DreamWorks artist reveals fascinating early character animations

Early vs finished Puss in Boots animation
(Image credit: Dreamworks/Adrien Soyty Liv)

DreamWorks is responsible for some of the most famous animated franchises, including Shrek, Madagascar and Trolls, all featuring incredibly polished 3D animations. But an animator for the studio has revealed a fascinating look at some of their early iterations.

Adrien Soyty Liv has taken to X to share several examples of individual shots they animated for DreamWorks films, offering a tantalising glimpse at early animations and character design work for the likes of Puss in Boots and more. 

While these clips may look rudimentary at first, they reveal how much consideration goes into the movement and expression of characters right from the start, including the character subtly moving a teacup in the example above. 

"This scene in the movie was stunning and the subtlety was so dope. Great work," one X user comments in reply to a clip from Puss in Boots 2, while another encouragingly adds, "How does it feel to know that you COOKED?" 

Indeed, glimpses of early animations are always fascinating – we've seen plenty of examples from Disney over the years. Although, as is the case with the original PlayStation logo when viewed from behind, they can appear a little cursed. 

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

TOPICS
Daniel John
Design Editor

Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles. He has interviewed leaders and designers at brands including Apple, Microsoft and Adobe. Daniel's debut book of short stories and poems was published in 2018, and his comedy newsletter is a Substack Bestseller.