Filmmaking Process

Effects Animation

Shot Production

Effects Animators dream up magic by bringing to life the elements of fire, water, wind and earth, which in some cases can become exciting characters themselves.

Starting early by engaging a film's Directors in “blank slate, conjure-something-amazing discussions,” the Effects Animation team then goes wild collaborating, experimenting and iterating until something truly special has been created.

In Raya and the Last Dragon, Effects Animators created the horrifying Druun and brought them to life. In addition, the infinite forms of water, natural rivers draining in an instant, and magical splashes as the dragons ran on raindrops, all flowed from the creative and technical skills of the Effects Animation artists.

Leaf Dynamics

While development the movement of leaves in Frozen 2, the effects team wanted to match the leaf behavior found in 2D animation like Pocahontas. Breaking the laws of physics, the Effects Animations set up the leaves to loop around in circles. This required calculating the curvature of the leaf and setting up logic so that if the leaf has enough momentum along its curve, an additional force is applied so that it continues to circle around.

Foundation Effects

In Moana, the character Te Ká consists of fire, lava drips, splashes, lightning, and smoke. The animation of these effects elements enhance Te Ká's character, emotions, and the storytelling. This progression shows how foundation effects were placed in the scene, the layered elements rendered, and the final result.

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