VOTD: 'Cinderella' VFX Breakdown Shows Off Incredible Landscapes & Digital Creatures

Even though a movie like Disney's live-action remake of Cinderella will get far more attention for its costume design (which earned the film an Oscar nomination) than its visual effects, that doesn't mean there wasn't still some impressive work done on the fairytale remake.

The visual effects company MPC has just unveiled a Cinderella visual effects reel, showing off the incredible, detailed landscapes that make up the kingdom at the center of the story as well as the digital animals and their transformation. It's even more impressive then you think.

Here's the Cinderella visual effects reel straight form MPC (via Laughing Squid):

The video page explains:

MPC's team lead by VFX supervisor Patrick Ledda worked closely with director Kenneth Branagh and production VFX supervisor Charley Henley, delivering more than 500 shots for the movie. Work ranged from creating creatures including a family of mice, lizards, geese and butterflies to human digi doubles, complex magical transformations and extensive environment work.

One thing that seems strange to me is that there were several establishing shots using real landscapes where almost the entire shot was replaced with digitally created trees, buildings and more. From my perspective, it would make more sense just to create the entire shot digitally, especially when you see just how much ends up getting replaced in the final shot. But then again, I'm not a visual effects artist, so there must be a good explanation as to why it's done that way. Either way, it doesn't make the work any less impressive.