THE OSCARWINNING RANGO
Crash Mccreery handled creature and production design work on the film
With a pet chameleon who decides to clean up a town ravaged by bandits, Rango is an animated Western and one of the most unusual Academy Award-winning films you’re likely to come across. Rango was conceptualised by director Gore Verbinski and James Ward Byrkit, with the character and production design handled by Crash Mccreery, who shares the same aesthetic tastes and sense of weirdness as the director.
“Rango is one of my favourite projects,” says Crash. “Gore had me production design that movie and what a challenge! Neither one of us had ever done an animated film before, so I was really flying by the seat of my pants. But Gore was so supportive and with a very small crew of very talented artists, we put together a pretty amazing film, I think.”
Rango, the chameleon, is so unusual and abstractlooking that at times they weren’t sure the film would even get made. But they stuck to the design and audiences loved him.
Crash continues: “ILM was so crucial in the success of the film. They were completely dedicated to it from the start and their work was incredible. We really dragged them through the ringer on that one. But they never complained and only ever showed complete enthusiasm at every turn. Everyone was so terrific. Gore has a great way of getting everyone on board with his vision. Must be the pirate in him.”