Page 33 - 3D Artist 110 - 2017 UK
P. 33
Despite looking similar,
the animation team
ensured that twin
brothers Gru and Dru
had contrasting
mannerisms
BROTHERLY LOVE
Expanding upon the overarching theme of
family is the revelation that Gru has a twin
sibling named Dru
“One of the irst drawings that [co-director and
production designer] Eric guillon had done of
Dru and gru together looks close to what we
have now in the movie,” reveals director Kyle
Balda. “But we did do an exploration which
was a departure from that. Spy vs Spy in Mad
magazine is a big touchstone for us – that kind
of graphic, black-against-white strong
silhouettes. as we were exploring Dru’s
character we weren’t thinking of him as a
supervillain or superhero. We wanted to igure
out his relationship with gru.”
“We knew that he had to be different than
gru,” states animation director Julien Soret.
“So, it became obvious to give him the
opposite characteristics as gru; Dru is
and contrast that the actors are doing in their optimistic, extroverted and playful. after this
vocal performance help us a lot for the animation. milestone, Steve Carell gave us a strong
Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig and trey Parker have a interpretation that was following this thin line
large spectrum of emotion and a lot of appeal in of characteristics that makes the [two
their voices, so it was a real pleasure for the characters] different, but still look alike – a all images: Illumination and universal Pictures
animators to work with their voices.” characteristic of twin brothers.”
the signature yellow-coloured henchmen have “Dru started out having all of these
also been given an upgrade over the course of the advantages that gru didn’t have,” explains
four ilms. “Yes, we had to rebuild the rig for the Balda. “He grew up in an opulent place. When
minions for Despicable Me 2 and also for Minions,” gru arrives [in Freedonia], he is feeling
remarks Soret. “this was in order to get better insecure about the fact that his brother has all
deformation on the body, arms and overalls, and of this stuff and beautiful hair. We were playing
also to make their faces more appealing. We with this idea that Dru would be more of a
used the same improvement on the minions in show-off. He would be wearing a fur coat and
We had to rebuild the Despicable Me 3.” the multiple cinematic more bling. But we found the more vulnerable
part of Dru’s character: like gru, he wants
appearances of the clueless miniature beings
rig for the minions to get have had an artistic impact for the animation validation from his parents. all Dru wants to be
team. “most of our animators had experience is a supervillain like his brother was back in the
better deformation on the working on them,” observes Balda. “the day. gru had redeemed himself in the eyes of
body, arms and overalls animation gets more polished and reined as we his dad. It made more sense to go back to this
start to know who the minions are more. they’re
graphic yin and yang thing with the black-and-
Julien Soret, quite simple as characters, as these goofballs, but white outits that they are wearing.”
Animation director we do learn that they have this sentimental and
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