In this episode, we dive into the extraordinary visual effects of Universal Pictures’ Wicked, directed by Jon M. Chu. As a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, the film not only tells the origin story of Elphaba and Glinda—two witches whose lives take drastically different paths—but also transports audiences to a vividly reimagined Oz.
Join us as we discuss the VFX that brings Oz’s animals, spellbinding magic, and the stunning world of Shiz University to life. We break down the challenges of creating the film’s effects for pivotal scenes, such as the gravity-defying flight sequences and the Wizard’s grand, mechanical illusions. Plus, we discuss how the visual effects team balanced fantastical elements with the emotional core of the story, ensuring the magic of Oz feels both epic and personal.
In this VFXShow, we discuss and review the film, but later this week, we will also post our interview with Wicked’s VFX supervisor, Pablo Helman.
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This week in OZ:
Matt ‘Lion’ Wallin * @mattwallin www.mattwallin.com.
Follow Matt on Mastodon: @[email protected]
Jason ‘Scarecrow’ Diamond @jasondiamond www.thediamondbros.com
Mike “Tin Man’ Seymour @mikeseymour. www.fxguide.com. + @mikeseymour
Special thanks to Matt Wallin for the editing & production of the show with help from Jim Shen.