Many of our systems were used in this film including Cyclops, Milo and the Eiger arm.

Most of the “Oompa Loompa” scenes were shot using Cyclops in various stages at Pinewood Studios, with the exception of a couple of Milo shots that needed to be on a small platform in the middle of the chocolate river!

Each of the “Oompa” replication shots involved many different passes that all needed to be frame accurately triggered with audio playback and video overlay. Specialist software was used on set to counteract the tiny delay between live audio from the speakers and the video image being viewed on the monitors to ensure perfect lip sync.

The Milo with Eiger arm was used for many of the town shots as the model itself was some 50 feet square and maximum reach was needed to achieve the camera positions. The use of motion control for these shots allowed the camera path to be accurately plotted and allowed slow exposure shooting for greater depth of field. It also gave the ability to shoot different passes for each move including streetlight exposures and smoke and fog elements.