The VFX breakdown of The Shape of Water is kind of amazing to look at. When you figure out that Guillermo Del Toro made this movie for far less than he usually does you might be thinking that there’s no way that he could have brought this in under budget. The details, the masterful way everything is so layered and well-rendered, and the fact that even the sets are pieced together through various methods and techniques that you don’t get to fully see in the movie is enough to make you think that the hours and hours spent on this movie must have cost an ungodly amount of money that would put the studio in very dire need of making sure that it would be a standout hit.
Thankfully the movie did great in its opening numbers but one can imagine that a lot of people tend to go to these movies because of Del Toro and his reputation for making dark and very interesting films. If that’s enough to get them into the theater however then so be it, since at least it parks them in their seats for long enough to get a glimpse at the movie. One thing is certain though, once people sat down to watch they were likely mesmerized by the film and it’s strange but very well done effects. A few movies now have used an amphibious character to either help push a movie forward or at least give it a worthy antagonist. The Creature from the Black Lagoon comes to mind, as does Abe Sapien from Hellboy. Doug Jones, the man in the suit for The Shape of Water, was also the actor in the suit in Hellboy, though David Hyde Pierce did the voice.
Watching how they layer the movie in such a way as to create one level and then another of effects that coincide and meld with one another is something else. The amount of work tha goes into each layer and then making sure that everything works together seems like a long and arduous process. I can just imagine that Del Toro and his people were working around the clock to get the movie done on time and to get everything in place where it would work to maximum efficiency so that the entire picture would feel and look seamless as possible. To think of how film makers devise and create entire, moving sets however and then make them work with the actual stage upon which a scene is taking place is hard to fathom but it does produce a great sense that the scene is very real and authentic.
I haven’t seen the movie yet but I’m planning to and hope to be blown away by the effects and by the story, which seems to be more of a discovery/love theme than anything but could be able to make for a pleasing time in the theater. Anything Del Toro has done seems bathed in shadows most times, but thankfully his messages usually come with a great deal of positive notes as well.
Follow Us
