There are two key areas I want to focus on when it comes to how we should tackle the visuals: lighting it in a way that is warm, inviting, and suggests growth — and tasteful camera movement, making the world our characters step into feel that much more real.
Camera movement is always important when it comes to this. Handheld is too much in this case, but static suggests the easy way out when working with animated characters. I think committing to two tasteful tracking shots is a lovely middle ground. Where we see these characters come to life, interact with Joel, and tell us a story is exactly where the camera should move similarly. This, combined with a story-driven choice like the door peephole, allows us to make memorable visual choices without going overboard.
Regarding lighting, I think we’re totally aligned from the call — a sunny day is paramount. That said, I want to soften the light so it doesn’t feel like scorching sun on a hot summer day. The rich tungsten of the sunlight and the healthy greens of the surrounding foliage should work together to justify just how perfect, fresh, and in-season the produce filling our bags is.
Mack Calistan is a longtime collaborator of mine, with experience integrating VFX shots and lighting warm, inviting exteriors in a way that doesn’t feel overly vanilla, blown out, or cookie cutter. We have a shorthand that will be perfect for a shoot like this — where efficiency is key to making our day.
Can’t wait to put our heads together on these elements in our follow-up.