In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, animation supervisor Mike Venturini shared some insight into the character design behind Giulia, one of the main characters in the Oscar-nominated Pixar movie Luca from 2021!
In this Disney and Pixar animated film set on the Italian Riviera, sea monsters Luca and Alberto meet Giulia (who is voiced by Emma Berman) while they are disguised as humans. Giulia takes the boys under her wing, confidently leading the trio in an effort to train for the local bike racing contest. “She’s learned to stick up for herself and she’s kind of streetwise”, according to Mike Venturini, “but she’s also an outsider [and] a little bit of an outcast…She’s never really fit in with her community, which is what’s going to make her a great friend to Luca and Alberto, who are outsiders, too.”
As usual, Disney animators took their ideas about the chosen character’s personality and used that inspiration to add tangible differences in Giulia’s animation (just like they did with Raya and the Last Dragon character Sisu!). Luca and Alberto are designed and animated in a very round, soft way, but Guilia is noticeably angular. “She’s sharp-angled in her silhouette, which fits her sharp wit,” Venturini explained. “Guilia’s a bold personality, so in a lot of her posing she’s very chest-out, confident and kind of leaned-in. She’s got an angular nose and a bit of a sharper chin. All of those details add up to the strength of her personality.”
Like Bruno in Encanto, Giulia’s clothing was also meant to show audiences more about her situation. “Giulia wears her fisher cap and her pants are oversized because they’re hand-me-downs,” the animation supervisor said. “She comes from a humble upbringing, which fits her outsider personality.”
What did you think of Luca? Was Giulia your favorite character in this movie, and did you already notice that she is animated in a more angular style than her two sea monster friends?
