AnimationWorld Magazine — October 4, 2017
Lights, Camera, Action: The Cinematography of ‘My Little Pony: The Movie’
In theaters this Friday, My Little Pony: The Movie is the animated musical fantasy film MLP fans from all around the world have been waiting for. Based on the television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, which was developed as part of the 2010 re-launch of the My Little Pony franchise by Hasbro, the film is directed by Jayson Thiessen and based on a story and screenplay co-written by Meghan McCarthy, both Friendship Is Magic veterans.
My Little Pony: The Movie follows the “Mane 6” — Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity — as they embark on an epic journey to save Ponyville from a dark force. In addition to the series’ regular voice cast of Tara Strong, Ashleigh Ball, Andrea Libman, Tabitha St. Germain and Cathy Weseluck, the film also features guest performances by Emily Blunt, Kristin Chenoweth, Liev Schreiber, Michael Peña, Sia, Taye Diggs, Uzo Aduba and Zoe Saldana.
Brought to life using hybrid 2D/3D pipeline employing Toon Boom Harmony and Autodesk Maya, My Little Pony: The Movie is produced by Allspark Pictures and DHX Media. It premiered in New York City on September 24, and arrives in the United States and Canada on October 6 from Lionsgate.
DP, animator and previsualization artist Anthony Di Ninno recently served as the cinematographer on My Little Pony: The Movie. He has uplifted a plethora of award-winning projects, including Life of Pi, which took home the Oscar for Best Achievement in Visual Effects in 2013, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which received a nomination in the same category the previous year. Di Ninno is currently working on his 23rd feature film, The Ark and the Aardvark, as the cinematographer.