Warning: This video contains massive spoilers for The Shape of Water. See the film before watching these clips, it’s worth it!
Guillermo del Toro‘s latest film, The Shape of Water, is the rare monster movie that is simultaneously a critical hit and an awards contender ahead of the Oscar nominations. And if del Toro and his team are fortunate enough to be nominated by the Academy and win, then it will be greatly deserved. This “adult fairy tale” made us believe in the unlikely relationship between an ordinary woman and an amphibian man. Although del Toro is known to favor practical effects, a new visual effects breakdown video demonstrates how CGI helped bring the director’s vision to life.
Via Laughing Squid, this reel was posted by the VFX production studio known as Mr. X. It’s essentially an Oscar reel, and it’s fascinating to see the subtle ways that CGI was used to recreate the Cold War time period or even the movement of water as Sally Hawkins‘ Elisa Esposito puts her fingers on a window.
Perhaps the video’s biggest selling point is the extended look at Doug Jones‘ Amphibian Man. The video illustrates how the animators were able to enhance Jones’ performance with animated facial expressions and layers of skin to complete the illusion. There’s even a sequence that revisits the way that the creature’s bio-luminescence was achieved.
What do you think about the VFX breakdown of The Shape of Water? Swim to the comment section below and tell us what you’re thinking!
Images: Mr. X/Fox Searchlight
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