From the moment you saw that first teaser with the wind-up toy fish flying across the highway, you were probably intrigued by Rango – the smash animated film starring Johnny Depp as its titular hero. Released on March 4, 2011, Rango has been a terrific success. In fact, it’s the highest-grossing film of 2011 worldwide so far!

A large part of the film’s success is the artistry behind it. George Lucas’ famed Industrial Light & Magic took the helm for the movie’s animation, with a result that Roger Ebert described as “respects the tradition of painstakingly drawn animated classics, and does interesting things with space and perspective with its wild action sequences.” There is no doubt that Rango has a visual style all its own and Pixologic was thrilled to be able to speak with the art team behind the movie to learn how it came about.

Here is the interview that gives you a special look into the artistry of Rango. Enjoy!

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