ARTICLE
'Monsterizing' The World Of 'Monsters University'!
By InCinemas / 24 Oct 2013 (Thursday)
So what exactly goes behind in creating the exciting world of monsters in Monsters University? In anticipation to the release of Disney/Pixar's Monsters University DVDs, find out more about the MU campus and monsters after the jump!
Thanks to Innoform Media, here's an in-depth analysis of the creation of this hit animation film! Read what the movie's Shading/Lighting Art Director Dice Tsutsumi and Sets Art Director Robert Kondo have to say about 'monsterizing' these monsters in Monsters University!
Behind the Magic
Years of research go into the creation of an epic animation like Monsters University. Everything you see on screen has to be built from scratch, including the entire campus and grounds of MU – but a ‘monster’ architect has a lot to deal with that’s different from our world. This feature will give you an insight into how the MU world was created…
Larger Than Life
Sets Art Director Robert Kondo: “One of the big ideas that the ‘monster’ architects had to deal with was the idea of scale. Monsters come in all sorts of sizes, both big and small, so a lot of the [animated] world had to be designed around that idea. Some of the places you might see on the Monsters University campus have doors with both big and small access so that everyone can walk inside equally. On our campus, we also have water fountains where little monsters and big monsters can both sip the water without having to stress by bending over too much or reaching too high.”
High Fliers
There are many different schools on the MU campus. Robert Kondo reveals: “The aviation school is designed around flying monsters. One of the ideas we had is: Why would flying monsters have to fly to the ground to enter class? That’s why we designed little perches outside the windows where the flying monsters can enter their school. As much as we have flying monsters, we also have underwater monsters, so some of our campus is submerged in the river. Down there, you can study underwater classes.”
(Read what our reviewer had to say about the movie!)
Monster Motifs
A lot of the architecture of the MU campus is based on monster motifs. Robert Kondo explains: “We brought in monster motifs of tentacles, eyes, spikes and horns – some of the things that are really appealing to monsters of our world – and added them to the design and architecture. We ‘monsterized’ the campus!”
Face Off
Look closely at the School of Scaring, as well as the exterior of the MU library, to see if anything stands out in the architectural details. Robert Kondo admits: “One thing that’s fun to spot throughout the film are the various faces hidden in the architecture of the university. We tried to be subtle, but they are definitely there.”
Going Green
Robert Kondo continues: “There’s a lot of vegetation on the Monsters University campus. If you look closely at some of the trees, you’ll see that the branches are meant to look like horns. We also added eye-like motifs to the bark, and there are a lot of thorns. We wanted to bring the idea of adding lots of spikes and thorns to the vegetation to give it a ‘monsterized’ look.”
The Path To Success
Robert Kondo adds: “Some of these visual ideas are there to emphasize a sense of history within the university. For example, the Quad is the oldest part of the campus. This is where the school began. If you look closely, you’ll see there are dirt paths that cut across the Quad. This is where generations of students have been running to class, desperate not to be late. The grass has died here due to the stampeding students. You’ll also find the largest trees growing in the Quad because this is where the campus started. Some of those trees have been around for generations and generations.”
Bright and Breezy
Dice Tsutsumi says: “You’ll notice a lot of colorful monsters throughout the MU campus. That’s something we all remember from the first movie: a very colorful palette. When it comes to the Scare Games in Monsters University, each fraternity and sorority has their own color. We assigned the colors to each team with a lot of care and thought, especially for the characters in Oozma Kappa.”
Step Into The Light
Lighting and colors are also used to convey moods and emotions in the movie. Dice Tsutsumi explains: “Let’s focus on the part of the movie where Mike first arrives at Monsters University. At this point, we designed the lightning to emphasis the idea of a significant day for a new chapter for Mike. We tried to indicate it as full of hope and looking into his future, which is why we have him walk towards a beautiful morning sun. When Mike gets off the bus, there’s a tree casting a shadow over the bus – but he steps out into the light.”
School For Thought
Dice Tsutsumi continues: “We backlit a lot of the obstacles Mike faces in the movie’s story. Mike’s ultimate goal in this film is to become a professional Scarer. Well, if you watch the film closely, you will notice that the School of Scaring is backlit. We talked about Mike stepping into the light when he gets off the bus – but he steps into the shadow when he approaches the School of Scaring. It’s interesting that the shadow is actually cast by the School; it’s one of his biggest obstacles.”
In The Dark
Another obstacle Mike faces in the movie is Dean Hardscrabble. Dice Tsutsumi explains: “When it comes to Dean Hardscrabble, I think it’s really interesting that we backlit her pretty much throughout the film. This signifies the fact that she is standing in Mike’s way and he has to overcome this challenge. Throughout the movie, she is in the dark and her face is either side-lit or backlit – except for a few moments in the story. I’m not going to tell you where she isn’t backlit, but you’ll notice these moments in the story if you watch carefully.”
Forever Friends
Dice Tsutsumi reveals: “Monsters University is the story of how Mike and Sulley met, and how they became friends. Well, light and shadow is also used to indicate the state of their friendship. At the beginning of the semester – when Mike is totally behind the talented Sulley – Mike stands in the shadow and Sulley is in the light. However, as the semester progresses, the hardworking Mike catches up with Sulley. Eventually, at the end of the semester, Mike stands in the light and Sulley is in the shadow.”
In Conclusion
Dice Tsutsumi concludes: “We had a lot of fun creating the world of Monsters University, and it’s interesting that a lot of our work goes unnoticed. All of the little changes in lighting help inform the story, but hopefully you feel these changes rather than notice them. Ideally, the story is so engaging that you don’t have to worry about the little details – but know they are still there.”
Can't get enough of Mike, Sulley and the other monsters? Disney/Pixar's Monsters University DVDs (3D & Blu-Ray) will be in stores on Oct 29th!