Familiar Feelings: Emotion Look Re-Development on Pixar's Inside Out 2

Ana Lacaze, Masha Ellsworth, Ben Porter, Athena Xenakis, Te Hu, Markus Kranzler, Jacob Kuenzel, Alexis Angelidis

Abstract:

The emotion characters on Pixar's Inside Out (2015) were composed of multiple elements that gave them an ethereal look. They were an ingenious composite of a core volume that behaved and illuminated as a glowing surface, moving particles that hovered over it, an edge volume tinted differently based on the lighting direction, and strands of dots that resembled hairs from a distance but sparkles up close. On Pixar's Inside Out 2 (2024) we had the challenging task of bringing these well known, technically complex characters back to life. We recreated the core five emotions, straddling the delicate balance of upgrading them to take advantage of newer technology while still maintaining their familiar look. We also created a whole new cast of emotions for Riley's adolescent mind.

Paper (PDF)

SIGGRAPH Talks 2024