It was important to understand the Kenyan landscapes and how they inspired the original animated film. A scout across the country’s many ecosystems and habitats was personally transformational, with an almost overwhelming intensity and beauty. This helped me represent Kenya in both scope and in tiny details. James Chinlund’s production design created brilliant compositions via a new production-design phase based in VR. Having a director in Jon Favreau, who wanted new techniques and a natural aesthetic, gave us licence to push our world building to new levels. I was fortunate to lead a team of incredible artists.