Inkheart

Based on the novel of the same name by the German author Cornelia Funke, Inkheart, tells the story of Meggie, a girl whose father, Mo, has the power to bring characters to life when he reads aloud from books.

DNEG were approached to create the menacing animated character, The Shadow, along with other creatures and visual effects for the film, directed by Iain Softley (The Wings of the Dove, K-Pax). Working closely with the production’s VFX Supervisor, Angus Bickerton, DNEG’s team was lead by VFX Supervisors, Paul Riddle and Ryan Cook and VFX Producer, Fay McConkey.

The finale of the film takes place within a ruined amphitheatre nestled in the Italian mountains; this is the lair of Capricorn, one of the villains Mo has accidentally ‘read’ into the real world. The visual effects work included the digital augmentation of the bluescreen set, the billowing, pyroclastic monster, The Shadow, the surreal winged monkeys with their raven black feathers and Capricorn’s final transition.