DreamWorks animation exhibit kicks off in Rio de Janeiro

The world of animation is coming to Rio de Janeiro with an exhibition from one of the leading animation studios, DreamWorks , responsible for creating films such as “Kung Fu Panda,” “Madagascar” and “Shrek.”

The Bank of Brazil Cultural Center (CCBB) in Rio will host the exhibition, the result of the collaboration between DreamWorks Animation and the Australian Center for the Moving Image (ACMI), until April 15 as part of its world tour.

“This unique exhibition offers a first time exploration of the studio’s collaborative and visionary approach to animation, art, technology and storytelling,” ACMI says on its Web site.

The exhibition aims to demonstrate how the creative process of animation works, from inspiration and the first sketches to the final product, which in this case results in films such as “The Croods,” “How to Train Your Dragon,” “Trolls,” “Home” and “Bee Movie,” among many others.

ACMI director Paul Bowers told EFE that the exhibition is “a unique opportunity” to discover what happens behind the scenes in the making of high-profile and popular animated films such as those produced by DreamWorks.

He pointed out that the exhibit has the benefit of being aimed at all kinds of audiences, from children to adults: “There’s something for everyone.”

More than 400 items from the studio’s archives, including scale models, original drawings, illustrations, photographs, murals, fragments of films and even an interview with famous composer Hans Zimmer, the composer of several soundtracks for the studio’s films, introduce viewers to the inner workings of this fantasy factory.

Brazil is the eighth country to host the exhibit, Bowers said.

“Thanks to the collaboration with CCBB we were able to come to Rio, which is ... a city with energy and creativity where people are willing to have cultural experiences,” he said.

The exhibition is divided into four parts. The first shows how characters are created, the second walks visitors through the story montage process, followed by the story setting and last, but not least, visitors can design their own animations, thanks to interactive drawing screens.