Utilizing Boris FX Suite in the Production of Netflix's Sexy Beasts by Fifty Fifty Post
The Boris FX Suite has played a pivotal role in creating the distinctive and memorable visual effects for Netflix's hit reality dating show, "Sexy Beasts." This innovative series features contestants donning elaborate prosthetic makeup and creature-like masks to conceal their appearances, and the Boris FX software has been instrumental in enhancing these effects.
- Blending Practical Prosthetics with Digital Enhancements
The Boris FX Suite enables VFX artists to blend the practical prosthetics with digital enhancements seamlessly. This digital polishing process helps iron out any minor imperfections or transitions between makeup and natural skin, making the characters appear more fantastical and believable on screen.
- Precise Facial Tracking and Masking
The tools within Boris FX allow for precise facial tracking, a crucial aspect for maintaining the alignment of visual effects on moving faces. This ensures that digital elements adhere perfectly to the performers’ faces as they move, talk, and express emotions, preserving the illusion of the "beast" look.
- Consistent Color Grading and Stylistic Effects
Boris FX provides colour correction and grading tools that help unify the look of each contestant’s prosthetic character. Consistent lighting, shadows, and colour tones make the creatures appear more lifelike and consistent across different scenes.
- Digital Enhancements and Amplification
Additional digital enhancements, such as augmenting textures, adding glow, shadows, or other fantastical elements, are done using features in the suite. This elevates the transformation beyond physical makeup into a more immersive and creative realm.
Julian Nelson, the online editor, utilised Mocha Pro's planar tracking plugin and Silhouette's digital paint tools for complex removals of objects. He commented that having the full range of Boris FX products allows for creative flexibility without limitations. Nelson used the witness protection effect in Continuum for soft blurring and obscuring unwanted elements, and the suite's ability to save and pass presets between different host applications was invaluable.
As the show returns for its second season on October 7th, Boris FX continues to drive innovation, integrating Mocha and even OCIO across their range. The Fifty Fifty Post team added flares and bokeh light transitions using Sapphire's high-end visual effects suite, while transitions were composited directly in Baselight and dynamically altered for illumination within the grading tool.
"Sexy Beasts" is now streaming on Netflix, offering viewers a unique and visually stunning dating experience like no other.
- Breaking the Boundaries of Physical Prosthetics
By employing a variety of digital enhancements such as the witness protection effect and soft blurring, the Boris FX Suite assists in transcending the limitations of practical prosthetics and physical makeup, creating a surreal and captivating visual experience beyond the conventional.
- Adapting Technology for Unique Storytelling
Innovative tools like flares, bokeh light transitions, and planar tracking within the Boris FX Suite have been utilized by post-production teams to tailor technology to the unique narrative and visual requirements of the "Sexy Beasts" reality dating show, generating a visually dynamic, undeniably memorable viewing experience.
