How ‘Pinocchio’ Team Turned the Actor Into a Puppet Without VFX
Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorMatteo Garrone’s retelling of “Pinocchio” got a surprise boost when his spin on the children’s classic made the Academy shortlist for hair and makeup.Rather than rely on visual effects, he called on Mark Coulier to realize his vision and transform the actor into the puppet who becomes a boy.Coulier, who has worked on “The Mummy Returns” and “The Iron Lady,” says, “We wanted to keep it grounded in performance rather than in complex technical effects.His process began taking a computer scan of actor Federico Ielapi’s face and shoulders. Coulier spent months on a sculpture from the scan, making tweaks and changes.