In order to create the wicked (and wicked cool) looking glass that advised the Evil Queen Ravenna (Theron), the film’s visual effects crew had to create a shiny stand-in shaped like the liquid-esque mirror. The VFX team, lead by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, put a Red Epic camera in that prop, capturing Theron‘s performance while also giving her an acting partner. The golden ghost-like adviser was then created digitally in post-production.
“It was easy for Charlize in that she could see her own reflection in the mirror which contained a hidden camera so that her reflection was captured and used to match exactly what the mirror sees,” Nicolas-Troyan told Wired via email.
As for what the silky “Mirrorman” himself should look like, that came from director Rupert Sanders, Nicolas-Troyan says in the video above, from the bonus features in the film’s upcoming Blu-ray and DVD release.
To make it look just right Nicolas-Troyan oversaw a team – including London-based VFX house the Mill – that made the man in the mirror look as metallic-yet-silky as possible. Before even starting the computer effects, the Mill spent hours in R&D watching liquid flow and splash to get the full effect of fluid motion. Then the crew opted against fluid movement entirely and decided to make him fabric-like instead.
“I did not want it too Alien or Terminator like, and when we shot it I was afraid it would look like liquid, which was not very innovative,” Nicolas-Troyan told Wired. “By making the effect look more like cloth, it is more elegant, more classy. It was a tough job but a very satisfying sequence.”
Snow White and the Huntsman comes out Tuesday on DVD, Blu-ray, Blu-ray combo pack, On Demand and digital download.
