The Setting

on theIts a road movie of sorts, so the setting is integral to the story, says director Chris Buck.
One of my first mentors was a man named Eric Larson, whos one of Walt Disneys Nine Old
Men. Eric always said, We dont have to create a real world, but we do have to create a
believable world. So while our setting isnt meant to replicate Norwaywe wanted to pay
tribute to it and yet make it our ownit will feel familiar to audiences and ground our
characters in a place that makes sense.

When art director Mike Giaimo began his work on the film, his initial explorations included a lot
of research in books dedicated to Scandinavian countries and cultures, and even a trip to
Solvang, Calif. At that early stage of his process, hed identify imagery he liked without
considering the specific locales. But after the trip to Solvang, Giaimo decided it was time to zero
in on an area. Embracing a culture or place as a starting point often ensures a certain
truthfulness to the end result, he says. When I started reviewing all the visuals that appealed
to me, it was very interesting, because 80 percent of them were Norway visuals.

We wanted to create an intimate world with an enchanting and dynamic setting that would be
immediately identifiable for generations to come, Giaimo continues. Norway offered a
cultural backdrop wed never explored before and we thought, Wouldnt it be great to blend
its dramatic natural environment, architecture and folk costume aesthetic? It feels like a world
from a classic Disney film, but its completely new.

Giaimo and his team traveled to Norway to soak up the atmosphere, check out the
architecture, research the local culture and mythologies, and garner inspiration from the
environment for their fictional kingdom of Arendelle. Via cars, trains and boats, they visited
fortresses, castles, shops, museums, cathedrals, fjords and glaciers. To gain insight for
Arendelles castle, the team visited Oslos medieval Akershus Castle, and the city of
Trondheims Stiftsgrden Royal Palace, one of the largest wooden buildings in Scandinavia.
Artists took boat tours in the Geirangerfjord and Sognefjord, which at 205 kilometers, is the
longest fjord in Norway (and third longest in the world). Fjords are a well-known spectacle of
the Norwegian landscape. In fact, the Geirangerfjord and the Nryfjord are UNESCO World
Heritage list. With a clear picture in mind of what the film would look like, filmmakers began
exploring ways to make it happen. And one of the key tasks at hand was making it snow.
 PROJECT
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ENGLISH
SUBMITTED BY: JOANNA MARIE MANDEOYA
GRADE VI-GEMINI

SUBMITTED TO:MR.SONNY BOY ARAGON