To make the obnoxious Violet Beauregarde fill with blueberry juice and roll away, the team used a mixture of 2D and 3D effects. Interestingly, this particular sequence, is a rare example of a full frame CG character – to ensure that she appeared to be completely lifelike cloth and hair simulation were all important. To achieve this, off the shelf packages such as Syflex cloth were adapted to work within the MPC pipeline. Violet’s inflated body was conceived by building a spherical CG body in Maya, this was then amalgamated with either a CG version of Violet’s face or where appropriate a live action pass of the actress’ face shot against green screen (with prosthetics) which was then intercut with her CG body..’

The chocolate room sequence is one of the first scenes showing the inside of the world famous Wonka Chocolate Factory and we see Charlie and the other golden ticket winners parading through a vividly coloured grassy world with lollipop plants and other candy scattered throughout. The environment is enhanced by a giant cascade and flowing river of melted chocolate. Digital set extensions augment the physical set, built at Pinewood studios.

Another opportunity that MPC found to exploit ‘PUDDLE’ was the ‘Gloop pipe’ sequence, which sees chubby Augustus Gloop fall into the chocolate river and splash about before being spun in a whirlpool. As Augustus can’t swim Willy orders the huge – fully CG – ‘gloop pipe’ to rescue him. The pipe sucks Augustus into the pipe, out of the lake. Before Augustus is sucked away, oompa loompa’s surround the pipe and perform a Busby Berkeley inspired synchronised swimming routine as part of the formation ‘chocolate room song.’

A number of key shots comprised detailed matte paintings, for example, the oompa village deep in the jungle and the chocolate palace, which we see constructed in all its glory before melting away in the heat of the Indian sun.