The Incredibles: Creating a family of superheroes

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Bringing the family to life: For "The Incredibles," Pixar animators based their renderings on old-fashioned cartoon characters to the right proportions of human figures.

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In the beginning: Before any computers are brought into the process, artists still draw black-and-white storyboard sketches by hand.

The Incredibles: Creating a family of superheroes

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Fleshing out figures: Animators use models to control every move by the characters, then use software to apply their digital skin in real time.

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Setting the scene: Once the characters are in position, virtual surfaces are created to fill out the scenes. Thousands of models are sometimes needed for various angles.

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Finishing touches: Details such as clothes and hair are portrayed to reflect real environmental factors, including gravity, weight and friction.

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Seeing the light: Characters are shaded to give them color and tactile qualities, then virtual lighting is created for each scene.

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Talking the talk: Holly Hunter and director Brad Bird gave voice to the characters of, respectively, Elastigirl and Edna Mode.

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In broad daylight: Scenes such as this illustrate the simulation of natural light and shading.

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Cityscape: This imaginary skyline is one of many challenging backgrounds created for the movie.

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The heat is on: The fire in this scene shows how well animators can replicate reality with the intensity of colors.

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A long day: As in nonanimated films, lighting and distance can be used to give scenes a certain feel.

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In the wild: Animators take pains to create realistic natural scenes, down to the veins of leaves and blades of grass.