Star Wars: Visions Volume 2
Trevor Hogg has a conversation with the artists responsible for the characters and worlds featured in Star Wars: Visions Volume 2…
Just as much as mythology from various cultures shaped the imagination of George Lucas, he also has a deep understanding of character design and worldbuilding, which are an integral part of the vast universe created by him that has captivated generations of filmmakers. Channelling that creative spirit are animation studios from India, Ireland, the UK, South Korea, Chile, Spain, France, South Africa, and Japan, all commissioned by Lucasfilm to provide their own creative interpretation for the Disney+ anthology series Star Wars: Visions Volume 2.
A prevailing theme for El Guiri Studios’ episode, Sith, is what inspires an artist to create. “For me, animation is art,” says Rodrigo Blaas, the studio’s founder and director. “We had 14 minutes to tell a compelling story and create character archetypes simple enough that the audience could right away understand our visual intention. Setting that up in the simplest way possible allowed us to be experimental with our look, and make the painterly visuals part of our characters.”
In the episode, a Sith Master seeks out his former padawan, Lola. “We always tried to make the Master look as imposing and intimidating as possible through his height and gaze,” states art director Carlos Salgado. “However, Lola needed a more delicate balance; she’s a strong character but in conflict, who can be sweet and brave.”
The worlds are divided between the White Canvas and reality. “In Lola’s inner world, the idea was to create a beautiful chaos, where each element could be different but was in harmony with the environment,” explains Carlos. “In the real world, we wanted to create a big contrast after going through Lola’s world, so we found it interesting to make it almost hellish and hostile when it reveals itself, and then go darker and darker.”
SHAPES AND SILHOUETTES
Rifting on the famous parental reveal is Aardman’s I Am Your Mother, which is centred around a more nurturing relationship. “We worked hard on the character shapes to have a strong and recognisable silhouette line-up,” states director Magdalena Osinska. “Julan and Dorota were meant to be visible from first sight as being bad guys, and mother and daughter
