"It’s a long road from storyboard to final frame!
Each scene from a
Pixar film goes through a tried and true process of development to
achieve just the right look, color script and lighting scheme. Take a
look at the whole process below to get a sense of the steps that go into
each stage of the animation process–what changes and what stays the
same as a moment goes from a quick sketch in the Story Department to a
final frame on the big screen. Then, we’ll break it down and take a look
at each step in the animation process…
Story Department
Pixar Story artist Dean Kelly drew this storyboard to help artists
pre-visualize the action of this particular moment in the film. Story
artists created approximately 227,246 storyboards for
Monsters University–more than any other Pixar film to date!
Art Department
Once the sequence of events is determined, it’s up to the Art
department to determine the style and feel of the scene. Through concept
art, artists like Shelly Wan explore lighting, textures, and the
general mood of characters and locations.
Modeling
Next, technical directors create characters and environments in the
computer with a process known as Modeling. In Modeling, technical
directors will design the shapes, textures, colors, and material
properties of characters and objects.
Layout
In the layout stage of animation, a virtual camera is placed into a
shot. The characters and set are then “staged” and arranged into
positions for each camera angle.
Animation and Simulation
The Animation department now animates the primary and secondary
characters and add textures and colors to garments and props. The scene
is populated with hundreds of background characters, which are animated
by the Crowds department. The Simulation department designs realistic
movement for the characters’ hair and clothes through computer
simulation so that they move naturally and believably with the
characters’ actions.
Lighting/Final Frame
The last step of the animation process occurs when the Lighting
department integrates all the elements into a final image. Lighting is
achieved in the computer by placing light sources into the scene to
light the characters and objects. Monsters University is the first Pixar
film to use Global Illumination that allows for more complex and
realistic lighting set-ups.
Learn more about
Pixar’s story process."
*Thanks to Disney Insider!
