Set Shading on Toy Story 5
During my time as a Set Shading Technical Director Intern at Pixar Animation Studios, I had the opportunity to contribute to Toy Story 5 and experience the feature animation pipeline firsthand. This page breaks down the work I contributed to, from shading and surfacing assets to learning Pixar’s proprietary tools and workflows.
Props
During my time at Pixar, I worked on a variety of props while learning to navigate Pixar’s proprietary tools and production pipeline. The ballet slippers were my first assignment and served as an introduction to the studio’s workflow, giving me the opportunity to learn and adapt quickly.
As I became more comfortable with the pipeline, I was able to take on more responsibility. The laundry basket was the first prop I shaded independently, marking an important step in my growth throughout the internship.
Prop - Rocking Horse
I spent about two weeks shading this prop, which can be seen in Blaze’s room in the final film. It was one of the larger props I worked on and gave me the opportunity to develop several different materials, including leather, wood, metal, and plastic, each requiring a distinct shading approach to achieve their unique textures and physical properties.
Prop - Cowgirl Boots
I spent about two weeks shading the cowgirl boots, which presented several challenges that pushed me to explore different techniques and tools. The 3D model did not fully capture the worn, wrinkled appearance shown in the concept art, so I used displacement to sculpt in the folds and weathering needed to match the reference. To better understand how these details appear on a real boot, I brought in my own pair of cowgirl boots to study their materials, wrinkles, and wear patterns throughout the process.
I also had the opportunity to test another artist’s Houdini tool for procedurally generating stitches. Being one of the first artists to use the tool allowed me to learn more about Houdini while also helping test and refine a new tool within the pipeline. Together, these experiences helped me develop a more accurate and believable final look for the boots.
Additional Prop Breakdowns
