SNOW WHITE PRODUCTION
visual language of the movie and test the best options of how to technically represent that.” Sasaki put together some classic anamorphic Primo lenses, which were “adapted to be sharp but to make the skin tones smooth and the imagery glow,” Walker describes. “We chose anamorphic because it evoked the fairytale-like, illustrative image with the edges slightly dropping off – something we enhanced with subtle vignettes that centre your eye on the action and have a sense of a frame.” Sasaki expanded the lenses to fit the ARRI LF’s sensor size to ‘take advantage of their characteristics’. In order to amplify the contrast between Snow White and the Queen, Walker focused on camera movement, making it ‘dance with the characters’ in musical scenes; the Queen’s coverage was ‘more symmetrical, classical and austere’. Walker adds that ‘the lighting is more dramatic’ in the Queen’s scenes, while soft light illuminates Snow White and the enchanted forest. A key challenge in bringing any animated tale to life is in handling the visual effects. There are singing animals, a mirror that moves and speaks, spontaneous smoke and lightning, plus seven partially computer-generated dwarfs. For Walker, who likes to ‘create the effects organically, in camera, as much as possible’, VFX was an essential part of the gig. “I am so lucky that before I even started, the team informed me how the process of creating the CG characters and animals would involve me and my
WE CHOSE ANAMORPHIC AS IT evoked the fairytale-like, illustrative image WITH THE EDGES SLIGHTLY DROPPING OFF”
work,” she enthuses. “I was involved from that time on, all the way through post, as I was consulting on the lighting of the CG environments and characters.” To make everyone’s job a little easier, the crew used puppets as stand-ins for the CG animals and motion capture on the actors who played the seven dwarfs. By doing so, this created ‘physical lighting references’ as well as a more seamless post-production process. “My favourite scenes were the musical numbers in the cottage,” Walker admits. “It was challenging to work in a small environment and stay cognisant of seamlessly combining live-action and CG characters. It was fun and extensive, but it was also enlightening: a new world that involved my input both artistically and technically.” GREAT EXPECTATIONS In 1937, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs made history as Walt Disney Animation
Studios’ first feature-length animated film – and the first to be released in the US. It held the record for the highest-grossing animated film for 55 years; if adjusted for inflation, Snow White still carries that title. Given its long and mighty legacy, a remake comes with a certain responsibility – to preserve what made the original so successful while ensuring the story evolves with the times. Going into the project, Walker was all too aware of this. “The main challenge for me was to be true to the timeless originality of Disney’s first princess and her eponymous film, but with a reimagining that only enhances the beauty and emotionality,” she says. “I was consciously paying tribute to the animated classic but embodying it in a modern way through camera and lighting.” For anyone who adores the original, Walker hopes her work delivers. Snow White will be released in cinemas on 21 March
BITE OF THE APPLE VFX and practical lighting are combined to ensure CG elements feel part of the same world
13
DEFINITIONMAGS
Powered by FlippingBook