In this video I composited live action green screen, 2D backgrounds and animated page inserts. Once of the challenging parts of this production were the book pages. It was easy to key the live action but the book incorporated enough of the similar color of the green/blue screen that I had to go back and build out the book again. To do this I would use Mocha Pro to track the planes of the pages and export tracked masks. Then I could mask out the pages and lay them on top of the green screen footage. I also used Lockdown for some of the tracking but in most cases Mocha Pro did a better job with less steps.
Produced and composited 6, 5 minute episodes for Sesame Studios that consisted of 2D animation, green/blue screen keying and compositing with 2D and live action assets.
For this project I was hired to do the chroma key and compositing of the puppets and design elements. In addition, I added animated leaves falling as needed to to correct issues with the blue screen or to add more leaves for a more visual impact.
From the Press release:
“At Sesame Workshop, we look at every issue through the lens of a child. Children are not colorblind—not only do they first notice differences in race in infancy, but they also start forming their own sense of identity at a very young age,” said Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, Senior Vice President, Sesame Workshop. “‘The ABCs of Racial Literacy’ is designed to foster open, age-appropriate conversations among families and support them in building racial literacy. By encouraging these much-needed conversations through Coming Together, we can help children build a positive sense of identity and value the identities of others.”
The new ‘ABCs of Racial Literacy’ resources launching today are designed to help all families celebrate their own unique identities, while also providing age-appropriate language and strategies to answer sometimes-tough questions around race and racism. In one video featuring two new Muppets, 5-year-old Wes and his father Elijah, Elmo wants to know why Wes’s skin is brown. Elijah explains the concept of melanin and that the color of our skin is an important part of who we are. In a new music video, the Sesame Street Muppets celebrate their own unique identities; the song, “Giant,” is available on all major platforms through Warner Music Group’s Arts Music. In another video coming soon, Rosita’s mom and her friend Sofia help Rosita cope with a racist incident in the grocery store, while also celebrating speaking Spanish. Additional resources include videos featuring real families talking about their experiences, activities for families to do together, and talking points and conversation starters for families.
Emmy Nomination
OUTSTANDING SHORT FORM PROGRAM Ciao Alberto-Disney+ Little Bird-Vimeo Rhymes through Times-Noggin Sesame Street in Communities – Explaining Race | #ComingTogether – YouTube.com We the People-Netflix
