How The Little Mermaid's Underwater Scenes Were Filmed (2024)

Based on the 1989 animated feature of the same name, 2023's The Little Mermaid used different moviemaking techniques to create the underwater scenes in what was one of Disney's most ambitious live-action remakes. Although the live-action Little Mermaid was a box office letdown and received only modest reviews, the movie was one of the most important blockbuster releases of 2023. The differences between the original The Little Mermaid movie and the remake, as well as how the effects of the live-action were created, are among the most talked about topics regarding the film.

When it comes to The Little Mermaid's visual effects, it's important to recognize the difficulty of making a movie that has over an hour's worth of underwater scenes. Much of what goes into the making of a movie like The Little Mermaid is not even noticed by the audiences, with some of the tricks only being revealed later through official VFX breakdowns and interviews. The Little Mermaid's cast had to go through challenging sequences to bring the world of the original film to life. In order to get those necessary underwater scenes, the filmmakers behind The Little Mermaid had to get creative with the use of digital effects.

The Little Mermaid Used CGI To Film Its Underwater Scenes

The original animated version of The Little Mermaid transports its audience into an underwater world, filled with vibrancy and fishy friends. To achieve a similar effect in the live-action remake, the production used CGI to film its underwater scenes and portray The Little Mermaid's sea life. Sebastian, Scuttle, and Flounder were all created using computer effects. When Halle Bailey, who played Ariel, would film scenes with these characters, she would often be talking to a tennis ball or a miniature version of the sea creature, and then the actual likeness of the character would be added later.

The Little Mermaid director, Rob Marshall, who has worked on other Disney projects, including Mary Poppins and Pirates of the Caribbean, filmed most of the underwater scenes on blue screen soundstages in London. The team behind The Little Mermaid also used nautical footage as inspiration to create the ocean scenery. In order to ensure that the actors looked like they were floating in the water, the crew used a technique known as "wet-to-dry". This involved a series of rigs, wires, tuning forks, and seesaws. A similar set of techniques was used in James Wan's Aquaman (2018), which also created underwater scenes with a blue screen.

Why The Little Mermaid Didn't Actually Film Underwater

While filming multiple sequences underwater is a feat that has been undertaken before, it would have been much more challenging for TheLittle Mermaid (2023) to create its sea scenes practically. Movies that have been filmed underwater, such as Avatar: The Way of Waver faced several challenges, from the technical aspects of it to how difficult it can be for actors. The Little Mermaid's VFX supervisor, Tim Burke, shared with Before & Afters that the director knew that the way the film needed to be created was completely different from what he was used to working in musical theater. Burke wanted to ensure that the process did not turn into an "overwhelming technical exercise".

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Instead, he wanted him to be able to work with the actors freely and with as few limitations as possible. And aside from the potential dangers, filming underwater can have lots of limitations. For example, hair and makeup are quite difficult to deal with when working underwater. The dialogue scenes also become much more challenging to film. Filmmakers could use automated dialogue replacement or they can have the actors wear masks that have microphones that allow them to capture sound. While both of these are viable options, they make things a lot more complicated.

The Little Mermaid's CGI Underwater Scenes Were Still Challenging To Film

Even though CGI was an easier way to go than filming underwater, there were still a number of challenges that were presented to the makers of the 2023 version of The Little Mermaid. Director Rob Marshall and his team had to ensure that viewers could never see the machinery of it all, as this would remove the magic of the movie. Given that The Little Mermaid is a musical, it was also essential to get the songs right. This was certainly not easy, as the necessary setup for a scene is always always changing. This includes special rings, wind machines, and other resources that are necessary for CGI underwater sequences.

In addition to the songs, the dancing in the movie was also challenging. For example, The Little Mermaid's "Under The Sea" number involves several dancers and a detailed choreography. The dancers needed to emulate the different sea creatures so that the CGI animators would be able to bring the various sea creatures to life based on their performances. Completing all of this while making sure the CGI looked as realistic as possible is very complex. If a live-action Disney The Little Mermaid 2 happens, it will be interesting to see which new techniques will be used. The Little Mermaid had the expectations of the beloved, original film to meet, which directly impacted how the live-action was made.