Meme maker Jonkari utilizes Mocha Pro for rotoscoping on YouTube
Jonkari P, a renowned YouTuber known for his meme and mash-up videos, has found a reliable companion in Boris FX's Mocha Pro for his rotoscoping and visual effects work.
Jonkari P's journey with Mocha Pro began when he discovered the plugin while watching rotoscoping tutorials on YouTube. Intrigued by its capabilities, he started learning the basics from tutorials on the Boris FX YouTube channel. Mocha Pro soon became his go-to plugin for rotoscoping work in his videos.
The Mocha Pro Workflow
Jonkari P's workflow with Mocha Pro is designed to streamline complex composites and surreal effects. He primarily uses Mocha Pro within Adobe After Effects, but also employs it in Blender for certain projects.
Using Mocha Pro in Adobe After Effects
In After Effects, Jonkari P utilises Mocha Pro's planar tracking and rotoscoping capabilities to:
- Track moving objects or surfaces smoothly in video clips.
- Create detailed roto masks to isolate subjects or objects in complex scenes.
- Seamlessly insert or replace elements in footage—like adding meme graphics or effects on moving actors or backgrounds.
After performing the planar tracking and roto work inside Mocha Pro's interface, he exports the tracking data or masks back to After Effects to apply effects, inserts, or composites that follow the motion perfectly.
Using Mocha Pro in Blender
Though Blender doesn't support Mocha Pro as a native plugin, Jonkari P still uses the standalone app for planar tracking and exports the data to Blender for use in the compositor or as constraints in the 3D viewport. This is particularly useful for 2D/3D hybrid scenes where meme elements need realistic attachment to footage plates mapped onto planes or 3D models.
The Benefits of Mocha Pro
Mocha Pro offers several advantages for Jonkari P's unique style of video editing:
- It enables precise and smooth tracking for complex shots.
- Essential for detailed rotoscoping to isolate subjects for surreal edits.
- Helps create convincing motion tracking in both 2D compositions (AE) and 3D scenes (Blender).
- Speeds up the workflow that would be cumbersome with native trackers, especially in meme/mashup videos which often require fast, quirky, and tight visual sync.
Challenges and Successes
Despite the benefits, Jonkari P has faced challenges with Mocha Pro, such as the shot for the video "Breaking Bad in Rust Goes Wrong" which was particularly difficult due to multiple characters overlapping and the blurriness and low shutter speed of the clip. However, he was able to overcome these challenges using Mocha Pro's tools and techniques, such as the Remove Module feature to get rid of elements from scenes and objects in his videos.
One of Jonkari P's most complex projects, "Ryan Gosling in GTA V," required a total of 9 hours and 25 minutes of rotoscoping. Each video takes around 2-3 weeks for Jonkari P to complete.
Recommendations for Starting VFX Artists
Jonkari P recommends that starting VFX artists add Mocha Pro and Adobe After Effects to their toolbox. He believes these tools can significantly speed up the workflow and help create professional-looking visual effects.
With his creative mind and mastery of Mocha Pro, Jonkari P continues to push the boundaries of meme and mash-up video editing, captivating audiences with his unique blend of live-action footage and striking visual effects.
- In his video editing work, Jonkari P integrates technology like Mocha Pro to create intricate composites and surreal effects, using it for planar tracking, detailed rotoscoping, and element insertion within Adobe After Effects.
- To achieve convincing motion tracking in both 2D compositions and 3D scenes, Jonkari P uses gadgets such as Mocha Pro, whether as a native plugin in After Effects or standalone for use in Blender.
