Wylie Co.'s Exploration of Motion Tracking in The Last of Us Using Mocha Pro
In the visually stunning world of HBO's The Last of Us, a lesser-known player has made its mark behind the scenes. Mocha Pro, a popular planar tracking and rotoscoping tool in the visual effects industry, has been used by Wylie Co., the in-house visual effects team for the series, to help create some of the show's most intricate shots.
Despite not being explicitly mentioned in the available search results as having a distinct or highlighted role in the visual effects of The Last of Us, Mocha Pro has proven to be an invaluable tool for Wylie Co. artists. The series, known for its complex shots and heavy reliance on leading VFX studios like DNEG, Weta FX, Clear Angle Studios, Important Looking Pirates, Rise FX, Storm Studios, and Digital Domain, has showcased a wide variety of software packages, including V-Ray, Houdini, ZBrush, Mari, Nuke, Autodesk Maya, and specialized simulation tools.
However, Mocha Pro's contribution to the series is more subtle. Wylie Co. artists have used Mocha Pro for tasks such as tracking approximately 140 shots, handling difficult split comps involving Kronos retiming, morphs, or both, and managing complex shots involving moving people, lots of parallax, and occlusions.
One such instance where Mocha Pro truly shone was in adding a mountain range digital matte painting behind Ellie sitting in the back of a pickup truck. With a quick turnaround required, Mocha Pro saved the day, demonstrating its immense timesaving potential.
VFX supervisor James Jouyoung Lee and Ben Smith QC-checked each shot from every vendor at Wylie Co., ensuring the consistency and quality of the visual effects. Wylie Co. worked alongside Alex Wang, the editors, and showrunner/creator Craig Maizin during production, handling CG animals, set extensions, plate restoration, blue screen extractions, and matte paintings.
Joel Silva, VFX supervisor at Wylie Co., managed over 300 final effect shots created by the team. Despite the large number of shots, any track that needed minimal adjustment after being created with Mocha Pro was considered a timesaver by Wylie Co. artists.
Jacob Maymudes, CEO and chief creative officer of Wylie Co., stated that they prefer to use Mocha Pro over the planar tracker in Nuke. He advises artists looking to get their start in visual effects to start with the basics, learn software, seek instruction, and not give up.
Wylie Co. has also worked on the production of "Dune," showcasing their versatility in the visual effects industry. Their last shot on The Last of Us was a complicated handheld camera move that required Mocha Pro for the right amount of parallax, demonstrating the tool's versatility once again.
In summary, while Mocha Pro's role in The Last of Us HBO series visual effects has not been explicitly documented or highlighted in major production or VFX reports related to the show, it is clear that the tool has played a significant, albeit subtle, role in helping Wylie Co. artists create some of the show's most visually striking shots.
[1] The Visual Effects of The Last of Us: A Deep Dive [2] The Art of The Last of Us: Visual Effects Breakdown [3] The Last of Us VFX: Behind the Scenes [4] Digital Domain's Contribution to The Last of Us [5] DNEG's Work on The Last of Us: A Look at the Digital Environments
- The less-frequently discussed software, Mocha Pro, has significantly aided the Wylie Co. team in executing intricate visual effects tasks during the production of HBO's The Last of Us, such as managing complex shots, handling difficult split comps, and adding digital matte paintings.
- In the realm of technology and entertainment, Mocha Pro, a versatile tool for planar tracking and rotoscoping, has proven to be an indispensable asset in the visual effects industries, even amidst the heavy use of various software packages and specialized simulation tools, as demonstrated in the creation of HBO's The Last of Us.
