In the world of “Wicked,” Elphaba, who is portrayed by Cynthia Erivo, finds herself shunned by the inhabitants of Oz because of her green skin and magical talents. However, it’s not just her peers she needs to worry about. On the set of this grand Hollywood production, packed with visual effects, she’s got another enemy: the dreaded green screen.
Chroma green backdrops, as digital artists call them, have become a staple in today’s visual effects toolkit. They’re particularly valued for their distance from human skin tones, making them easy to digitally replace without affecting the actors themselves. But here’s where things go sideways for Elphaba. If she stands in front of one, she’d practically vanish, leaving behind just her hat, eyes, dress, and cape. That wouldn’t quite work for a story that needs its witch front and center.
Pablo Helman, the visual effects supervisor from Industrial Light & Magic, shared with Polygon how Elphaba’s unique look prompted a switch back to an alternative technology. Before “Wicked” hit theaters, Helman revealed, “It immediately became a blue-screen show. When you’re doing prep, you have to acquire all these screens. We knew we had to go with the blue screen.”
Helman, whose experience spans from the fantastical realms of “Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones” to the subtle visual accomplishments in “The Irishman” by Martin Scorsese, has a preference for minimizing the use of blue or green screens. “The reason why I shy away from them is the way they alter set lighting, casting that single color across everything,” he explained. Such effects could drain the energy from one of “Wicked’s” vibrant musical numbers, where Jonathan Bailey’s Fiyero leads Ariana Grande’s Glinda and others in a lively tune about the easy-going life of the thoughtless.
Helman illustrates this with the “Dancing Through Life” scene set in the library, where backgrounds were digitally added. “I collaborated closely with Alice Brooks, our director of photography, aiming to have the right exposure inside, making the exterior bloom naturally,” he says. “We decided to use white light instead, helping us capture the essence of being in that setting.”
This preference for natural-looking lighting, in contrast to the potentially jarring blue light from digital-friendly backdrops, reflects a common challenge on movie sets where various production needs can conflict.
“As we delve into the history of green or blue-screen photography, visual effects folks like to keep control by isolating components,” he explains. “But directors and production designers want their creative control as well.”
Despite the meticulous planning by Helman, director Jon M. Chu—known for works like “Crazy Rich Asians” and “In the Heights”—and their team, an unexpected issue surfaced once they started filming. “It wasn’t until we began shooting in Shiz, Oz’s university, that we realized everyone was dressed in blue,” Helman chuckled, highlighting the continuous surprises the filmmaking world throws at its creators.
