National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

DreamWorks Animation released Shrek in May 2001, positioning it as a direct challenge to Disney's dominance in feature animation. Built on early PhotoRealistic RenderMan technology, the film redefined what computer-generated imagery could accomplish in theatrical release. Its irreverent fairy-tale satire earned the inaugural Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and launched one of animation's most commercially significant franchises.

This cell, titled Fiona and Shrek, captures three consecutive frames from what appears to be the rescue sequence inside the dragon's keep. Princess Fiona is caught mid-leap in an acrobatic arc above a crouching Shrek, with firelight glowing from below. The slight positional shift across the three frames preserves a rare glimpse of the film's hand-crafted motion as it existed on original 35mm release print.