X

With 'Brave,' Pixar pushes its technology farther than ever (pictures)

With each of its new films, the hit-making studio tries to raise the bar for the realism of its animation. On 'Brave,' that meant building new software for generating curly hair, thick fur, and more.

Daniel Terdiman
Daniel Terdiman is a senior writer at CNET News covering Twitter, Net culture, and everything in between.
Daniel Terdiman
fourhairprogression.jpg
1 of 13 Disney Pixar

Hair progression

Merida, the main character in Pixar's "Brave" (opening June 22), has thick, curly locks. Pixar's animators had to work hard to get her hair to react properly as she moves around and bumps into things. The same went for other elements in the film, such as bear fur, multiple layers of clothing, and water in a river. To overcome these challenges, the studio created a new software tool capable of updating what it can do with such animation.
Matt_ElinorMeridaHair_01.jpg
2 of 13 Disney Pixar

Brushing Merida's hair

Art from Pixar's "Brave," showing Merida, the film's main character, having her red, curly hair getting brushed by her mother.
Merida_HairRef025.JPG
3 of 13 Disney Pixar

Merida hair

Another piece of art showing Merida and her hair.
EpilogueDress6.jpg
4 of 13 Disney Pixar

Merida, her hair, and her dress

A look at an early rendition of Merida, her red hair, and her flowing dress, from Pixar's new film "Brave."
Screen_shot_2012-06-13_at_10.35.41_PM.jpg
5 of 13 Disney Pixar

Angus and his fur

A computer model of Merida's horse, Angus, and his complex hair.
M_pubstill_B_CMYK_3_24_2011_.special16.jpg_rgb.jpg
6 of 13 Disney Pixar

Merida riding Angus

When Merida rides Angus, her hair flows, as does that of the horse. Animators at Pixar had to figure out how to ensure that the audience doesn't get distracted by unrealistic movement of any of that hair or fur.
SP12_PearlsGems.jpg
7 of 13 Disney Pixar

Shader packet

A look at the construction of Merida's dress.
FergusNeck_Drawing_MNolte_Pencil_2009_01.JPG
8 of 13 Disney Pixar

Fergus and his neck

Pencil drawings of Fergus, Merida's father, from Pixar's "Brave."
Screen_shot_2012-06-13_at_10.35.52_PM.jpg
9 of 13 Disney Pixar

Dress template

A template for the construction of Merida's dress.
formaldress_03.jpg
10 of 13 Disney Pixar

Dress drawings

A look at drawings of Merida's formal dress, from Pixar's "Brave."
Royal_Family_Lineup_061708.jpg
11 of 13 Disney Pixar

Royal family lineup

Drawings of the royal family from Pixar's "Brave."
ElinorPortrait_Painting_SPilcher_Digital_2009.JPG
12 of 13 Disney Pixar

Elinor portrait

A portrait of Queen Elinor, the mother of Merida, the main character in "Brave."
FergusPortrait_Painting_SPilcher_Digital_2009.JPG
13 of 13 Disney Pixar

Fergus

A digital painting of King Fergus, Merida's father.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos