One of the cinematic highlights of 2017 was the brilliant The Shape Of Water from director Guillermo del Toro. The film debuted at the fall film festivals and was released in the United States at the tail end of last year. The movie will not be released in the UK until February, but del Toro has been speaking with KCRW’s The Business about how he managed to put together the impressive sci-fi epic for less than $20 million.
The Shape Of Water: How del Toro achieved greatness for less than $20 million
Here’s what the director told the show’s host:
“I decided early on that the scenes underwater that needed more control, like the opening and closing of the movie – which are almost balletic – I could not build sets that size on a tank…so I unearthed a very old technique that I used when I was an effects technician in my twenties that is called ‘dry for wet.’ That is, you shoot these scenes with the people and the props and the furniture suspended on wires, you fill the stage with smoke, and you project what is called light caustics, which is the light of the water, through a projector. And you shoot it in slow motion. And it looks like under water. You add a bubble here, a bubble there, a little bit of debris with the computer and you erase the wires, and use a fan to move the cloth as if it was underwater. That way I had beautiful images on a budget.”
So far, The Shape Of Water has grossed a touch over $17 million, which is completely from its domestic territory. The movie, which is set in a 1960s research facility where Elisa (Sally Hawkins), a mute janitor, forms a relationship with a mysterious aquatic creature.
The Shape Of Water will released in the UK on February 14th, 2018. You can read our full review from the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival over here.
