BBC Click has revealed glimpses of the virtual production techniques Jon Favreau harnessed before the “live action” Lion King was digitally animated.

The discussion of virtual production technology starts at 0:40. Details begin flowing about the Technicolor Virtual Production pipeline at 1:38.

Director Favreau explains further at 8:01 below:

My favourite line is: “We’d move the sun if we had to.”

Here’s Technicolor’s pitch for virtual production:

More here.

My take: Am I the only one that thinks it’s absurd for photo-realistic animals to talk and sing? I can buy the anthropomorphism in most animation, as the techniques they use are suitably abstracted, but this just looks too real. Maybe thought balloons?