The Volumetric Magic Behind Wicked

The world of Wicked is defined by its theatrical spectacle—lavish sets, intricate costumes, and vibrant character performances. But this presented a challenge: how do you authentically scale crowd scenes populated by Munchkins and Emerald City citizens without losing the nuance, texture, and personality of real human performances?

Traditional CG crowd creation is often resource-heavy and struggles to match the realism of live-action—especially when working with elaborate wardrobe and choreographed movement. The filmmakers needed a solution that could deliver high-fidelity digital performances at scale, capable of integrating naturally across varied lighting setups and camera compositions.

Adding to the complexity: Dimension needed to capture 76 supporting cast members in just two days, resulting in over 75 minutes of volumetric footage—more than 100,000 individual frames. That kind of capture volume would present a logistical nightmare in a standard VFX pipeline, but not for Dimension. Enter, Polymotion Stage.

To meet the creative and technical demands of Wicked, the filmmakers turned to volumetric capture—specifically, the Polymotion Stage Mobile Capture Studio.

Its unique portability meant the studio could be deployed right on set, adjacent to the live-action production at Elstree. Performers could move directly from the soundstage to the capture volume without disrupting the shoot schedule, minimising downtime and maximising authenticity.

Each performer was captured in 360°, in full costume and makeup, delivering short choreographed performances. The volumetric capture process—supported by 10-bit colour depth—preserved every detail of movement and wardrobe, allowing for seamless lighting integration and creative flexibility in post.

This pipeline resulted in a photorealistic digital crowd ready to be composited into multiple scenes throughout the film. Framestore, the film’s VFX partner, received high-quality assets that could be flexibly placed across shots, no matter the spatial layout or lighting conditions.

The volumetric crowd work played a key role in shaping Wicked’s rich, high-fantasy tone, as Polymotion Stage continues to set a new standard for digital doubles, volumetric video, and avatar creation. The film earned praise for its worldbuilding and visual flair, with Munchkinland and the Emerald City standing out as highlights of its digital artistry, and with Wicked: Part Two arriving in November 2025, the magic of Oz is only just beginning.