Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah gave Ms. Marvel a look and energy never before seen in a Marvel TV series or movie, one that was deliberately meant to appear influenced by the young Avengers fan who also happened to be the show’s protagonist. But bringing a teen’s whimsical doodles to life apparently required the skills of an Academy Award-winning visual effects studio.
The series’ opening sequence helped set the tone for the rest of the season of Ms. Marvel while firmly establishing Kamala Khan’s obsession with superheroes like Captain Marvel through a whimsical animation she created using everything from doodles, to paper cups, to random office supplies, and seemingly whatever Kamala could find around her bedroom.
The stop-motion animation genuinely looks like something a teenager would make, but as revealed in a new Ms. Marvel visual effects breakdown video that Framestore recently shared on its YouTube channel, a lot of complex computer graphics were needed to create a sequence that looks like it came together with tape, cardboard, and a smartphone.
The VFX breakdown also delves into the clever ways Ms. Marvel integrated smartphone interactions and conversations into the series without the camera being explicitly pointed at the device’s screen. It’s a challenge that many TV shows have been striving to solve given how smartphones have become so commonplace and having characters — especially teenagers — not constantly interacting with them just doesn’t feel authentic or believable.
The behind-the-scenes video also reveals Framestore’s work in turning Kamala’s neighbourhood, including the random graffiti covering buildings, into a giant living comic book. But sadly, it’s also a reminder that we’ll never get to see what visual innovations El Arbi and Fallah had come up with for Warner Bros.’ now-cancelled Batgirl movie.
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