A research gathering trip to the location, happily it was Paris for Ratatouille, is very important to bring back images that are impossible to find in books and to experience just being there. At the same time, I'll gather photo reference for the sets and costumes, including images of character types in an attempt to bring new information and inspiration to the director and story team. Those lists grow to include time of day and key props that also will have a huge influence on the look of the film. Just to get my head around the project, at this point I'll break down the script or story treatment into simple lists, noting the main characters and settings. It's funny because it involves discovering both what the director loves and hates not just in films, but all the arts, including art, architecture, theater, everything. When deciding where to start on an animated feature like this, how does one go about creating designs for characters and environments that consciously blend the look of live action film with a CG cartoon?įilms at Pixar are director driven and I begin the production design process by just talking with the director and trying to get a clear picture of his vision for the film. The final choices they make go on to define the personality of the characters and where they live, but primarily, create aesthetics that are both fun to look at and help advance the story. They draw inspiration from a number of sources that include the art direction and cinematography of other films, but ultimately consider many variables when creating a visual style. Jessup and the film’s director of photography/lighting Sharon Calahan also meet regularly to set goals for the look of the film. It is a huge collaborative effort where the film’s production designer Harley Jessup and many other artists experiment with designs and color by creating both hand-made and computerized concept art.
Getting to that point starts at the beginning of the filmmaking process while the characters and their environments are being conceived. It adds a layer of believability, a greater sense of gravity to the situations scripted in the film. This approach to make the appearance of the film look like it was photographed by a cinematographer rather than colored by someone filling in shapes with a Wacom tablet and pen is key to final aesthetic in Ratatouille. Like all the Pixar films before it, it avoids the overtly saturated and segregated coloring, or unnaturally elastic character movements sometimes associated with computer-animated films, and instead boasts a visual look that resembles a well-photographed live action-film. Ratatouille also excels in the area of color and design.
As unusual a setup as having a rat prepare food might seem, under director/writer Brad Bird’s care, the film moves with real conviction and contains something rather innovative - a screenplay that blends live-action storytelling and animated characters.
With a premise that often defies convention, Ratatouille tells the tale of a full-grown rat named Remy whose passions in life take him from his family’s home in the French countryside to the kitchen of a fine Parisian restaurant where he becomes, of all things, a Master Chef. That Pixar’s Ratatouille, like the tale of artistry it tells, produces great art in unexpected places. While the film delivered everything the fans were waiting for, there was something else they got, something many film critics picked up on immediately. The eighth feature film from Pixar, the industry’s leading computer animation studio, was immediately embraced by kids, parents and moviegoers alike as one of the best films of the year. Brad Bird’s highly anticipated second effort for Pixar, Ratatouille opened wide on June 29, 2007.