Dragonheart

ILM further developed its breakthrough facial animation software, Caricature, to make Draco come to life for this film. The technology became a big stepping stone at ILM, impacting many of its digital characters for years to come. For ILM, the project lasted about two years, with a mixture of practical and digital effects including a full-sized puppeteer dragon built by ILM’s renowned Creature Shop. ILM’s Caricature Animation System would later be recognized with an Academy Award® for Technical Achievement.