National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

DreamWorks Animation released Shrek in May 2001, marking a turning point in computer-generated feature filmmaking. Directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, the film challenged Disney's dominance in animated features and won the inaugural Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Its irreverent humor and technical ambition made it a cultural landmark that reshaped the animation industry for the decade that followed.

This cell, titled Dragon, captures three nearly sequential frames of the character in her cavernous lair, her red-scaled form emerging from a purple-tinted, mist-filled interior. The subtle motion differences across the three frames preserve a rare sense of movement, offering a close study of one of the film's most visually distinctive supporting characters in a single encapsulated moment.