Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight by Dreamworks is now available on Netflix! Our teams at Mikros Animation are proud to be able to present their work to the world. We sat down with Srikanth Pathuri, Animation Artist, part of the episodic team at Mikros Animation Bangalore who crafted this series. He talks about his career and experience working on the show:

Can you tell us about your journey in the animation industry? 

I was autodidactic (self- educated) because I am Deaf. About 16 years ago, I started my career in DQ Entertainment, Hyderabad. I was there for 13 years as a senior 2D & 3D Animator on a project named “Popples”. I joined another studio for a short while before I moved to Mikros Animation. It’s now been one and a half years since I joined and Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight is my first project here.  Our team leader Mr. Binu K T has given me a lot of support to reach my best in the output and work I do.

Kung Fu Panda is a franchise that is already well known to the teams of Mikros Animation Bangalore, what was your reaction when you learnt you’ll collaborate on this new series?

I was extremely excited when I heard about it and I feel blessed to work on the Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight project. I hope this will keep growing towards new series and I’ve already learnt a lot while working on this project. 

How have you found your experience working on this franchise?

I had a great experience working on this franchise. It was a lot of fun because the shots are very dynamic and cool. I really enjoyed the characters and the acting in the storyline. Working from home was tough because communicating ideas proved to be a challenge. I started coming to the studio as soon as the pandemic allowed, which made it a lot easier for me to deliver my shots.

What were the main artistic and/or technical challenges you had to overcome in your department?

The main aspect of the work in our department is getting the style and performance of the characters right. I wanted everyone to be mesmerized with the movie-like visuals and quality. This took some time, but is has been rewarding. Furthermore, the pipeline at Mikros Animation took some time to get used to, but I had some help from my teammates and now things are quite smooth.

Do you have a favorite sequence?

My favorite sequence is a fight sequence that’s later in the series on a pirate island. It was a tough sequence with a lot of complicated movements but it’s action packed and something kids will have fun watching over and over again!

What are you looking forward to most with the show airing now?

I’m looking forward to more! The story is excellent & I am incredibly invested in the vast crew of characters. I’m very excited to watch it with my family & friends. I think this show has something for everyone’s entertainment by the end.

Discover more of our team members by visiting the Talent Spotlights section our website.