‘Turning Red’ is a beautiful coming of age story within an Asian Canadian family, directed by Domee Shi and produced by Pixar. I was intrigued by the making of this film for various reasons – one of which being the colour script. For me, ‘Turning Red’ was just an iconic film – I could identify with the fact that it was set in the early 2000’s with the reference to certain anime i.e ‘Sailor Moon’ and objects / toys / boy bands from that time i.e ‘Tamagotchi’, as I was a teenager in the early 2000’s.
Domee Shi, First Time Feature Director
‘So, the red panda is basically a metaphor for magical puberty.’
‘When I first started this movie, I was determined to make something different.’
‘Making the film, it’s just been like a long marathon. It feels like you are part of a pirate ship.’
Lindsey Collins, Producer
‘Producer is the one orchestrating this giant circus, she’s the ring leader.’
‘I see it as partner to the director. So that includes, being a creative partner but also managing the crew and surrounding her with all the right people.’
‘You always offer ways to move story along and help production through, not just by managing it but also just from an emotional creative side aswell.’
Rona Liu, Production Designer
‘The production designer is the first person brought on the show after the producer and director – and that’s basically because from the very beginning her job is to kind of figure out what the movie is going to look like. That is everything from characters to sets to colour to tone and style.’
‘My role is to collaborate closely with the director and makes sure her vision translates throughout all of the departments and onto the screen.’
‘I know that I am providing people information they need to get their work done.’
Overall, I was mostly intrigued by the ‘Production Designer’ role and they way that Rona Liu had communicated with her colleagues. Also, this role is somewhat unheard of from what I have currently researched. Maybe it is due to the fact that it was a major project and needed it. This role was very intriguing as it combines visual development and producing. I intend to research the role more through Rona Liu interviews, in order to understand her take on the role.