Meeting Abstract
Most people associate animation with classic fairy tales, wily rabbits, and a square sponge. But animation is the collision of art and science. This intersection has long been the basis of a symbiosis between artists and scientists at DreamWorks Animation. How does an animation studio use scientific principles and engage in science education to make our films better? By facilitating scientific master-classes, demos and lectures we give our creators a fundamental understanding of reality that enables them to create the animation caricature known as the Illusion of Life. We leverage principles of biology and physics to create believable performances. I will share insights about our custom programming such as master-classes on Quadruped Anatomy and Flight and how these result in a better image on screen. Conversely, animators offer storytelling tools to the scientific community. Animators often use visualization tools similar to those that many scientists use, but in differing narrative orders and with budgets often far exceeding those of scientists. Thus they can offer new strategies of presentation and faster processes of development of those tools – enhancing understanding and increasing the speed of building bridges to share information with the public. This can help scientists leverage their own scientific principles as they present the importance and excitement of their work to the public, as well as to one another.
