Emmys 2023: Recap of the Event
The Creative Arts Emmy Awards were held this past weekend, and one show that stood out was HBO's The Last of Us. The post-apocalyptic drama series, which also won the Outstanding Special Visual Effects In A Season Or A Movie award, relied on Mocha Pro for its tracking, object removal, and roto-features to streamline compositing workflows.
Wylie Co., one of the VFX houses involved in The Last of Us, used Mocha Pro primarily to handle complex tracking and roto tasks efficiently. Mocha Pro’s planar tracking technology allowed them to track surfaces with precision, which was essential for integrating VFX elements seamlessly into shots with significant camera movement or difficult lighting conditions. This helped them manage the large volume of shots they worked on, ensuring that the effects matched the live-action footage accurately throughout the sequence.
While the detailed specifics of Wylie Co.'s Mocha Pro use in The Last of Us are not extensively covered in the available search results, given Wylie Co. had the most shots in the movie and used a sophisticated compositing pipeline (including tools like Nuke), it is consistent that Mocha Pro played a key role in the tracking and roto stages within their pipeline.
The Last of Us was not the only show that benefited from Mocha Pro. Over twenty Boris FX customers were directly nominated for awards, including first-time Emmy winner Joanna Naugle, ACE, who edited FX Networks on HULU's THE BEAR, and Stephanie Filo, ACE, who won for her work on HBO's A Black Lady Sketch Show, making her a 3-peat winner for the series.
The edited version of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony will air on FXX on Saturday, January 13th, at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT, and can also be streamed on Hulu. Find out which shows will take home awards for outstanding achievement during the 75th Primetime Emmys, live on FOX, Monday, January 15th, at 8 p.m. ET.
Meanwhile, other nominees shared their experiences and insights. The White Lotus team chatted about the value of being on production and the magic moment when music drops perfectly into a scene. The Succession family (not like the Roys!) discussed what it's like to edit with all those moving camera angles, each take being different. The Emmy-winning duo behind The Last of Us, Timothy A. Good, ACE, and Emily Mendez, discussed the role of empathy in editing.
In another corner, Liyana Mansor, a first-time nominee, detailed how she used Continuum and Sapphire in her temp VFX compositing workflow on Disney+'s Andor. Adam Balentine discussed the visual effect challenges faced by Scanline VFX on Netflix's Shadow and Bone (season 2) and how the team used Silhouette for rotoscoping and paint work.
Many nominated editors shared their gratitude towards their assistant editors and emphasized their importance to the overall process in a two-part series. Our Art of the Cut series with Steve Hullfish features the Emmy Award-winning editors from Netflix's BEEF and other nominees, including Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, Moonage Daydream, and SNL.
El Ranchito took home the Emmy for their work on AppleTV+'s Five Days at Memorial. DNEG, WETA, Storm Studios, Distillery VFX, and HBO were involved in The Last of Us. Barnstorm VFX used Mocha Pro for quick rotoscoping and tracking fixes on the final season of AppleTV+'s Ted Lasso.
As the dust settles on the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, it's clear that Mocha Pro played a significant role in some of the most visually stunning productions of the year. The technology's precision and efficiency in tracking and roto tasks have proven to be invaluable in the complex world of visual effects.
Movies-and-TV shows like HBO's The Last of Us and FX Networks' THE BEAR, which were nominated for the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, utilized Mocha Pro as a crucial tool within their visual effects pipelines. This software was instrumental in enhancing the tracking and rotoscoping processes for numerous shows, affirming its essential role in the entertainment industry.
