Production Design Insights from Aan Sugano on Nimona

Aan Sugano's design journey for Neona emphasizes acceptance and individuality through meticulous visual storytelling.

### The Art of Animation: Crafting Visual Identity in "Neona"
* 🎨 Today, we welcome Aan Sugano, the production designer for Netflix's "Neona," who will share insights about the film's **visual design and themes**.
* 💡 Sugano emphasizes the importance of **staying true to the original comic** by Nate, focusing on themes of **acceptance** and the challenge of **seeing individuals for who they truly are**.
* 🖌 The design process involved **breaking down traditional conventions**, drawing inspiration from the **Golden Age of animation**, and creating a **hyper-stylized look** that reflects the film's **core ideas**.
* 🏰 A significant aspect of the design was to create a **medieval yet modern world**, ensuring that the characters felt **integrated into their environment** through thoughtful socio-economic research and diverse character designs.
* ✨ The visual language was carefully crafted, with specific shapes and colors representing characters' journeys and relationships with **acceptance**, using light and shadow to symbolize their **emotional states**.
* 🔍 Sugano highlights the collaborative nature of the project, where **communication and teamwork were crucial**, especially during the challenges faced when **Blue Sky Studios closed**.
* 🌈 The film's ability to portray **deep themes of exclusion and identity** through animation allows for a **unique emotional resonance**, making it relatable to a **wide audience**.
* 💪 Ultimately, Sugano reflects on the dedication of the team, stating that their **collective passion and hard work** were key to bringing "Neona" to life, despite numerous obstacles along the way.

### Insights on Animation, Design, and Personal Growth from Aiden
* 🎨 Aiden reflects on the impact of Charlie Harper's artistic style, noting that it **forever changed how he perceives the world around him**, particularly in relation to design.
* 💭 He emphasizes the importance of thoughtfulness in his work, stating that **understanding the reasoning behind decisions is crucial for growth and depth** in the creative process.
* 🌈 Aiden discusses the decision to change the character Golden Loin to an Asian representation, highlighting the team's **commitment to creating a colorblind world** in their project.
* 🖌 He shares that the directors he worked with were **incredibly supportive**, which **significantly enhanced the collaborative atmosphere** during production.
* 📚 Aiden advises new artists to focus on thoughtfulness and self-reflection, stressing that while drawing skills are essential, the ability to **articulate the reasoning behind artistic choices** is even more valuable.
* 🌍 He expresses excitement about the future of the animation industry, emphasizing the **importance of emotional connection to projects** and the **potential for technology to broaden creative possibilities**.
* 💡 Aiden concludes by reflecting on his journey into animation, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to **create art that resonates with audiences** and the joy of working in a field that feels like **play**.
* 🤝 Finally, he encourages aspiring artists to **embrace their unique perspectives** and continue developing their skills while remaining **open to collaboration and new ideas**.

The Art of NIMONA with Production Designer Aidan Sugano | Asians in Animation

Asians in Animation – AnimAsians

Aan Sugano, the production designer for Neona, emphasized the importance of staying true to Nate's comic and the theme of acceptance and individuality.

The design choices were influenced by the Golden Age of animation and aimed to flip expectations, creating a hyper-stylized look that reinforced the film's message.

Every decision, from character modeling to world-building, was meticulously crafted to express the dichotomy between The Institute's ideals and Neona's fluidity, ultimately driving the film's visual narrative.

The team focused on building a world that mirrored real-life socioeconomic structures and cultural evolution, ensuring characters could seamlessly blend in.

They used diverse visual rules and modernized clothing to represent different social classes, while also showcasing the evolution of the culture.

The cinematography and lighting were carefully designed to reinforce the characters' relationships with acceptance, using light and shadow to convey their journeys.

The Transformation of the Character in the Film

The character undergoes a dramatic transformation, becoming a creature of shadow at her lowest point before turning into a creature of light and acceptance.

The use of color, particularly pneuma pink, is tied to the character's journey of sharing herself and seeking acceptance.

The design of the characters' eye shapes is used to symbolize power dynamics in each scene, reinforcing the metaphor of light and acceptance throughout the film's progression.

The film "Nimona" underwent many iterations and faced pushback for its body type representation, but the team fought hard to maintain Pona's character design.

The character Neona played a crucial role in shaping her own design, making the process easier for the team.

The shapeshifting aspect of Neona's character was designed to reflect her emotional extremes, guiding the visual language of the film.

The animation team's journey was a gradual process, consistently aligning with the original vision over seven years.

Communication played a crucial role in maintaining style consistency, especially with a global team of artists.

The medium of animation allows for the exploration of deep themes, using visual poetry to communicate universal emotions and experiences.

The Emotional Journey of a Long-Term Project

The project, started in 2016, faced numerous setbacks and closures, causing grief among the team.

Despite not having jobs, the team dedicated countless hours to pull data and support the project's future.

The inspiring moments included developing unique background characters and figuring out complex systems, while the emotional turmoil kept the team motivated to work tirelessly.

The Impact of Character Design and Direction in Film

The decision to change the character Golden Lo's race was driven by a desire for a colorblind world and representation.

The production designer's pitch for Golden Lo as an Asian character was motivated by the lack of aspirational roles for Asians in the industry.

The directors, Nick and Troy, provided exceptional support and collaboration, creating a positive working environment for the production designer.

The speaker finds it difficult to practice non-art skills like communication and openness, which they consider more important than technical skills.

They are currently unsure about their next project after Pona but hope to contribute to emotionally connected projects in the future.

The speaker shares their experience of designing characters for a secret society of magical creatures for a film, which didn't make it to the final cut, but they hope to incorporate such ideas in future projects.

The adaptation process involved changing various elements while trying to stay true to Nate's original designs.

The overall story and world were modified, with a focus on societal roles rather than assigned ones.

The project's fun atmosphere was fostered by the team at Blue Sky, with unique activities like cape day and a trip to Medieval Times.

Designing for Light: A Journey in Animation

The design process involved special angles and planes to create unique lighting effects, achieved through collaboration with the lighters.

Reinforcing materials and painting geometric details were key strategies to maintain a cohesive look.

The artist emphasizes the importance of strong fundamentals, self-reflection, and the relevance of graphic and costume design in developing skills for production design and character art.

Studios are now able to hire talent from around the world, breaking the limitations of location.

This global access to incredible artists has created a diverse mix of mindsets and viewpoints.

The speaker's experience working on a film project involved overcoming challenges in achieving the desired look, ultimately proving the project's vision and importance.

Aiden's interest in design was sparked by observing how people present themselves through their clothing.

He stumbled into the animation department while exploring San Jose and discovered the opportunity to make a living by drawing.

Over the years, Aiden transitioned from wanting to work in games and live action to fully committing to animation, where he has found inspiration and fulfillment for over a decade.