Modelling, Set-up, Set dressing

During this stage, based on the directions provided by the designers, the elements which make up the film are created using computer graphics. Different models of the characters' faces are created, one for each individual facial expression so that a "portfolio" of poses can be made up for rendering all the emotions that the virtual "actor" will have to communicate. A structure of deformers is set, which will be used as a skeleton for each character's movements and the controls which will allow the animators to manage them are built (set-up).

The elements and lights are then staged. The set is ready to start the animation.