ELEMENTAL opens June 16th
Over the years, Pixar Animation Studios has captured our imaginations through the magic of animation and emotional stories that explore our human emotions, such as Joy from INSIDE OUT and Joe from SOUL. Whether it's the friendship of a Cowboy and a Space Ranger, the dedication of a father to find his lost son, or an emotional adventure of self-discovery, Pixar has created worlds and characters that are cherished by children and parents.
This summer, director Peter Sohn will introduce audiences to the visually stunning Element City and its citizens that are composed of Fire, Water, Earth and Air in his new movie, ELEMENTAL. The visual style used to create the characters and the city is as unique as the characters themselves. During our visit to Pixar Animation Studios, we sat down with Peter Sohn to discuss the challenges of bringing to life each of the elements, and our new favorite Pixar characters, Ember and Wade.
Don’t get fired up, we won’t spoil anything from ELEMENTAL! Here are three reasons why you should join Ember and Wade on their great journey through Element City in RealD 3D.
Blazingly Beautiful
The story introduces Ember, a clever, quick-witted and fiery young woman who has dedicated herself to her father's family business and the people of Firetown. Ember is carefully and skillfully illustrated to capture the essence of fire without appearing scary. Now, that isn't to say, when Ember get hot - she gets hot! Sohn shared that Ember’s physical characteristics are fully captured and showcased in 3D.
“The 3D of it is crazy. With Ember’s face, when you see it in 2D there are all of these textures, but in 3D you will see through her more. And when Wade boils, you will see the boiling happen inside him. It is such a crazy layer to the film that we pushed extremely hard on. Most the time for a lot of Pixar movies, the 3D is pushed back behind the screen, but (for ELEMENTAL), we really tried to push it forward to reach out to the audience.”
A Wave of Positivity
Ember’s life is disrupted when she accidentally meets the go-with-the-flow Water guy, Wade Ripple. Wade is literally and figuratively transparent, which is a huge contrast to Ember. Sohn describes Wade as the ideal match for Ember’s journey of self-discovery. With his physical attribute being a reflective element, Wade provides her the opportunity to see herself without judgment. Wade’s positivity is on full display during the tense Windbreakers Air Ball game at Cyclone Stadium, when he unites fans of Air, Water and Earth. Trust us, you are going to be cheering from your seat!
Element City at Night
In a way, Element City resembles the districts and boroughs of New York City with its diverse architecture and communities. A scene that showcases the magnificent creativity of PIXAR is when Ember and Wade take their adventure to the air in a hot air balloon ride over the city. The contrast of the shapes, colors and materials is on full display and with culmination of buildings that range from blue, sparkling glass, to orange, ash-covered stone, to green, lush vegetation.
