PRODUCTION SNOW WHITE
THE MIRROR AND THE LIGHT Anamorphic lenses soften Snow White’s world, while the Queen’s close- ups sharpen every shadow
with a layer of warmth, and the dwarfs’ cottage glows with rich, golden light. “It changes when the emotion of the film does – when Snow White is threatened and handed the poison apple, the golden light disappears from the cottage and that world becomes sombre and cool,” Walker describes. LET IT GLOW Having previously shot the live-action Mulan , Walker knew a Disney adaptation should be handled with care by sticking close to the source material, while also introducing a smidge of novelty. “The visual language of this movie drew its inspiration from the original animated version,” she shares. “The artwork in that film is absolutely stunning. The colour palette and the painterly aspect of the backgrounds were what I kept in mind the whole time.” Walker also added her own touch, incorporating imagery ‘that evokes the beauty of natural landscapes with colour
and atmosphere’. To drive home that fairytale feeling, Walker explains: “The camera, VFX, production design, costume design and makeup departments would all meet to discuss elements of texture, colour and objects that shine, reflect and glow,” such as mirrors and jewels. “We were able to test all our ideas and combinations of elements from each department to ensure it worked in sync.”
Despite some thematic similarities, shooting Snow White was almost nothing like Mulan . “Animation was not as direct of an influence on the visual language,” claims Walker. “In Mulan , I found references in the colour palettes of Chinese art as well as the traditional textures and details of the landscape. We centred the story of Mulan’s journey in a dramatic way,” she continues, while Snow White’s saga is much more whimsical. FAIRYTALE ON FILM Along that line, Walker needed kit that would emphasise the film’s storybook setting and overall charm. “As always,” she begins, “early in pre-production, I went to visit the lens guru Dan Sasaki at Panavision LA to discuss how I saw the
THE colour palette and painterly aspect WERE WHAT I KEPT IN MIND”
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