DreamWorks Animation To prepare Puss in Boots for his leading role, the DreamWorks team gave him more fur that responds better to his movements. A lot of work also went into the film characters' fa- cial expressions. Another big challenge was the environments, particularly cloud world, with its volumetric clouds. The shooting beanstalk in stereo 3D was also impressive. Rango a special treat, especially in IMAX 3D. And, despite what some 'grown-up' reviewers had to say about the film, Pixar's target audience (my Joseph) demonstrated for me what is truly magic about great animation, layout, and ed- iting (the things grown-ups think about)," he says. "To my son Joseph, Lightning Mc- Queen, Mater, and the rest of the cast are as 'real' as any live-action characters. And to be immersed in the IMAX 3D presentation of the film was about as magical an experience for him as meeting them at Disneyland." Happy Feet Two Release date: November 18 Production companies: Kennedy Miller Mitchell, Dr D Studios, Village Roadshow Pictures In 2007, Happy Feet took the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, besting Pixar's Cars. In 2012, we have part two of a showdown. "Miller versus Lasseter again in this category, featuring sequels of the same films. Will it turn out the same as last time? It'll have to be the stronger story that wins," observes Ward. "Both these films feature brilliant animation and look incredible." Kung Fu Panda 2 Release date: May 26 Production company: DreamWorks Animation As Ward points out, the art direction in this film, the color, the lighting—it burns in your mind days after having watched it. Dream- Works Animation's use of various styles of 40 December 2011/January 2012 animation helps keep the look interesting and engaging, he adds. "When I see a 3D charac- ter having a flashback in 2D. . . well, it makes sense, doesn't it? The feathers on the peacock (Lord Shen) were a show alone. Wet fur, wet feathers; it was like I could reach out and touch these characters, without 3D glasses!" Mars Needs Moms Release date: March 11 Production companies: Walt Disney Pictures, ImageMovers Digital "I can speak firsthand at witnessing some of the industry's best talent working on this film," says Ward, who had been layout supervisor at ImageMovers before migrating to Rainmaker. "Though audiences met the movie with less than warm appraise, I think ImageMovers Digital did Release date: March 4 Production companies: Blind Wink Productions, GK Films, Nickelodeon Movies As Bourland points out, ILM really broke out of the animated feature mold with this one. "The world they created was rich and dirty, not all clean and polished like a Pixar or PDI film. The amount of detail they put into even background characters was impressive," he says. "The volu- metric effects and style of lighting they chose also gave the film a much more cinematic feel then any other animated feature to date." "Leave it to ILM and Gore Verbinski to raise the bar on what you 'can and can't do' in a family animated film," notes Ward. Jeannette was another who was impressed by the visuals in Rango, citing the saloon scene as his favorite moment in the film. "The visu- als and lighting were breathtaking," he says. Rio Release date: April 8 Production companies: Blue Sky Studios, Twentieth Century Fox Animation There's no question, Rio is colorful. "Talk about saturation of colors!" notes Ward. He also believes the movie contains some of the an amazing job on the final product. The look fell somewhere between the likes of A Christmas Carol and Monster House, but still held its own unique style, offering a stylized character study with realistic shaders. The incredible designs of best camera work he has seen in an animated film lately—well operated and conducted. "Having to track the action of birds isn't easy, nor is animating them to move so realistically and with so much character." n