‘Turning Red’ as seen from its animators’ perspective

Animation supervisors Aaron Hartline (left) and Patty Kihm

We’ve spoken to the actors who lent their voices for the characters in Disney and Pixar’s “Turning Red.” Then, we interviewed director Domee Shi and producer Lindsey Collins.

This time around, we talked to animation supervisors Patty Kihm and Aaron Hartline, the brilliant artists who helped realize Domee’s vision and execute the acclaimed film’s animation style.

When we interviewed Aaron and Patty for this article, we asked them if it would be a fair observation to say that illustrators and animators like them should possess observation skills that are more heightened than most to hone an artist’s attention to detail.

Precision, sensitivity

“Yeah, we’re definitely the wallflowers in the room observing life and the people around them,” Aaron said. “We’re that person in the corner of a party watching everybody.”

“You make that sound creepy (laughs),” we ribbed Aaron.

“Yeah, Aaron. Say it another way,” Patty interjected, beaming.

Kidding aside, precision and sensitivity are among the traits required in Patty and Aaron’s line of work, especially if you belong to an animation company that’s known for projects that are as thematically relevant as they’re visually inventive.

Scene from “Turning Red” —PHOTOS COURTESY OF DISNEY/PIXAR

Tween girls’ perspective

Take “Turning Red.” Aaron told us that he loved the film for its “whole new point of view.”

He explained, “It’s about a tween girl and her friends. I feel like I haven’t seen anything like that before ‘Turning Red.’ I’ve seen a lot of movies [tackling teenage life], but this felt new and fresh. I’ve seen many coming-of-age stories for boys, but I really enjoyed this one because it’s seen from a young girl’s perspective.”

Patty agreed, “In addition, that point of view isn’t being watered down or neutralized by any kind of weird feelings out there. It’s just what it is. Meilin, the 13-year-old protagonist who becomes a giant panda when she gets excited or agitated, is going through puberty. She is navigating her new body and the new emotions that accompany [the wave of changes]. She’s trying to figure it out.

“Mei is trying to see how she fits into the world—and that’s totally normal. Everybody goes through it, and it’s OK. The movie also emphasizes the people who help her get through it and how they enrich her life.”

Director Domee Shi observing a red panda during a research trip with animators to the San Francisco Zoo in 2018.

Our Q&A with Patty and Aaron:

What makes animation—and not live action—a better fit for “Turning Red”?

Aaron: Oh, boy. I just love that it all originated from Domee’s head. And we didn’t have to get an actual giant red panda for the film (laughs). In this case, we could actually make one using a computer and creating those pink poofs.

We had the freedom to use the panda as a metaphor for puberty and being messy. It completely makes sense to me that it’s animated.

Patty: Since this movie was so stylized from the top down, it all fits into the theme of a girl going through puberty. Domee described the film as “a teenage girl’s fever dream,” so the pastel colors make sense. With a computer, there are no limits. You can build exactly what you want to see.

What was the biggest challenge for you for this project?

Patty: Definitely, COVID threw a wrench in our plans. We had to go home and set up every single workstation from home and make sure it all worked. Pixar’s tech team did an amazing job and set everybody up in record time. After a week, everyone was up and running—and it just flowed after that.

Aside from COVID, the challenge for animation specifically was to figure out how the 2D concept could blend with the 3D world [since the film merges Pixar’s detailed style with that of anime]. We wondered if we would be able to make that work without making the movie look bizarre.

There was a lot of exploration that we had to do before we started. You saw some of the animation tests [during the presentation]. Of course, on paper, it looks great. But you never really know [if it would actually work] until you put it in the computer. So, it was a really exciting moment when we finally saw the product!

The movie follows overachieving Meilin (Rosalie Chiang) and her tweener friends who have distinctly different personalities, including her best friend Miriam (Ava Morse), the perpetually deadpan Priya (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) and the excitable Abby (Hyein Park). Which character resonated with you the most?

Aaron: It’s a different character for each of the different phases in my life (laughs), especially if you’re an animator. I’m picturing myself in my 20s as Abby. .. very intense, driven and everything’s got to be right. But now that I’m in my 40s, I’m like Priya … I don’t worry so much about things anymore.

Patty: Probably, I will always be Mei. She’s kind of dorky and goofy, but she means well. She’s just doing the best she can.

Let me put you on the spot: What’s your favorite Pixar film?

Aaron: Whoa. I gotta go with the classic. The one that inspired me to become a Pixar animator was “Toy Story.” When I saw it, it blew me away! I remember seeing it in the theaters, and it sent me on a 13-year mission to get into Pixar … applying animation and learning computers.

Patty: I hate to be repetitive but “Toy Story” is also the movie that got me into the animation industry. I saw it, and I just knew right away that it is what I have to do. I studied to be a graphic designer before becoming an animator, but after watching that movie, I was like, “Ah, I’m not doing that. I need to do whatever that is onscreen. I need to be a part of that.” It was life-changing for me.