3D World takes a look at the creative choices guiding Disney Animation in bringing Raya And The Last Dragon to the screen

Raya and her companion Tuk Tuk look to adventure on the horizon; the light almost becomes a character in the film’s visual design

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antasy and reality are often never really far apart; one informs and inspires the other, and in the cultures of South East Asia the tradition of dragons is rich, wide and deep. Indeed, dragons have a longstanding place in movies and, in part, that’s surely because it’s a beast with such visual potential. Tapping into that visual possibility is the new movie from Disney Animation, Raya And The Last Dragon. It’s the studio’s 59th animated feature and it takes various points of inspiration and influences from the images of South East Asia in the creation of a brandnew fantasy adventure.

3D World had an opportunity to get more of an insight into how the breath of animated life brought a fictional world of beasts and humans to life on the screen.

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aya And The Last Dragon is set in the fantasy world of Kumandra where, long ago, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. But when an evil force threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, that same evil has returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the legendary last dragon to restore the fractured land and unite its divided people.

“Everything’s been taken away from Raya,” explains producer Osnat Shurer. “She’s totally on her own. She’s got nothing left save for her father’s sword, her friend Tuk Tuk, and a shard of something that might be magical. And she sets out into Kumandra seeking the last dragon, Sisu, with the hope of restoring peace to her land.” This dramatic starting point allows for Raya’s story to unfold as a hero’s journey, and her character design serves to echo her developing heroic stature.