Kate Swanborg, technology executive for DreamWorks Animation, said increased density was one of the key improvements generated by the availability of more technological power. “In ‘Madagascar 3,’ you’ll see a significant increase in the number of hand-animated characters on screen at the same time. It is an artistic and technological achievement to have so many animated characters on screen at once. More importantly, each character can express its own different looks and gestures — something that provides our audience with a richer and more rewarding story environment.”

Wilson laid out the improvements in mathematical terms. “In ‘Madagascar 1′we could only have about eight specialized characters in a frame at the same time. Now, through hardware and software advances, our filmmakers can have three times that.”