For the DreamWorks Animation team behind the latest installment of the Kung Fu Panda franchise, animating The Chameleon posed just as big of a challenge. But just like the mimicking reptile herself, the team adapted, striking the right balance between technology and creativity to bring her transformation process to the big screen.
Before moving to production, the team invested 6 months in sketching basic shape transformations of The Chameleon, testing her morph timing, and understanding the requirements for fully animating her as a 3D character. This process involved a unique mix of tools to create intricate character rigs with hundreds of data points used to control the animations […]