how did they make the little mermaid

The Little Mermaid (2023 live-action film) was made using a combination of live-action filming and extensive CGI for the underwater scenes. The actors, including Halle Bailey as Ariel, filmed their underwater scenes on land against a blue-screen using special rigs like wires, teeter-totters, and harnesses with counterweights to simulate underwater movement. Only their faces and hands were kept from live-action footage while the rest of the bodies, including tails, were computer-generated. Digital hair effects were also applied to simulate underwater hair movement in a controlled way. The process involved detailed choreography, animation tests, and a careful blend of multiple live-action and CGI elements to create the illusion of underwater life and movement. For the 1989 animated version, it was traditionally hand- inked and painted cel animation, with complex special effects animation for underwater scenes including over a million hand-drawn bubbles and some early use of computer-generated imagery for certain elements in the film.