XR

Q&A for Pangu

Author(s)/Presenter(s):
Shaofu Zhang, TAIKO Animation Studios, Tencent Penguin Pictures, United States of America
Shaofu Zhang, TAIKO Animation Studios, United States of America
Andrew Chesworth, TAIKO Animation Studios, United States of America

Abstract: As the CG animation style for Pangu was developing, inspiration was drawn from the experimental films of Disney and UPA in the 1950s. The production was structured similar to a hand-drawn television production, with very clearly defined choices in the storyboard and design stages. The filmmakers were excited to emphasize music and graphic design to tell the story of a rigid father and fluid son. Producer Andrew Chesworth’s recurring mantra with art director Bobby Pontillas throughout production was “the design is the story.” The character designs were inspired by traditional Chinese opera masks. They have these bold geometric shapes that lend themselves to exaggerated performance. Incredible artists like Kat Tsai, Susan Huang, Meka Karam, Charles Hilton and Noor Sofi contributed to the hand-drawn background art. The characters were created in CG, but the backgrounds were made as if the film was a traditional 2D production. In October 2019, Pangu premiered on Tencent Video in China with over 9 million views. TAIKO strives for excellence in its goals to connect with and entertain global audiences.

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