Warner Animation Group
SmallFoot
For Smallfoot, Devin Crane served as Art Director and Character Designer, shaping the film’s environments, colour story and cast of yetis. Based on the book Yeti Tracks by Spanish animator Sergio Pablos, Smallfoot is the search for Bigfoot in reverse.
One of the film’s key visual challenges was its snow-covered setting and predominantly white palette. Devin used subtle shifts in value and colour, from creams and blues to violets, to create depth, define characters and support the film’s changing moods. The colour story helped differentiate the yeti and human worlds. The secluded yeti village was warm, soft and storybook-like, while the human world used brighter colours, neon lighting and harder materials.
Fur was a central part of the character design and a significant technical challenge. Devin approached the yetis as an animal species, using real animals such as wolves and bears as reference for their distinctive fur. Each character was given a unique groom, style and movement, designed to reflect their personality while keeping the tribe visually cohesive. With lead characters having millions of individual hairs, the fur also had to respond naturally to movement and wind, requiring extensive grooming and simulation work.
