Concept Art
Every project starts off with 2D art to quickly explore the look of a film. For Koalaroo, several key moments from the script were chosen to illustrate not just the characters and locations, but also the cinematography and mood.
Characters
This proof of concept also allowed Mighty Coconut to overcome some technical hurdles. While furry characters are much easier than they used to be, getting them to look just right is still one of the more difficult things to do in CG animation.
On Location
Koalaroo uses a unique hybrid animation technique, where all of the characters are CG, but backgrounds are mostly real. These live action plates were shot just outside of Austin at Enchanted Rock, and then digitally manipulated to look like Australia.
Photogrammetry
Another useful trick, photogrammetry allows us to capture real-life objects as extremely realistic 3D models. In this case, the tree hollow allowed characters to interact more seamlessly with their environment by bringing it into 3D.
Animation
The animation process starts rough, and is gradually refined over several passes. Animators are much like actors, and they’re responsible for creating a fun and believable performance.
Lighting & Compositing
These are the stages where all the pieces come together to create the final images you see on screen. This example shows the various layers and that go into creating a finished shot.
