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Raising Three Savvy Ladies

NYC Lifestyle Blog

October 17, 2017 //

A Closer Look at Alebrijes, Pepita and Dante in the Movie Coco #PixarCocoEvent

In August, I was invited by Disney on an all expense paid trip to San Francisco to be a part of the #PixarCocoEvent. 

As we get closer to the premiere of Coco, I wanted to share fun facts I learned about Pepita and Dante.  I know you will enjoy learning about them too!

 


 

Pepita and Dante are two very interesting characters in the movie Coco. Learning about their design and structure made me realize all of the research and design that goes in to each character.  Christian Hoffman, character supervisor for Coco, Alonso Martinez  animator for Pepita & Dante, and Nicholas Rosario, Directing Animator for Coco shared with us the journey from concept to film for Dante and Pepita.

“Coco” Long Lead Press Day, which included a filmmaker roundtable, presentations about the music, story, characters and set designs of the film, on August 4, 2017 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Marc Flores / Pixar)

Dante

Dante was Miguel’s trusted partner on his journey. Dante is a Xoloitzcuinte dog or Xolo for short.  They are ancient dogs named after Aztec dogs.  Xolo dogs helped to  safeguard the home from evil spirits and served as guides for the dead.  They were also said to have healing powers. Another fact learned about  Xolo dogs is that they have dental issues and missing teeth which is common in this breed.

In the concept stages, art sculpture was used to see how Miguel and Dante would play off of each other.  They also looked at other animated dogs to drive inspiration such as the dog from Up, Bolt and Lady & the Tramp.
 Dante is a hairless street dog with light tufting over body. This posed some problems as fur can hide issues. There are lots of wrinkles and skin texture that needs to be paid attention too.
Hoffman shared that Dante’s tongue falls out on side and is almost always exposed.  This could be rig challenge too.
 
Rosario shared about how Dante’s character to help us understand what he is all about. When animating Dante, they watched video clips of dogs.  Dogs are generally entertaining. It was easy to “treat him like a puppy in an adult body”.
 His tongue gags are an extension of his personality.  They were challenged to make Dante more cartoony. He does not have deep emotions.  He has clear expressions.  “The lights are on, but nobody’s home” is the main idea of Dante’s character.  He is a very casual street dog with very sloppy expressions and motion.

COCO – Pepita concept art by Huy Nguyen. ©2017 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Pepita

Martinez told us all about the Alebrijes and animation of Pepita.
Alebrijes are inspired by the folk art of Mexico.
Martinez shared his collection below and as you can see they are beautifully designed.
Created in 1936 by piñata maker name Pedro Linares, alebrijes are colorful characters and are paper mache works of art. They would become one of Mexico’s most popular art forms.  They are made of Copal wood which is soft and easy to carve.
With one look, you can see the detail and intricacy in the figures.
This art form has taken a life of its own. They are not religious.  Instead, the artist puts themselves into it.  Each artist brings own tastes to it.  Some put symbology into them.
With Alebrijes, one will recognize that they are an iconic for being colorful and bright.

COCO – Pepita concept art by Daniel Arriaga. ©2017 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Although alebrijes are not related to Dia de Los Meurtos, they wanted to incorporate it into the film in some way.
In the film Coco, Pepita is a spirit guide. She is a mixture of ram horns, lizard like tail, eagle like feet and wings with a tiger inspired face.
Bringing  life to Pepita involved research.  They needed her to scare people.  So they looked to fierce angry cats as a reference.
They looked at how cats have different shaped claws and how those claws are retractable.
Nick Rosario spoke about how Pepita would look and move on the screen.  They wanted to show how she would be massive yet also be quick.
How big would the wings be.
COCO – Pepita concept art by Greg Dykstra. ©2017 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
Shading of Pepita was inspired by folk art.  A challenge would be her lush coat of hair.  How would they get it to move and be colorful?  The length of the hair chosen helped to create the patterns needed.  One of the special things about Pepita is the way she glows.  The glow illuminates her environment too.

Alebrijes Workshop

To help us understand the design of Pepita, all press in attendance were part of a Alebrijes Workshop where Alonso Martinez showed us some techniques for designing our own Pepita.  These 3D images weres especially created for us so we took to the challenge of decorating them.

Press paint models of Pepita, an alebrije, at “Coco” Long Lead Press Day, which included a filmmaker roundtable, presentations about the music, story, characters and set designs of the film, on August 3, 2017 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)

 

Press paint models of Pepita, an alebrije, at “Coco” Long Lead Press Day, which included a filmmaker roundtable, presentations about the music, story, characters and set designs of the film, on August 3, 2017 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)

As you know, arts and crafts are not my fortay.  Nonetheless, I was pretty impressed with my final design.  I tried my best to incorporate the shading and bright colors that Pepita has in the movie.  What do you think?

Now that you have learned all about the skeletons,  take a look at the trailer to see how the skeletons will look in the upcoming movie!


Follow Pixar Coco on Social Media to find the latest information

Facebook      Twitter  (#PixarCoco)     Instagram          YouTube DisneyPixar

Stay tuned in the next few months to learn more about the movie Coco!

COCO opens in theaters everywhere on November 22nd!

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Filed Under: Movies

Comments

  1. Rosie says

    October 17, 2017 at 10:27 am

    I’m amazed at how much goes into the research and design for these movies! No wonder they are so fantastic! It must be fun jobs to be so creative!

  2. ellen beck says

    October 17, 2017 at 8:40 pm

    It is amazing how this is done. I really like what Pixar has changed for the animation field. All their movies look terrific! This was interesting to see.

  3. Sarah L says

    October 18, 2017 at 12:00 am

    It’s fun to see behind the scenes in movies like this. Thanks.

  4. Julie Wood says

    October 18, 2017 at 10:36 am

    This movie is just amazing and I can not believe how creative the producers are and the colors are so vibrant. What a wonderful look behind the scenes.

  5. Kristin C says

    October 19, 2017 at 9:25 am

    I’m so excited for my kids to see this movie. There hasn’t been a Pixar film that wasn’t wonderful.

  6. Sarah L says

    October 19, 2017 at 11:46 pm

    The art is amazing for this film.

  7. Barrie says

    October 21, 2017 at 4:51 pm

    wow. I had no idea how characters are created. Very interesting.

  8. rochelle haynes says

    October 22, 2017 at 6:40 am

    Looks nice how they do their work looking good

  9. Sarah L says

    October 22, 2017 at 9:24 pm

    I love how talented these artists are.

  10. Samantha Wagner says

    October 24, 2017 at 12:11 am

    Love seeing how much time and creativeness they put into these characters.

  11. Janet W. says

    October 25, 2017 at 8:26 am

    These characters are amazing! I can’t wait to see this movie with my grandsons!

  12. Sherrie Cruson says

    October 27, 2017 at 5:46 am

    Just incredible the thought and detail that goes into character creations for films. Sounds like you had a great time.

  13. Amber Ludwig says

    October 27, 2017 at 11:48 am

    Oh this movie looks adorable!! I cannot wait to see it!! My son is so excited as well!

  14. Sarah L says

    October 28, 2017 at 12:16 am

    I’ll be taking my niece to see this beautiful film.

Kerri has been blogging for over 9 years. Since Raising 3 Savvy Ladies has grown, her sister, Lauren joins her in sharing the latest trends. Raising 3 Savvy Ladies is a NYC lifestyle blog where we share our travel adventures, what life is like over 40 and our favorite movies and theater experiences.

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NYC/Westchester Mom to 3 Teens who love to #travel #health #DisneySMC #teacher #westchester

Kerri G
So happy to kick off the holiday season with @macy So happy to kick off the holiday season with @macys and Santa! Last night, we took the train into the city to preview #Macys #Santaland I have to say it was quite magical. Although my youngest was 12, Santa was able to connect to her and put us all in the holiday spirit. 

I believe. I believe….

My mom also came with us. We started talking and I think it was almost 40 years ago that she took us to visit Santa at Macys. I was so happy to visit Santa with her and my youngest for a three generation experience.

Don’t forget to check out the beautiful window displays as you enjoy all of #NYC during the holidays! 

#MacysSantaland #Santa #NYCholidays #christmas #winterwonderland #travel #IloveNY
#ad Mental health isn’t talked about enough, but #ad Mental health isn’t talked about enough, but 1 in 5 adults suffer from mental illness and disorders today. 

Let’s reduce the stigma by opening up the conversation in the classroom and at home.
As a teacher and a mom of 3, I know how important it is to be there and be a good listener.

Conversations are super important. It’s never too early (or too late) to have these conversations with your students or your own children.

Operation Conversation is a check-in on kids’ mental health. When we start simple habits of conversations, we can learn about concerns or problems our students are dealing with, help them problem solve, and build their confidence for life’s difficult moments. 

Teachers can help to destigmatize mental health starting in their own classrooms by talking to their students about mental health using a free deck of conversation starter cards. Parents can also use these cards to support good conversations while at home. I know as a mom, I can use all the help I can get. 

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Took a little trip upstate 💚 Visiting my oldest Took a little trip upstate 💚 Visiting my oldest and touring her sister on first college visit. Maybe it’s a sign that they should be together. Totally bittersweet and we went to visit Binghamton in October 2019 and only made it to two more before March 2020. I’m only thinking of bright skies ahead for the both of them filled with amazing memories and wonderful opportunities 💚
Thank you @baketivity for sending us the Duff Mons Thank you @baketivity for sending us the Duff Monster Cupcakes box. My teen loves to bake and the was perfect for her to get creative and try out new decorating idea with her cupcake monsters. We loved that the kit had everything she needed and detailed step-by-step directions too! @duffgoldman #baking #cupcakes #cupcakemonster #cupcakedecorating #teenswhobake #halloween #bakingforkids #bakingkits
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New York state has so many wonderful places to be New York state has so many wonderful places to be a part of . From the bright lights of NYC, to quiet places of respite in its parks and wooded areas. Time to walk, hike and reflect. Being active and busy is something that I hope my teens learn from and something we can do together to enjoy all the beauty and nature it has to offer while keeping NY tobacco free. Did you know that our oldest generation of smokers are now dying? After them, you have me and a very large group of people who do not smoke at all. So, who’s next? Instead of taking cigarettes off the shelves, the tobacco industry views today’s teens as tomorrow’s customers, using menthol-flavored products to attract and addict kids – and it’s working. More than half (54%) of youth who smoke (ages 12-17 years) use menthol cigarettes. making it easier for kids to start and harder for them to quit. Menthol is not JUST a flavor, it attracts and addicts kids As a teen mom, I am sharing this so we can all take action! Learn more about the impact of Big Tobacco’s manipulative tactics on our communities and how you can take action to help end this injustice. Let’s keep our kids enjoying the wonderful things our state has to offer. Link in bio #NotJustMenthol #TobaccoFreeNYS #ad @tobaccofreenys
The Bounciest Pop-Up Ever to Hit NYC is Popping Up The Bounciest Pop-Up Ever to Hit NYC is Popping Up for
Four Weeks this Fall! Located in Midtown, my girls and I created fun memories and tons of laughs while bouncing through this super fun pop-up! I even went down the slide! 😂 we bounced. We laughed. We even got to get our groove on and dance!  Definitely an awesome way to relieve stress. Go with family or friends! Here are all the details:  Now through Thursday, November 17th the custom-built installation will occupy the plaza adjacent to Greeley Square Park on Broadway between 32nd and 33rd Streets. Pop In The City is a 120ft long walk-through experience consisting of a 
series of interconnected domes, each housing separate interactive elements that reflect an immersive and abstract take on New York, its people, and its culture.  #popinthecityusa #popinthecity #nyc #thingstodoinnyc #greeleysquarepark #nycactivities #kidsinnyc #childhoodunplugged #familytime #staycation #nycstreet #popinthecityusa
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Ticket to Paradise is in theaters today! Thanks to Ticket to Paradise is in theaters today! Thanks to @universalpictures we were invited to an advance screening of @tickettoparadise, enjoyed it and you will too! Always love #juliaroberts and #georgeclooney #tickettoparadise #romcom #movies
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