"Spies in Disguise": the art of stealth and Sterling, Lance Sterling

Every great spy movie shares the same DNA: Intrigue. Secret Identities. Nefarious villains bent on revenge. Exotic international locales. Incredible cars and gadgets. High octane action sequences. And… pigeons??? In making SPIES IN DISGUISE, Blue Sky Studios set out to create not only a faithful homage to the legacy of traditional spy films, but also to introduce the genre to a whole new generation. The iconic design of our hero Lance Sterling was the lynchpin in defining not only the aesthetic of the film's world, but also the animation style, cinematography, lighting, stylized effects and motion graphics which brought that world to life in a tangible and textural way. When Lance is accidentally turned into a pigeon by one of Walter Beckett's unfinished experiments, Lance is forced to try to save the world as a bird. Scenes such as a pigeon-led high speed car chase through the streets of Washington, D.C., a nail-biting aerial dogfight through the iconic canals of Venice, or the climactic battle between thousands of killer drones and our heroes using their wits and Walter's do-no-harm gadgets - the high stakes and inventive action in SPIES IN DISGUISE provided many unique challenges to the artists and technicians at Blue Sky. Join the creative team as they discuss the enormous challenges and massive collaboration in making this exciting, stylish globetrotting film about spies and the pigeons who loved them.