National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

DreamWorks Animation released Shrek in May 2001, marking a turning point in computer-animated filmmaking. Produced in competition with Disney's long-dominant hand-drawn tradition, the film became a cultural phenomenon and launched one of animation's most successful franchises. Its irreverent humor, layered storytelling, and technical ambition earned it the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature when that category was introduced.

This cell, titled Shrek, presents three consecutive frames of an extreme close-up of Shrek's face. The sequence captures the character's distinctive green skin and deeply rendered pores in striking detail, with wide eyes directed upward or forward. Subtle shifts in expression across the three frames preserve a rare sense of animated movement within a single encapsulated cell.