{"id":952,"date":"2026-03-01T14:34:58","date_gmt":"2026-03-01T13:34:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gaetanoleonardi.com\/v4\/?page_id=952"},"modified":"2026-03-01T15:48:57","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T14:48:57","slug":"kaisa-snow-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.gaetanoleonardi.com\/v4\/kaisa-snow-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Kaisa Group – Jungle – Art Direction"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Example of vegetation – Art by Gaetano Leonardi<\/p>\n

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Kaisa Group<\/h3>\n

(3 Shorts ) \u2013 Art direction<\/h5>\n

Served as Art Director on a series of three 30-minute animated films developed for the Chinese client KAISA Group, created for use within large-scale entertainment parks in China.<\/p>\n

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  • Key contributions:<\/li>\n
  • Defined the overall visual direction and artistic language of the films<\/li>\n
  • Established character design and visual style guidelines<\/li>\n
  • Directed environment design and worldbuilding<\/li>\n
  • Set the sculpting direction to ensure visual consistency across assets<\/li>\n
  • Acted as primary creative liaison with the client, clearly explaining visual choices, guiding decision-making, and securing fast, first-pass approvals through structured presentations and visual documentation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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    Colors<\/h3>\n

    Color Key direction<\/h5>\n

    I oversaw the color key direction, with artwork by Daniel Farrara<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    Color is not merely an aesthetic choice, it is a powerful tool that supports direction and reinforces communication. Through contrasts in saturation, luminance, and complementary hues, color helps guide the audience\u2019s perception and emotional response.<\/p>\n

    Colors can significantly influence the viewer\u2019s mind. For example, The Jungle Sequence represents one of the few moments of pause in the film. It should convey a sense of calmness and quiet astonishment, driven by the natural environment and its light. In contrast to the daylight scenes in the rest of the movie, this sequence takes place under shadows cast by the tree foliage. These are not simple dark shadows, but colored ones, light filtered through the leaves creates a rich and atmospheric tone.<\/p>\n

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    Color Keys \u2013 Art by Daniel Farrera; Art direction by Gaetano Leonardi.<\/p>\n

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    Houses – Art by Daniela Farrera; Art direction & Rules by Gaetano Leonardi.<\/p>\n

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    Vegetation – Art by Daniela Farrera; Art direction & Rules by Gaetano Leonardi.<\/p>\n

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    Preserving Production Value<\/h3>\n

    Delivering variety with the same assets<\/h5>\n

    By working with modular design and building assets thoughtfully, it was possible to create a strong sense of variety using a limited number of elements.<\/p>\n

    For example, with only two tree models, we were able to construct an entire stretch of jungle, achieving visual richness through smart placement, scaling, rotation, and variation in composition.<\/p>\n

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    Sculpting supervising<\/h3>\n

    Character design & 3D Character design<\/strong><\/h5>\n

    I also developed several early character sketches during the pre-production phase. These materials were primarily created to brief the artists for the next stage of development.<\/p>\n

    In addition, I supervised the sculpting process, working directly on top of the artists\u2019 models when necessary to ensure visual consistency and maintain the integrity of the characters.<\/p>\n

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