Disney's Moana- Demystifying Characters

Speaker(s): Avneet Kaur
Technical Director, Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS)

Summary: "Moana," is an epic adventure about an adventurous teenager who sails out on a daring mission to save her people. Inspired by the people of Pacific Islands from a long time ago, the creation of the characters of "Moana" was driven by research and team collaboration across the character asset and technology departments.  Natural clothing, accessories and hair created challenging simulation needs where new tools and workflows were developed to achieve the art direction goals.  Avneet will share the creative and technical challenges that were met, to bring some these amazing characters to life.

Speaker Bio:
As a character simulation technical director at Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), Avneet Kaur works closely with the character asset team to lead the development and implementation of simulation solutions for a wide range of character styles and art directions. She is responsible for the creation and downstream success of each of her characters set up for simulation performance. Kaur enjoys taking on the artistic and technical challenges that every film brings at the studio. Building on the rich legacy of creativity and innovation at WDAS, she and her team constantly strive to combine groundbreaking technology and masterful artistry to create the beloved characters of Disney's animated features.

Kaur was born and raised in India. She received a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from BIT Mesra, Ranchi and a Master of Science in Visualization Sciences from Texas A&M University. Kaur has been with Walt Disney Animation Studios since 2004 and her film credits include "Meet the Robinsons," "Bolt," "Tangled," "Wreck-It Ralph," and the Academy Award®-winning films "Frozen," "Big Hero 6," and "Zootopia." Kaur most recently completed work on the Oscar®-nominated "Moana," and is currently working on "Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-it Ralph 2," which is set to release in November 2018. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband and two daughters.

Kaur is very passionate about the people and craft of animation and has a keen interest in academia. At WDAS, she helps mentor and grow both the incoming and existing talent at the studio. She has given numerous presentations and taught several classes in character simulation, both inside and outside the studio. Kaur is involved with various associations such as SIGGRAPH, WIA, ASIFA and ABAI (India) and is actively engaged with leading international animation schools and her alma maters, in an effort to encourage and support the animation community and its ecosystem worldwide.

*No Photography Allowed During The Following Session

Presentation Language: English