Pterano's color change

Pterano · **on:** July 10, 2011, 12:53:48 AM

OK... so this may have been done before, but I searched for it and didn't find anything, or at least not a topic devoted to it. What's up with the skin color change that Pterano goes through from day to night? Is it moonlight? A mistake? A different panel of animators working on that scene?

Sierra changes to a very dark blue, and Pterano changes to a lighter blue on his body and light green on his wings. Rinkus is essentially unchanged, just taking on a more darker pink, as pink would look in lower light conditions. I know that in the Jungle Book, Kaa has two different styled heads because it was a different set of animators working on him the second time around, but I doubt this is the case for the seventh film, as I don't think their studio was that big.

So yeah... his rust color wouldn't really look light blue and green in low light conditions, so what gives? I'm sure this answer will prove elusive, but just figured I'd start it anyway, just in case.

Allicloud · **Reply #1 on:** July 10, 2011, 05:32:31 PM

I'm guessing that this was just the studio's failsafe for nighttime scenes: I notice that they use it alot for Littlefoot in night shots. I doubt a colour scheme of cream and brown would change to cream and varying hues of turquoise in the darkness.
So, I'm guessing it's just the studio's different pallette. Being a relatively low-budget outsourced studio, who were apparently just starting with computer animation (or at least, hand drawn, then scanned, coloured and edited on computer), I guess it's to be expected.

Truth be told, I didn't notice it until you pointed it out. And me being an animation nut, that's something.

DarkHououmon · **Reply #2 on:** July 10, 2011, 07:52:43 PM

I noticed that as well. I wonder if the strange hue is actually a bit more accurate. At night, all colors essentially fade, so it's just black, white, and shades of gray. If, in LBT, the moonlight does emit a sort of bluish hue, it might make sense to give the characters a somewhat blue hue at night. But I could be wrong.

Pterano · **Reply #3 on:** July 10, 2011, 10:07:19 PM

Good point Allicloud. Littlefoot does have a bit of a different color scheme for night scenes. I mean yeah, you can see a picture of what I'm talking about in my profile picture for reference, but yeah, it's just so... weird. XD And yes, I doubt his brown and cream would really become those turquoise hues in the darkness, as you said.

Which brings us to DarkHououmon's speculation of moonlight. I was thinking that was one possibility myself, and the moon DOES seem to look rather blue in that scene when Pterano looks up at it, but at the same time, Rinkus doesn't really change much in coloration. His light pink basically becomes dark pink, but Sierra becomes dark blue, and Pterano becomes light green and light blue.

His crest remains pretty much the same, with only a minor color shift. So it's really hard to say for certain if the moon is having an effect or not. I think it's still possible, but difficult to prove I guess.

I also wonder if the studio had a high turnover rate of animators like many studios do. Often times, a different team is called in to work on different movies, such as at Pixar. Pixar will have about a third of their animators that are the "core group" and never go anywhere, working on every project that comes up, but the other two thirds are cycled through every so many movies, as they want people with different talents for the different types of movies. If the animators were pretty set for a number of the Land Before Time sequels, then they'd be easier to track down and possibly ask (provided they have contact info of some sort XD I've actually done this before, and most animators are more than willing to talk about their work). An easy way to find out would be watch the credits I suppose.

Bruton the Iguanodon · **Reply #4 on:** November 04, 2011, 01:06:48 AM

Sorry if it's off topic, but what's funny is when i first saw this toppic I thought it was about Pterano's "color change" from good to bad. It was a biit of a surprise to see you guys meant literally!

P.S. I love that color Sierra turns at night...beautiful dark blue, very mysterious for a villian. I hope he appears again someday and gets another night scene. One night scene and consequently one scene of being that color simply does not do him justice. (Pterano got 2, might I add...)

One question though: Isn't the "Very Important Creature" scene set at night? If so why do they all look the same as usual?

trulyfantasticme · **Reply #5 on:** January 18, 2012, 02:13:12 AM

I bet his color changes at night because of the moonlight. Did you notice that it was a full moon that Pterano was a full blue? I think its because Pterano's color only changes during a full moon.

Kinda like in the scary movies how a man would turn into a werewolf during a full moon. XD

Dr. Curzon · **Reply #6 on:** January 20, 2012, 11:10:20 PM

Quote from: Bruton the Iguanodon,Nov 4 2011 on 12:06 AM

One question though: Isn't the "Very Important Creature" scene set at night? If so why do they all look the same as usual?

I thought it was raining, that's why it was dark.

Bruton the Iguanodon · **Reply #7 on:** January 21, 2012, 12:09:50 AM

Whic brings about another question---is the scene where the lioplerudon attacks them in 9 set at night, or is it just raining?

And it also brings about the question---was it just a thunderstorm that the kids slept through in 7 , or when they waake up to find the green food is it a new day?

I've never thought about it that way, but I'm gonna actually just say they took a nap and the rest of the film covered the rest of the day of Ducky's kidnapping, seeing as after the stone explodes, when we see them riding back to the valley, it looks like dusk already.

Nonetheless, I think Pterano looks his "normal" color but Sierra looks better dark blue.

Bruton the Iguanodon · **Reply #8 on:** February 10, 2012, 08:12:08 PM

Quote

I thought it was raining, that's why it was dark.

But nonetheless, shoudn't they have turned their "night colors" for the scene? I mean, in LBT 9 when it's raining Mo turns his lovely blue night color.

Dr. Curzon · **Reply #9 on:** February 10, 2012, 11:26:17 PM

Can't be too sure, since, after all, it doesn't say what time of the day it is.

Bruton the Iguanodon · **Reply #10 on:** February 18, 2012, 04:38:52 AM

Do you mean in 9 or 7 in that ast post?

Because if it is just raining in 7 and a night did not pass, that shortens my original guess of 7's timeline from just over 3 days to just over 2. And someoe made such a big deal about 4 being covered in just 3 days in another topic? That's nothing compared 2 this! (Although movie 2 is a short enough time span to take both down)

Dr. Curzon · **Reply #11 on:** February 18, 2012, 09:04:46 AM

Okay... And I meant 9, if you're wondering.

Bruton the Iguanodon · **Reply #12 on:** February 18, 2012, 02:04:47 PM

Well wikipedia said it's at night, but you can'ttrust them <_<

Bruton the Iguanodon · **Reply #13 on:** March 27, 2012, 10:58:28 AM

But anyways I like I said I really like that blue color Sierra turns to and am disapointed he didn't get another night scene...even though it seems he did when they get to threehorn peak.

But I suppose it isn't night then, but still, you'd think he and Pterano would literally change colors.