Cutting-edge technology can be a double-edged sword. So discovered Galyn Susman, supervising technical director of Toy Story 2, the Disney/Pixar movie that hits screens this Thanksgiving. Susman's challenge was to take advantage of the latest CGI tools while remaining true to the look of the 1995 original. "When we first saw Woody standing next to new characters made with the latest shading technology," she recalls, "we said, 'Ouch!'"
The upgraded Woody, cowgirl Jessie, and their fellow characters boast realistic expressions (or at least as realistic as toys can be) and sharply detailed textures. You can see the weave of Woody's jeans as the denim curves around his leg, Susman notes. "Now," she adds, "the characters look even more interesting up close than they do from far away."
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