Emmy Awards 2023 Highlight: Behind-the-Scenes Examination of Ted Lasso's Spectacular Visual Effects by Barnstorm VFX
Barnstorm VFX Embraces Mocha Pro for Ted Lasso's Visual Effects
In the vibrant world of Ted Lasso, the visual effects (VFX) play a pivotal role in bringing the stadiums, crowds, and digital LED hoardings to life. Barnstorm VFX, the studio behind these stunning visuals, relies heavily on Mocha Pro to streamline their workflows and ensure a seamless integration of VFX with the show's naturalistic aesthetic.
Mocha Pro, a versatile tool, offers numerous benefits for Barnstorm VFX artists. Its powerful planar tracking and rotoscoping capabilities enable the team to accurately track surfaces, create detailed mattes, and remove unwanted objects, all without the need for extensive manual frame-by-frame adjustments.
One of the key advantages of Mocha Pro is its ability to planar track. This feature allows artists to accurately track surfaces such as walls, floors, or objects for applying digital elements or corrections. This is particularly useful in Ted Lasso, where characters filmed against a bright sky backdrop need to be placed against a darker stadium and crowd.
The tool's rotoscoping function is another invaluable asset. It allows Barnstorm VFX to create detailed, precise mattes to isolate characters or objects, facilitating seamless compositing and visual fixes. This is crucial in shots where extensive roto and comp are required, such as those filmed on an open practice field.
Mocha Pro's Remove Module also proves to be a game-changer. It allows artists to clean up wires, rigs, or unwanted objects from shots with minimal manual frame-by-frame painting, saving valuable time and resources.
Stabilization is another feature that simplifies compositing or allows for easier insertion of VFX elements in shaky footage.
By relying on Mocha Pro, Barnstorm VFX is able to streamline their VFX pipeline. The tool provides reliable tracking data and rotoscoping masks, significantly reducing the time spent on manual frame tweaking—a crucial advantage for the fast-paced episodic schedule of Ted Lasso.
Moreover, the generalist mindset embraced by Barnstorm VFX further enhances their workflow. Having a team that is versatile in their skills makes it easier for departments to communicate with each other, reducing potential miscommunications and delays.
The use of Mocha Pro also empowers compositors to be self-sufficient, allowing them to do final shots on their own without needing to kick stuff back up the chain. This saves time and ensures the VFX integrates smoothly with the show's aesthetic, supporting the storytelling without drawing attention to the effects themselves.
This season, Barnstorm VFX took their work on Ted Lasso to new heights. They captured 3D recordings of individual crowd members using volume scanning, allowing them to reposition and re-light these recordings to better match their environment. This attention to detail ensures that the crowds in Ted Lasso react specifically to the action on the field, adding another layer of realism to the show.
The team's work on Ted Lasso has been improving with each season, and their efforts have been recognised. Five members of the Barnstorm VFX team are currently nominated for their work on Ted Lasso "Mom City."
As the visual effects in Ted Lasso continue to evolve, so too does Barnstorm VFX's reliance on Mocha Pro. The tool's versatility and efficiency make it an indispensable part of their workflow, helping them to deliver stunning visuals that enhance the show's storytelling.
In the realm of entertainment, Barnstorm VFX enhances not only the visuals for movies-and-TV shows like Ted Lasso, but also sports productions, particularly football.
Mocha Pro, a valuable tool for Barnstorm VFX, not only streamlines their VFX pipeline with its reliable tracking data and rotoscoping masks, but also finds use in sports broadcasts for removing unwanted objects or stabilizing shaky footage.
