Enchanted mixes realistic visual effects and 3D-animated creatures within a musical homage to traditionally animated movies. Tippett Studio supervised the vfx in this delicate balancing act. All images © Disney Enterprises.

Making a classic fairytale come to life in modern-day Manhattan was no ordinary assignment, but that's precisely what was needed for Disney's Enchanted (opening Nov. 21). Director Kevin Lima (Tarzan, 102 Dalmatians) wanted Enchanted to mix realistic visual effects and 3D-animated creatures within a musical homage to traditionally animated movies. To supervise the visual effects in this delicate balancing act, Lima relied on Thomas Schelesny at Tippett Studio in Berkeley, California.

The studio has a great reputation for combining visual effects with live action, and Schelesny had previously supervised Tippett's crew on The Shaggy Dog and Son of The Mask. He also brought to the task a background that was useful for a film that bridged the worlds of visual effects and animation -- he had been an animator himself on such projects as Starship Troopers, Men In Black II and Hollow Man.

"When I was introduced to Kevin Lima," recalls Schelesny, "he was entrenched on the Disney lot, surrounded by hundreds of pieces of conceptual artwork thousands of storyboards. When I came to it, Enchanted was entirely not a visual effects effort. I felt like I'd walked straight into a 2D animation pipeline, which is where Kevin's foundation is. Initially what was unfamiliar to me as a visual effects supervisor was that I've rarely seen a director be so prepared to shoot a movie. I realized that this was a 'once in a career' opportunity."

Pip was a unique character because it had to appear real. Tippett Studio began with a photorealistic chipmunk and then added personification, which would allow the animal to stand on his hind legs and pantomime. 

Enchanted takes audiences on the journey of Giselle (Amy Adams), who's living happily in a 2D fairyland until she falls for Prince Edward (James Marsden) and is banished by his disapproving mother, Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon). Suddenly Giselle is propelled from an idyllic world (animated in traditional Disney style at Baxter Animation) into present-day, live-action New York City. The prince comes looking for her -- trailed by an angry Queen -- and they also transition from animation to live action. The naïve Giselle has embraced the Manhattan life, including a friendship with the handsome Robert (Patrick Dempsey) and the premise provided plentiful sight gags for Tippett's team to visualize. They created virtual sets, environmental effects and, most notably, realistic CG characters that performed alongside real actors.

With Schelesny serving as overall supervisor, Tippett ended up contributing 320 shots, CIS Hollywood did 36 shots (primarily wire removals and comps), ReelFX did four shots of pop up book page-turn transitions and Weta also did two.

Schelesny remembers, "When I met with Kevin Lima it was clear that we were going to participate in a true homage, not a spoof or some irreverent slam on the tradition of animated films. Kevin was very clear that even some of the best acting animation he'd seen in 3D would not measure up to what he'd need. When I came back to Tippett and sat down with Tom Gibbons (animation supervisor) and Jim Brown (lead animator) and I let them know that we weren't going to follow a regular visual effects paradigm. It wouldn't be the typical action-oriented animation where the monster walks over a truck or giant robot transforms into a plane and flies away."

Instead, they would have to animate -- and integrate -- creatures that ranged from cockroaches, pigeons and rats to central performers like a chipmunk named Pip and a gigantic dragon-like incarnation of Queen Narissa. Tippett Studio had previously animated Templeton the rat in Charlotte's Web, and their use of Autodesk Maya combined with their proprietary fur tool Furrocious had yielded a great character. Enchanted gave them the chance to build upon that experience.