In the movie Shrek, there is a character known as the magic mirror who possesses an enigmatic voice. This voice plays a significant role in the storytelling and adds to the overall enchantment of the film. The enigmatic voice of the magic mirror is introduced fairly early on in the movie when Lord Farquaad seeks its assistance. Lord Farquaad uses the mirror to find the perfect princess to marry and make his queen. The voice, which emanates from the mirror, provides him with options like Snow White and Cinderella. This introduces the audience to the mystique surrounding the character and establishes its power.
Every night (and twice a day on Saturdays and Sundays) Tartaglia removes his Pinocchio makeup mid-show and dashes up 5 flights of backstage stairs to a tiny motion-capture studio. Paul Deavila, Shrek's 'moving light and live animation technician' explained that Tartaglia arrives only about a minute before he goes live as the Magic Mirror. In that time 20 reflective motion capture markers have to be placed on his face "within a millimeter of where they should be." Once 'made-up,' Tartaglia sits in front of a dozen Vicon motion capture cameras and begins his performance as Farquaad's Magic Mirror.
The show s producers turned to Autodesk and the company s MotionBuilder software to do the job, and a handful of media reporters were invited to a Friday night performance to see MotionBuilder in action. Paul Deavila, Shrek s moving light and live animation technician explained that Tartaglia arrives only about a minute before he goes live as the Magic Mirror.
This introduces the audience to the mystique surrounding the character and establishes its power. As the story progresses, we see the magic mirror reappear in various scenes, where its voice continues to intrigue and mesmerize. Whether it's providing information about different princesses or giving insightful advice, the enigma surrounding the mirror's voice remains consistent throughout the movie.
Autodesk Reveals the Secrets of the Shrek Magic Mirror
DreamWorks' big green ogre has been residing on Broadway since last fall, when SHREK THE MUSICAL debuted. Painting actors green or putting them in donkey suits is one thing, but the original animated film had more than its share of moments that might be challenging to recreate in front of a live audience.
Take for example the Magic Mirror that advises Lord Farquaad. In the old days the producers might have settled for an actor on the other side of a pretend mirror, or perhaps a pre-produced piece of animation. Today however, the same technology that brings these moments to life onscreen can perform the identical magic onstage -- and thanks to modern motion capture technology, go one better by doing it live, every night in real time.
The show's producers turned to Autodesk and the company's MotionBuilder software to do the job, and a handful of media reporters were invited to a Friday night performance to see MotionBuilder in action. As they sat in the audience during the show's set-up, lights were hoisted into the rafters, scenery backdrops descended into view and rose again and the sound technician could be heard chanting "Donkey-Donkey-Donkey, Fiona-Fiona-Fiona" as he tested each character's microphone lines. Heath Schwartz, Shrek's press agent explained that in the musical's Seattle tryouts the Mirror's performance was pre-taped. "We did one session with the actor to work out the timing and leave holes for the stage actor, then it was all computerized. Then we said we're coming to Broadway, 'it's got to be live, everything about the show's got to be live."
Actor John Tartaglia performs as both the Mirror and the show's Pinocchio. Schwartz outlined Tartaglia's career as puppeteer on SESAME STREET and in the puppet-populated Broadway musical AVENUE Q. (Tartaglia also brings the giant-sized Dragon head that appears midway through SHREK to life.) "After holding a puppet in his hands for many years, John's now playing a puppet."
Every night (and twice a day on Saturdays and Sundays) Tartaglia removes his Pinocchio makeup mid-show and dashes up 5 flights of backstage stairs to a tiny motion-capture studio. Paul Deavila, Shrek's 'moving light and live animation technician' explained that Tartaglia arrives only about a minute before he goes live as the Magic Mirror. In that time 20 reflective motion capture markers have to be placed on his face "within a millimeter of where they should be." Once 'made-up,' Tartaglia sits in front of a dozen Vicon motion capture cameras and begins his performance as Farquaad's Magic Mirror.
The information from the cameras is captured on Vicon's Blade software and sent via a gigabit Ethernet to a processor that prepares the data for Motion Builder, which performs the 3D modeling. The output is sent to Hippo servers that crop the image to fit on the 20-foot tall, LED-array 'Magic Mirror.'
Tartaglia repeats the entire process in the show's second act for the Mirror's second appearance. (His reprise takes place just after Farquaad uses the mirror to play his own version of Space Invaders with the show's characters taking the place of the advancing aliens.)
The Mirror face the audience sees is identical to the one in the original animated Shrek, because Motion Builder is working from character design files supplied to the show directly from DreamWorks. The entire process takes place, Deavila boasts, not 'basically' in real time, but in real time, period.
A taped backup for the Mirror exists in case of an unexpected malfunction, which according to Deavila has only happened once in over 180 performances. He added that "three different actors can do the Mirror and we have different calibrations for each one" to translate that actor's facial motions into the Mirror's expressions. "It would take a couple of hours to calibrate the system for a new performer."
After the show Stig Gruman, Autodesk's VP of Digital Entertainment gave the company's perspective on its association with the musical. "Autodesk is about the democratization of technology. This MotionBuilder application is very much in that spirit.
"It's a wonderful complement to our 3D software like Maya and 3ds max," as well as Softimage which the company acquired in September. "The exciting part now is figuring out how to capitalize on all this technology in our portfolio to deliver more value to our customers."
-- By AWN Contributor Joe Strike
Joe Strike has written about animation for numerous publications. He is the author of Furry Nation: The True Story of America's Most Misunderstood Subculture.
The enigmatic voice of the magic mirror is notable for its ethereal qualities. It has a distinct way of delivering lines that captivates the audience's attention. Its tone is often smooth and soothing, drawing listeners in and holding them spellbound. This adds to the magical atmosphere of the film and enhances the overall experience for viewers. Moreover, the enigmatic voice of the magic mirror serves as a source of information and guidance for the characters. It provides them with essential details about various princesses and helps the plot advance. Without the enigmatic voice, characters like Shrek and Lord Farquaad would lack vital information and the story would not progress as smoothly. Overall, the enigmatic voice of the magic mirror adds an element of intrigue and mystique to the movie Shrek. With its ethereal qualities and captivating delivery, it enhances the magical atmosphere of the film. Additionally, it serves as a source of guidance and information, driving the plot forward. The enigmatic voice of the magic mirror stands as a memorable and iconic aspect of the Shrek franchise..
Reviews for "Behind the Mirror: Exploring the Storytelling Power of the Magic Mirror's Voice in Shrek"
1. John - 2 stars - The enigmatic voice of the magic mirror in Shrek fell short for me. While I appreciated the attempt to create an eerie and mysterious persona for the character, the execution was lacking. The voice lacked depth and didn't capture the sinister essence that I was hoping for. Additionally, the dialogue felt forced and unnatural, making it difficult for me to connect with the character. Overall, I found the enigmatic voice to be a missed opportunity in enhancing the overall experience of the movie.
2. Sarah - 2 stars - The enigmatic voice of the magic mirror in Shrek didn't leave a lasting impression on me. I felt that the voice lacked the captivating quality required for the character. It simply seemed flat and uninteresting. The choice of delivery was also disappointing. Instead of evoking curiosity and mystery, the voice came across as monotonous and unengaging. I think more could have been done to bring life to the character and make the magic mirror a more memorable part of the film.
3. Michael - 1 star - The enigmatic voice of the magic mirror in Shrek was a major disappointment. It felt completely out of sync with the overall tone of the movie. The voice lacked the enchanting quality that one would expect from a magical character like the magic mirror. Instead, it sounded dull and uninspired. The dialogue was also uninspiring, failing to add any depth or intrigue to the character. Overall, the enigmatic voice was a missed opportunity for the film to create a captivating and memorable character.