Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In this SHORT TALKS episode, director and animator Daniel Cordero breaks down the most technically ambitious shot in EVERYBODY LOVES SALSA! a sequence that pushed the film into fully hybrid territory.
As the project grew more complex and the camera movements more extreme, incorporating 3D elements became a necessity rather than a stylistic choice. When certain objects needed weight, solidity, or precision, Daniel turned to 3D modeling, while carefully stripping away realism so those elements could live seamlessly alongside the film’s hand-drawn animation.
To unify the look, all 3D assets were flattened, recolored, and filtered through the film’s vivid palette, allowing them to blend naturally with the 2D and handcrafted elements. This approach opened the door to using more 3D throughout the film, with assets created in Blender and Cinema 4D as the production evolved.
Inspired by the unsettling, first-person camera movements in Sam Raimi’s Army of Darkness, the concept expanded into a bold, continuous move: starting far outside a building, sweeping through a bustling office, and ending inside a computer screen. The iconic Torre de Cali, the tallest building in Cali, Colombia, was fully modeled for the shot.
Given the complexity, Daniel brought in collaborators:
Jose Lun handled the 3D camera movement and animated four of the office characters
Manuel Casares designed and animated four additional characters (including the one throwing the “donut”)
Luis Mejía modeled the 3D environment , from the skyscraper and furniture to cables, screens, and pipes
Fun fact: the “flying donut” is actually a pandebono, a traditional (and delicious) bread from Cali.
This breakdown offers a rare look at how hybrid animation techniques, collaboration, and ambition came together to create one of the film’s most memorable moments.
In this SHORT TALKS episode, director and animator Daniel Cordero breaks down the most technically ambitious shot in EVERYBODY LOVES SALSA! a sequence that pushed the film into fully hybrid territory.
As the project grew more complex and the camera movements more extreme, incorporating 3D elements became a necessity rather than a stylistic choice. When certain objects needed weight, solidity, or precision, Daniel turned to 3D modeling, while carefully stripping away realism so those elements could live seamlessly alongside the film’s hand-drawn animation.
To unify the look, all 3D assets were flattened, recolored, and filtered through the film’s vivid palette, allowing them to blend naturally with the 2D and handcrafted elements. This approach opened the door to using more 3D throughout the film, with assets created in Blender and Cinema 4D as the production evolved.
Inspired by the unsettling, first-person camera movements in Sam Raimi’s Army of Darkness, the concept expanded into a bold, continuous move: starting far outside a building, sweeping through a bustling office, and ending inside a computer screen. The iconic Torre de Cali, the tallest building in Cali, Colombia, was fully modeled for the shot.
Given the complexity, Daniel brought in collaborators:
Jose Lun handled the 3D camera movement and animated four of the office characters
Manuel Casares designed and animated four additional characters (including the one throwing the “donut”)
Luis Mejía modeled the 3D environment , from the skyscraper and furniture to cables, screens, and pipes
Fun fact: the “flying donut” is actually a pandebono, a traditional (and delicious) bread from Cali.
This breakdown offers a rare look at how hybrid animation techniques, collaboration, and ambition came together to create one of the film’s most memorable moments.
