SAN DIEGO — Thirteen-year-old Mei Lee is an overachieving teenager hiding a supersized secret. When Mei gets anxious, aggravated or angry, she turns into a giant red panda. And yes, panda-monium does ensue.
But for UC San Diego graduate Lyon Liew, Mei's giant red panda problem was nothing less than a massive opportunity.
Mei is the star of "Turning Red," a new Pixar Studios animated film debuting tomorrow on the Disney+ streaming platform. Liew is the film's lead technical director for simulation, which means he and his team were responsible for making clothes, hair, props and giant red panda fur move with realistic grace.
