Ever wonder how Disney•Pixar takes an idea and makes it into a movie? Well, today we have a little peek inside their process. Let’s follow the same single frame from The Good Dinosaur from conception to finished moment:
1. Story
Storyboards are drawn to help filmmakers visualize the film and how the story is going to unfold. This one, from a sequence called “Above the Clouds” is one of approximately 150,061 boards drawn for the film. This is the same process that Walt Disney Studios developed in the early 1930s.
2. Art
Once the story for a sequence is set, concept art is created by the production designer and art department to determine the look and feel of the film. Decisions such as lighting, color, and design of characters and environments are determined in this stage.
3. Sets
The basic environments needed for a shot are translated into the computer by the sets department during the modeling process. The Good Dinosaur sets team used U.S. Geological surveys to inform their work and create 360 degree sets, something that Pixar had never done before. Once the set is built it needs to be shaded, painted, and textured for depth and complexity.
4. Layout
In layout, a virtual camera is placed into the shot. The advantage of working with 360 sets allowed for more options for camera placement. Once the camera has been placed the characters are set and then “staged” (put into positions that work visually with the camera angle). Layout precedes characters animation.
5. Animation
After the layout team is done, the characters are animated and brought to life. The animators are the actors adding personality to the characters. Any secondary motion such as hair, fur, or feathers is added by the simulation department.
6. Lightning and Final Image
The lightning department is responsible for integrating characters, sets, cloth, hair, and effects into the final frame. The lightning process involves placing virtual light sources into the scene to illuminate the characters and the set. The images are then rendered at high resolution. For every second of the film there are twenty-four lit frames, each with over two million pixels.
The Good Dinosaur opens in theaters this Thanksgiving.
