Creating Stereoscopic 3D Images

Extra Credit - CTN animation eXpo

Bonus Points: Lighting a Scene in Maya

Non-Lit

One-Point Lighting

Two-Point Lighting

Three-Point Lighting

Building a Scene in Maya

Special Effects in Animation and Live-Action

My first two term paper scores were both above 80; I will not be writing a third term paper.

Outline for the Third Term Paper

Films of Choice - Wizard of Oz, Hercules

Special Effect - Tornadoes -> The tornado in The Wizard of Oz and the wind titan in Disney’s Hercules

Thesis - In the world of film, one can find intriguing depictions of tornados in The Wizard of Oz and Disney’s Hercules.

Body Paragraphs -

The Wizard of Oz (Film 1) -  Special effects for a tornado are used in the first act of The Wizard of Oz.

→ Analysis 1: After testing several materials and seeing which resembled a tornado most, it was decided that a 35-foot long muslin sock connected to a steel gantry would be most visually suitable. A combination of dirt, wind, and air compressors were used to shape the appearance of the tornado sock while a miniature car was off-screen moving the contraption forward. A recording of the tornado sock was projected onto a translucent screen on the back of the Kansas set behind the three-foot tall miniatures of Dorothy’s house, barn, fence, and crops. Additionally, several machines and stagehands launched wind and debris across the Kansas set to help make the tornado appear more realistic.

→ Analysis 2: Thematically, the tornado is the one force that can cause Dorothy the most physical harm in the real-world of Kansas. This contrasts with the many extravagant forces of nature that Dorothy faces a few minutes later in the dreamworld Land of Oz. Thus, it is suitable to conclude that the special effects for the tornado in The Wizard of Oz are meant to feel as close to a real-world tornado as possible: much focus and attention to detail, from the leaves that are launched by the stagehands offstage to the cloth material used to make the tornado itself.

→ Analysis 3: Without a doubt, the tornado seen in The Wizard of Oz feels extremely realistic, especially compared to the special effects used for tornados in Hollywood movies today (such as the underwhelming tornado effects seen in Twister). One can compare the movement and general atmosphere of the tornado in The Wizard of Oz to that of actual tornado recordings (viewable on YouTube and other sources) and see the uncanny resemblance. The fact that no green screens nor CGI was used for The Wizard of Oz’s tornado helps make it clear that practical special effects have a level of realism that can continue to stand the test of time.

Disney’s Hercules (Film 2) - Special effects for a tornado are used for the appearances of the wind titan (named “Stratos”) in Disney’s Hercules

→ Analysis 1: The design for the wind titan was based on concept art drawn by British cartoonist - and production designer of the film - Gerald Scarfe, and thus fits his very exaggerated, quirky art style. The titans in this movie are based off of elements (generalizations of elements - earth, fire, wind, etc), so having a wind titan characterized as a giant being with a tornado body and tornado arms makes sense and looks very visually captivating. Additionally, the titans in the movie are violent, beastly predecessors to the Greek gods and ruled the earth before Zeus banished them to a sealed prison in the depths of the Earth; so one can conclude that the lack of human-like body parts on the wind titan reflects the wind titan’s lack of humanity.

→ Analysis 2: Several sequences in the film - drawn by professional 2-D animators with knowledge on the physics of animation - demonstrate the extraordinary power of the wind titan, such as a shot where he tears up several debris in a Grecian field and violently drags a terrified sheep along with him. One can see the pieces of debris (and the sheep) being accelerated around in a repeating elliptical motion during the shot. This is an accurate depiction of how powerful tornadoes can be. In another shot, Hercules grabs the wind titan by the base of his tornados, and uses him to scoop up the other Titans before they are all tossed into the stratosphere. Of course, this is not physically possible in the real world, since wind is not a solid object, but it is very possible in the world of Greek mythology. Furthermore, real tornados do not perpetually exist as a semi-immortal being with the capacity to speak and see, but this is acceptable for Greek mythology too.

→ Analysis 3: Within the fantastic universe of the film, the wind titan feels realistically at-home. In a world of gods, demons, and mythical creatures, a gigantic beast made out of sentient tornados does not feel too far-fetched. Short moments such as the sheep comically being dragged in close-up shot through the wind titan’s body makes the tornado feel like a reasonably powerful force of nature, so the tornado feels like one that fits snuggly in the universe of Greek mythology.

Conclusion -

• The tornado effects present in The Wizard of Oz and Disney’s Hercules are very well done and make sense within the confines of their respective story’s universe.
• When producing special effects for any storytelling medium, it is reasonable to make sure the effects enhance the story and make sense in the story, as shown by the effective (no pun intended) tornado effects of The Wizard of Oz and Disney’s Hercules: the former is extremely realistic while the latter is extremely exaggerated, but viewers accept both because the special effects make sense for their stories.

Science Fact or Cinematic Fiction

Sometimes, works of cinema may ignore certain aspects of physics. One aspect of physics that is sometimes ignored in the world of cinema is alpine climate. Alpine climate is the phenomenon of reaching such a high altitude on Earth - above the edge of the habitat at which trees stop growing - that mean temperatures can be no higher than 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Although the specifics of this phenomenon are not known by the general populace, it is nevertheless pretty well known that temperatures decrease with higher elevation. My Neighbor Totoro, Kung Fu Panda, and Big Hero 6 are three films from three different studios that all ignore the physics phenomenon known as alpine climate, but there is a reason that each film does so.

In My Neighbor Totoro, alpine climate is ignored when Satsuki and May are flying in the air with Totoro, since neither of them express any sense of cold despite being warmed with merely their pajamas. Although Totoro is explicitly stated to be a forest spirit in the lyrics of the movie’s ending song, nowhere in the film is he shown to have the powers of controlling alpine climate. His powers consist of summoning a giant cat bus, flying, making it rain harder if he hits the ground with enough pressure, and being invisible to adults. Although the fly segment seems to occur in a dream, the fact that Satsuki and May both dream it, the fact that the tree Totoro planted in the girls’ backyard within this sequence actually grows after the girls “wake up”, and the fact that Totoro is a real person - as shown by how he helps Satsuki find May when the latter gets lost during the film’s climax - leads to the logical conclusion that Totoro did actually fly the two girls into the air. Despite the climate discrepancy, one can justify this scene because most - if not all - of the Studio Ghibli films contain a flying scene, either to further the plot or develop the characters. Here, having Satsuki and May fly with Totoro establishes the sense of fantasy and wonder that the two girls feel in Totoro’s presence, since flight is not an ability that human beings normally experience, especially out in the open air without machinery. As with most - if not all - Ghibli flying scenes, the sky in My Neighbor Totoro is painted in a similar fashion, much like an artistic signature for the studio. Thus, My Neighbor Totoro can justify having two children fly in the air wearing pajamas without either of the children feeling extremely cold. My Neighbor Totoro ignores Alpine climate in order to provide a scene expected from the work of its studio, as well as to create an innocent atmosphere of fantasy and wonder fitting of the film’s universe.

Kung Fu Panda ignores alpine climate near the beginning of the film, when Po launches himself in the air with a chair that has fireworks attached to it. In this scene, Po does not express any sense of cold despite being over 11,800 feet in the air and only wearing pants. We know he is over 11,800 feet in the air because 11,800 feet is the approximate height at which trees stop growing in China, and no trees are visible when Po reaches the apex of his lift. However, this lack of response to an extreme change in temperature is consistent in the film. When Po’s entire body is scorched with flames during his first training sequence with Master Shifu and the Furious Five. After being burned, Po reacts as though he merely ran a few miles, which is an underreaction to receiving third degree burns. Master Shifu and the Furious Five’s deadpan reaction to this confirms that such a resilience to an extreme change in temperature is not unusual in their world of Kung Fu Panda. To justify the film’s deliberate ignorance of alpine climate - and ignorance to some comical changes of heat in-general - one must consider the Wile E Coyote/Roadrunner cartoons. There, the focus of any sequence where a character is comically lifted up high into the air is their reaction to the pain they will feel when the fall down and hit the ground. Taking alpine climate into account would take away from this comedic focus and make the end result of the character hitting the ground much less satisfying. Furthermore, seeing Po go through pain and humiliation at the beginning of the film adds more resonance to the audience when Po becomes the kung fu hero he always dreamed about at the end of the film. Conclusively, Kung Fu Panda ignores alpine climate for the sake of a comedic gag as well as for the sake of character development.

In the movie Big Hero 6, alpine climate is ignored in another scenario of flight. Specifically, whenever Hiro is flying in the air with Baymax, his calf/shin is uncovered, but he does not react to the chilling sensation that he should feel in San Fransokyo. San Fransokyo is likely located where the real world’s San Francisco is located considering how several San Francisco landmarks are present in San Fransokyo - such as the Golden Gate Bridge - while Tokyo landmarks are not present (Tokyo architecture and designs are nonetheless still present on San Fransokyo’s San Francisco landmarks. In-fact, The Art of Big Hero 6 establishes that San Fransokyo was formed by Japanese immigrants after a powerful earthquake devastated the area where the real world’s San Francisco is located). The alpine climate discrepancy shown when Hiro flies with Baymax is consistent with Hiro entering the void of another dimension to

rescue Abigail Callaghan. The dimension he travels in when this occurs looks like a fantasy rendition of outer space, complete with objects drifting around with very little gravity. In reality, outer space is 2.7 degrees Kelvin, which is only 2.7 degrees above absolute zero. The exposed portion of Hiro’s legs should have been very stiff in that temperature, but the fact that they were not - in addition to the fact that he went into the portal dimension without expressing any wariness of the freezing temperature - shows that this is most likely a regular aspect of physics in the world of Big Hero 6. Additionally, it is interesting to note that Hiro’s supersuit is not the only one with exposed skin: Honey Lemon’s fingers and the lower part of Wasabi’s head from the bottom of his nose to his neck are all exposed. The entire team also spends time flying relatively comfortably with Baymax, so it is likely that - in their world - alpine climate does not affect them the way it would in the real world. As with many decisions in filmmaking, this aspect of physics was likely ignored during Hiro and Baymax’s flight scenes for the sake of character design. A notable aspect of Hiro’s design is that he wears short pants that expose his calf/shin. Thus, his supersuit also exposes his calf/shin to maintain a silhouette that communicates the appearance of Hiro. Hiro’s older brother Tadashi similarly has some of his calf/shin exposed due to wearing short skinny jeans, which helps communicate that the two boys are brothers. Therefore, Big Hero 6 ignores alpine climate for the sake of aesthetic consistency, which helps make the film feel more unified overall in-regards to the appearance of its lead protagonist.

In the end, the phenomenon of alpine climate is oftentimes not followed in movies that depict fantasy flight, but the audience is willing to suspend their belief strongly enough that this can continue to happen over the course of multiple movies. Some movies, such as My Neighbor Totoro, may ignore alpine climate to induce a feeling of fantasy and wonder. Other movies, such as Kung Fu Panda, may do so for comedy and character development. Lastly, films like Big Hero 6 may ignore alpine climate for the sake of character design fluidity and appeal. The idea of flying - undeterred by climate and other natural forces - is a storytelling element that has existed for several centuries, so it is a storytelling trope that is here to stay.

Outline for the Second Term Paper

Films of Choice - My Neighbor Totoro, Kung Fu Panda, Big Hero 6

Physics not followed - Alpine climate: the phenomenon of reaching such a high altitude on Earth - above the edge of the habitat at which trees stop growing - that mean temperatures can be no higher than 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Thesis - My Neighbor Totoro, Kung Fu Panda, and Big Hero 6 are three films from three different studios that all ignore the physics phenomenon known as alpine climate.

Body Paragraphs -

My Neighbor Totoro (Film 1) -  When Satsuki and May are flying in the air with Totoro, neither of them express any sense of cold despite being warmed with merely their pajamas.

→ Analysis 1: Although Totoro is explicitly stated to be a forest spirit in the lyrics of the movie’s ending song, nowhere in the film is he shown to have the powers of controlling alpine climate. His powers consist of summoning a giant cat bus, flying, making it rain harder if he hits the ground with enough pressure, and being invisible to adults.

→ Analysis 2: Although the fly segment seems to occur in a dream, the fact that Satsuki and May both dream it, the fact that the tree Totoro planted in the girls’ backyard within this sequence actually grows after the girls “wake up”, and the fact that Totoro is a real person - as shown by how he helps Satsuki find May when the latter gets lost during the film’s climax - leads to the logical conclusion that Totoro did actually fly the two girls into the air.

→ Justification: Most - if not all - of the Studio Ghibli films contain a flying scene, even if the movie does not actually need one to further the plot or develop the characters. In virtually every case of a flying Ghibli scene, the sky is even painted the exact same way, much like an artistic signature for the studio. Thus, My Neighbor Totoro has two children fly in the air wearing pajamas without either of the children feeling extremely cold.

Kung Fu Panda (Film 2) - Near the beginning of the film, Po launches himself in the air with a chair that has fireworks attached to it, but he does not express any sense of cold despite being over 11,800 feet in the air and only wearing pants. We know he is over 11,800 feet in the air because 11,800 feet is the approximate height at which trees stop growing in China, and no trees are visible when Po reaches the apex of his lift.

→ Analysis 1: However, this lack of response to an extreme change in temperature is consistent in the film. When Po’s entire body is scorched with flames during his first training sequence with Master Shifu and the Furious Five, he acts as though he just ran a few miles. This is an underreaction to receiving third degree burns. Master Shifu and the Furious Five’s deadpan reaction to this confirm that such a resilience to an extreme change in temperature is not unusual in their world of Kung Fu Panda.

→ Analysis 2: Furthermore, we see another consistence lack of response to an extreme change in temperature near the film’s climax, when Tai Lung encases his fists in blue fire and beats his former master Shifu using those flaming fists. Neither of the characters respond with enough pain at being smothered with blue fire, which is at least 1500 degrees Celsius, hotter than red fire.

→ Justification: Much like in the Wile E Coyote/Roadrunner cartoons, the focus of any sequence where a character is comically lifted up high into the air is their reaction to the pain they will feel when the fall down and hit the ground. Taking alpine climate into account would take away from this comedic focus and make the end result of the character hitting the ground much less satisfying.

Big Hero 6 (Film 3) - Whenever Hiro is flying in the air with Baymax, his calf/shin is uncovered, but he does not react to the chilling sensation that he should feel in San Fransokyo, which is likely located where the real world’s San Francisco is located when one considers how several San Francisco landmarks are present in San Fransokyo while Tokyo landmarks are not present in San Fransokyo (although Tokyo architecture and designs are present on San Fransokyo’s San Francisco landmarks. In-fact, “The Art of Big Hero 6” establishes that San Fransokyo was formed by Japanese immigrants after a powerful earthquake devastated the area where the real world’s San Francisco is located).

→ Analysis 1: This is consistent with Hiro entering the void of another dimension to

rescue Abigail Callaghan. The dimension he travels in looks like a fantasy rendition of outer space, complete with objects drifting around with very little gravity. In reality, outer space is 2.7 degrees Kelvin, which is only 2.7 degrees above absolute zero. The exposed portion of Hiro’s legs should have been very stiff in that temperature, but the fact that they were not - in addition to the fact that he went into the portal dimension without expressing any wariness of the freezing temperature - shows that this is most likely a regular aspect of physics in the world of Big Hero 6.

→ Analysis 2: It is interesting to note that Hiro’s supersuit is not the only one with

exposed skin: Honey Lemon’s fingers and the lower part of Wasabi’s head from the bottom of his nose to his neck are all areas of exposed skin. They also spend time flying relatively comfortably with Baymax, so it is likely that - in their world - alpine climate does not affect them the way it would in the real world.

→ Justification: As with many decisions in filmmaking, this aspect of physics was likely ignored for the sake of character design. A notable aspect of Hiro’s design is that he wears short pants that expose his calf/shin. Thus, his supersuit also exposes his calf/shin to maintain a silhouette that communicates the appearance of Hiro. Hiro’s older brother Tadashi similarly has some of his calf/shin exposed due to wearing short skinny jeans, which helps communicate that the two boys are brothers.

Conclusion -

• The phenomenon of alpine climate is oftentimes not followed in movies that depict fantasy flight, but the audience is willing to suspend their belief strongly enough that this can continue to happen over the course of multiple movies.
• The idea of flying - undeterred by climate and other natural forces - is a storytelling element that has existed for several centuries, so it is a storytelling trope that is here to stay.

Reverse Video Reference

Stop Motion Animation of Falling

To make the above stop-motion coin drop video, I first had to record reference of am actual coin being dropped the height of my sketchbook. After that was done, I used the knowledge I gained from the previous modules to approximate the points that the coin would be on in each frame. I took into account such basics as the Odd Rule and Fourth Down at Halftime.  Then, all I needed to do was connect my footage together in Adobe Premiere. Below is the reference video I used for my project.

The Laws of Physics in An Animated Universe

The Laws of Physics in An Animated Universe - by Charlie Ly

The physics of a universe can help establish the tone and level of seriousness that its characters convey. In all films, the audience has certain expectations for what the physics of the world they are introduced to will be like. In the universes of animated films, it is expected that the characters the audience is introduced to will not live in a reality with physics like our own. Kung Fu Panda is a 2008 computer-animated film that emphasizes its unique physics throughout the entirety of its story, and - in doing so - emphasizes its characters and themes. The universe of Kung Fu Panda runs on physics that - although similar to the physics of reality - evidently runs with different laws/levels of force, bounce, and heat resistance.

One way in-which the Kung Fu Panda universe’s physics differs from our own is how the physics of force (mass x acceleration, specifically) is generally more powerful than it is in the real world. This is evident by how, in the beginning of the film, roughly 15 fireworks rockets attached to a chair provide enough thrust to propel Po several yards into the air. In our universe, Po the Panda would weigh about 250 pounds. As shown in the MythBusters episode “Ming Dynasty Astronaut”, small rockets attached to a chair - without a 250 pound panda - cannot generate enough thrust (force) to achieve liftoff. Later, at the end of the movie, Po uses an advanced kung fu technique on Tai Lung. The kung fu technique - called the “Wuxi Finger Hold” - involves clutching the opponent’s finger in such a way that the attacker’s flexing of a single finger - in their own hand - can brutally hurt the opponent’s whole body. After Po successfully uses this technique on Tai Lung, the force of impact is so great that a large gust of wind sweeps across the entire Valley of Peace. Keep in mind that the Li River Valley - the real-world inspiration for the Valley of Peace - stretches 52 miles, so the Valley of Peace would be roughly the same size, and Po would have to generate ludicrous amounts of force to create a gust of wind that massive. Clearly, the laws of force in the universe of Kung Fu Panda are far more powerful than what we humans are accustomed to in real-life, and this helps the film’s focus on kung fu, which is evidently more strong and effective in Kung Fu Panda than in the real world. That is why the audience can understand Po’s obsession with kung fu - in his world, kung fu really is as awesomely powerful as he makes it out to be.

However, it is important to note that the impressive physics of force in Kung Fu Panda is not completely consistent within the context of the film. The stronger strength of force in the Kung Fu Panda universe - in-comparison to our own - is contradicted by the fact that Po does not sustain any visible injuries nor feel any substantial pain upon falling down from his fireworks rocket liftoff. The force of impact that Po feels upon hitting the hard stone floor of the Jade Palace fighting grounds should have greatly damaged his body. At the very least, considering that he is a massive 250 pound panda with lots of air resistence to match, the impact should have broken some of his bones. This inconsistency helps to serve as a reminder to the film-watching audience that Kung Fu Panda is a work of fiction, and not all of its laws of physics are as consistent as the ones we live with.

Regardless of the slight inconsistencies in physics, something that the Kung Fu Panda universe establishes very firmly is how the animals of their world have the bounce properties of a rubber ball - Po himself is a bouncy panda that seems to bounce through lots of physical punishment. We can see this in the middle of the movie when, after failing a fighting test from Master Shifu, Po is kicked out of the Jade Palace and literally bounces down the stairs. Po’s friend Mantis even makes a joking aside that Po will not stop bouncing. This establishes that - in the world of Kung Fu Panda - the phenomenon of bouncing down a large flight of stairs is not physically improbable. Even in the film’s climactic final battle, both Po and Tai Lung bounce like rubber balls down the Valley of Peace. The phenomenon of bouncy, rubbery animals makes the Kung Fu Panda world unique, and helps to establish its heavy emphasis on comedy.

One other unique aspect of Kung Fu Panda’s physics is how  the animals of Kung Fu Panda are resilient to extremely high changes in temperature. Shortly after Po is chosen as the “Dragon Warrior” by Master Oogway, Master Shifu attempts to scare Po out of the Jade Palace by putting him through tortuous training exercises. In this training exercise, Po receives third degree burns due to a delayed reaction on what can be described as a stack of automated mini-flamethrowers positioned upwards. Despite being burned to the point that his face and body are striped black with ashes, Po is still capable of slow, controlled movements. His eyeballs manage to avoid any of the damage that the rest of his face received from the flames, and Po generally acts as though he is exhausted from running three miles rather than as though he was brutally burned by very active fires. Furthermore, the Furious Five and Master Shifu have deadpan reactions to this display, confirming that this level of resistance to extremely high changes in temperature is nothing unusual in their world. By establishing that the denizens of its world - namely Po the Panda - are resistant to heat, Kung Fu Panda emphasizes its theme of perseverance (specifically, perseverance of the underdog), and not giving up even in light of being burned by scorching hot fire.

Additionally, In Shifu’s final fight of the film, he takes on his former student Tai Lung. In this fight, Tai Lung sets his fists on fire with blue flames - blue flames being at least 1500 degrees Celsius, hotter than red flames - and proceeds to use his fists to pummel his former master. Although Shifu - a flammable red panda - is physically hurt by this attack, he does not sustain the extremely high level of pain that burn victims in the real world would get when forcefully smothered with blue fire. Furthermore, Tai Lung - a flammable snow leopard - does not appear to sustain any injuries nor feel any of the pain that he would feel in the real world after encasing his fists in blue fire. By having Tai Lung encase his hands in flames, the audience is shown the anger and frustrations of a student who is literally burning himself with pride while his master must endure the pain and misery of seeing his former student - and son - become a monster. In this instance of establishing the high heat resistance of Tai Lung and Shifu, Kung Fu Panda once again emphasizes the theme of perseverance, but this time of a pupil's anger and his master's pain.

In-summary, Kung Fu Panda’s physics are similar enough to reality that it does not break the audience’s suspension of disbelief, but alas, there are obvious and very consistent differences between its physics compared to our own. It is these thematic liberties with physics that help establish the unique feel of Kung Fu Panda’s extravagant world, and it helps draw us in as viewers. By increasing the strength of force, we establish the central role that kung fu plays in Po’s life. Establishing that Kung Fu Panda’s characters are bouncy and soft makes it clear that we are in the comedic world of a lovable panda. Lastly, the high heat resistance of Kung Fu Panda’s characters fits in with the theme of persevering under heated pressure, just as Po does throughout the movie by saving the day when everyone doubted he could be his valley’s hero. It is with dedicated commitment that the filmmakers behind this movie felt it necessary to have the world they created function in the way that it does, to draw us in with its characters and story. Clearly, Kung Fu Panda’s physics was not made different for the sake of being different - nor for being a work of animation - but in-order to better tell its story and themes, so that the viewer takes from the film a lesson befitting of a world that emphasizes kung fu fighting, comedy, and perseverance.

Outline of the First Term Paper

Film of Choice - Kung Fu Panda

Thesis - The universe of Kung Fu Panda runs on physics that - although similar to the physics of reality - runs with different laws/levels of force, bounce, and heat resistance.

Body Paragraphs -

Hypothesis 1 -  In the world of Kung Fu Panda, the physics of force (mass x acceleration) is generally more powerful than it is in the real world

→ Evidence 1: In the Kung Fu Panda universe, roughly 15 fireworks rockets attached to a chair provide enough thrust to propel Po several yards into the air. In our universe, Po the Panda would weigh about 250 pounds. Furthermore, as shown in the MythBusters episode “Ming Dynasty Astronaut”, small rockets attached to a chair - without a 250 pound panda - cannot generate enough thrust (force) to achieve liftoff.

→ Evidence 2: At the end of the movie, Po uses an advanced kung fu technique on Tai Lung. The kung fu technique - called the “Wuxi Finger Hold” - involves clutching the opponent’s finger in one-hand in such a way that the attacker’s flexing of a single finger in their own own hand can brutally hurt the opponent’s whole body. After Po successfully uses this technique on Tai Lung, the force of impact is so great that a large gust of wind sweeps across the entire Valley of Peace. No kung fu technique can create a gust of wind that powerful.

→ Counter-evidence: However, the impressive physics of force in Kung Fu Panda is contradicted by the fact that Po does not sustain any visible injuries nor feel any substantial pain upon falling down from his fireworks rocket liftoff. The force of impact that Po feels upon hitting the hard stone floor of the Jade Palace fighting grounds should have - at the very least - broken some of his bones.

Hypothesis 2 - The animals of Kung Fu Panda have the bounce properties of a rubber ball

→ Evidence 1: After failing a fighting test from Master Shifu, Po is kicked

out of the Jade Palace and literally bounces down the stairs. Po’s friend Mantis even makes a joking aside that Po will not stop bouncing. This establishes that - in the world of Kung Fu Panda - the phenomenon of bouncing down a large flight of stairs is not physically improbable.

→ Evidence 2: In the film’s climactic final battle, both Po and Tai Lung bounce like

rubber balls down the Valley of Peace

Hypothesis 3 - The animals of Kung Fu Panda are resilient to extremely high changes in temperature.

→ Evidence 1: Shortly after Po is chosen as the “Dragon Warrior” by Master Oogway,

Master Shifu attempts to scare Po out of the Jade Palace by putting him through tortuous training exercises. In this training exercise, Po receives third degree burns due to a delayed reaction on what can be described as a stack of automated mini-flamethrowers positioned upwards. Despite being burned to the point that his face and body are striped black with ashes, Po is still capable of slow, controlled movements. His eyeballs manage to avoid any of the damage that the rest of his face received from the flames, and Po generally acts as though he is exhausted from running three miles rather than as though he was brutally burned by very active fires. Furthermore, the Furious Five and Master Shifu have deadpan reactions to this display, confirming that this level of resistance to extremely high changes in temperature is nothing unusual in their world.

→ Evidence 2: In Shifu’s final fight of the film, he takes on his former student Tai Lung.

In this fight, Tai Lung sets his fists on fire with blue flames - blue flames being

significantly hotter than red flames - and proceeds to use his fists to pummel his former master. Although Shifu - a flammable red panda - is physically hurt by this attack, he does not sustain the extremely high level of pain that burn victims in the real world would get when forcefully smothered with blue fire. Furthermore, Tai Lung - a flammable snow leopard - does not appear to sustain any injuries nor feel any of the pain that he would feel in the real world after encasing his fists in blue fire.

Conclusion -

• Although Kung Fu Panda’s physics are similar enough to reality that it does not break the audience’s suspension of disbelief, there are differences between its physics compared to our own.
• These differences work well for a universe that emphasizes kung fu fighting, perseverance, and comedy.

Video Analysis of Path of Action