• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • TV/Radio Deals
  • Film partnerships
  • New appointments
  • Production
  • TV Channels
Navigating 360° with Mocha VR: A review

Navigating 360° with Mocha VR: A review

October 2, 2018
Sateliot joins Global Certification Forum

Sateliot joins Global Certification Forum

March 22, 2023
Nevion enhances Virtuoso with WAN capabilities

Nevion enhances Virtuoso with WAN capabilities

March 22, 2023
Integrasys nabs two awards at Satellite 2023

Integrasys nabs two awards at Satellite 2023

March 22, 2023
OSN ties with Anas Bukhash and Hala Kazim to launch Ramadan series

OSN ties with Anas Bukhash and Hala Kazim to launch Ramadan series

March 22, 2023
Shahid VIP adds French Group’s channels to portfolio

MBC Media Solutions launches ad platform for Shahid

March 22, 2023
Emirati rover Rashid enters lunar orbit

Emirati rover Rashid enters lunar orbit

March 22, 2023
Nvidia announces winners of creative design competition

Nvidia announces winners of creative design competition

March 22, 2023
Nautel announces pre-NAB webinars

Nautel announces pre-NAB webinars

March 22, 2023
Film Clinic Holding announces its board members

Film Clinic Holding announces its board members

March 22, 2023
Mu Space to distribute OneWeb capacity in Southeast Asia

Mu Space to distribute OneWeb capacity in Southeast Asia

March 22, 2023
Last Cut Media consolidates storage and media management with EditShare

Last Cut Media consolidates storage and media management with EditShare

March 22, 2023
DFT to exhibit 8K film scanner and Smart Motion WetGate at NAB

DFT to exhibit 8K film scanner and Smart Motion WetGate at NAB

March 21, 2023
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Magazine Archive
  • Directory
  • Contact
Thursday, March 23, 2023
BroadcastPro ME
  • News
    • All
    • Podcasting
    • Cinema Theatres
    • Esports
    • TV/Radio Deals
    • Film partnerships
    • New appointments
    • Production
    • Mergers/Acquisitions
    • Satellite/Comms
    • AV
    • OTT/Video Streaming
    • International News
    • Analyst Reports
    • Satellite/Broadcasting
    Sateliot joins Global Certification Forum

    Sateliot joins Global Certification Forum

    Integrasys nabs two awards at Satellite 2023

    Integrasys nabs two awards at Satellite 2023

    OSN ties with Anas Bukhash and Hala Kazim to launch Ramadan series

    OSN ties with Anas Bukhash and Hala Kazim to launch Ramadan series

    Shahid VIP adds French Group’s channels to portfolio

    MBC Media Solutions launches ad platform for Shahid

    Emirati rover Rashid enters lunar orbit

    Emirati rover Rashid enters lunar orbit

    Nvidia announces winners of creative design competition

    Nvidia announces winners of creative design competition

    Nautel announces pre-NAB webinars

    Nautel announces pre-NAB webinars

    Film Clinic Holding announces its board members

    Film Clinic Holding announces its board members

    Mu Space to distribute OneWeb capacity in Southeast Asia

    Mu Space to distribute OneWeb capacity in Southeast Asia

    Last Cut Media consolidates storage and media management with EditShare

    Last Cut Media consolidates storage and media management with EditShare

    Trending Tags

    • broadcast
    • MENA broadcast
    • ConnecTech2019
  • Tech Features
    • All
    • CASE STUDIES
    • Virtual Production Series
    • REVIEWS
    • TV/Radio Deals
    • New Media
    Why intercom should be part of the audio-overrip network

    Why intercom should be part of the audio-overrip network

    Real-time recap: What to prepare for when going virtual

    Real-time recap: What to prepare for when going virtual

    What to expect in 2023?

    What to expect in 2023?

    From talent to telcos, CEOs discuss industry challenges

    From talent to telcos, CEOs discuss industry challenges

    Key trends shaping the broadcast media landscape

    Key trends shaping the broadcast media landscape

    Tried and Tested: Real techniques of working with a virtual world

    Tried and Tested: Real techniques of working with a virtual world

    Technologies that should be on a broadcaster’s roadmap

    Technologies that should be on a broadcaster’s roadmap

    Magic buttons & busting myths: Debunking the mysteries of virtual prodution

    Magic buttons & busting myths: Debunking the mysteries of virtual prodution

    How VFX and CG can take brands to the next level

    How VFX and CG can take brands to the next level

    Tradition & Tech: Shedding some light on lighting with game engines

    Tradition & Tech: Shedding some light on lighting with game engines

    Trending Tags

    • Videos
      Exclusive: Video of the construction of the AlUla studio complex

      Exclusive: Video of the construction of the AlUla studio complex

      Protecting your content – Devising a multi-pronged strategy

      Protecting your content – Devising a multi-pronged strategy

      Gearing up for a FAST audience

      Gearing up for a FAST audience

      Planning Your Hybrid Cloud Playout Journey

      Planning Your Hybrid Cloud Playout Journey

      Qvest on “The cutting edge of Cloud Editing”

      Qvest on “The cutting edge of Cloud Editing”

      Said Bacho on Editshare’s Middle East plans

      Said Bacho on Editshare’s Middle East plans

      Rami Moussawi, Product Manager at ST Engineering iDirect speaks about SKYFlow

      Rami Moussawi, Product Manager at ST Engineering iDirect speaks about SKYFlow

      ASBU BroadcastPro ME Awards Footage

      ASBU BroadcastPro ME Awards Footage

      CEO Panel – Thriving in the New World Order

      CEO Panel – Thriving in the New World Order

    • Opinion
      Virtual Production: Another Buzzword?

      Virtual Production: Another Buzzword?

      New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

      Watch out for Shofha

      The role of standards in the hybrid era

      The role of standards in the hybrid era

      New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

      A new TV station enters UAE market

      Creating more engagement in sport

      Creating more engagement in sport

      The Evolution of the Metaverse

      The Evolution of the Metaverse

      New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

      BroadcastPro Summit and Awards 2022 a big success

      Tackling the creative challenges of HDR

      Tackling the creative challenges of HDR

      New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

      Get ready for the BroadcastPro Summit and Awards 2022

      IBC2022 reflections: From new business models to riding the economic wave

      IBC2022 reflections: From new business models to riding the economic wave

    • Interviews
      • All
      • Lounge
      A tour of CNN’s high-tech hub in Abu Dhabi

      A tour of CNN’s high-tech hub in Abu Dhabi

      Keeping a watch on streaming

      Keeping a watch on streaming

      Dare to be different

      Dare to be different

      Good Tide-ings

      Good Tide-ings

      Living on the edge

      Living on the edge

      Creating a sound experience

      Creating a sound experience

      Canon’s African dream

      Canon’s African dream

      Rising to the IP challenge

      Rising to the IP challenge

      Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth starts on October 10

      Catch them young

      Taking art seriously

      Taking art seriously

    • Products
    • Magazine Archive
      • BroadcastPro ME Magazine
      • PRO Directory
    • Events
      • Upcoming Events
      • News from Events
      IBC 2023

      IBC 2023

      BroadcastPro Tech Summit 2023

      BroadcastPro Tech Summit 2023

      BroadcastProME Manufacturer Awards 2023

      CABSAT 2023

      CABSAT 2023

      NABSHOW 2023

      NABSHOW 2023

    No Result
    View All Result
    BroadcastPro ME
    • News
      • All
      • Podcasting
      • Cinema Theatres
      • Esports
      • TV/Radio Deals
      • Film partnerships
      • New appointments
      • Production
      • Mergers/Acquisitions
      • Satellite/Comms
      • AV
      • OTT/Video Streaming
      • International News
      • Analyst Reports
      • Satellite/Broadcasting
      Sateliot joins Global Certification Forum

      Sateliot joins Global Certification Forum

      Integrasys nabs two awards at Satellite 2023

      Integrasys nabs two awards at Satellite 2023

      OSN ties with Anas Bukhash and Hala Kazim to launch Ramadan series

      OSN ties with Anas Bukhash and Hala Kazim to launch Ramadan series

      Shahid VIP adds French Group’s channels to portfolio

      MBC Media Solutions launches ad platform for Shahid

      Emirati rover Rashid enters lunar orbit

      Emirati rover Rashid enters lunar orbit

      Nvidia announces winners of creative design competition

      Nvidia announces winners of creative design competition

      Nautel announces pre-NAB webinars

      Nautel announces pre-NAB webinars

      Film Clinic Holding announces its board members

      Film Clinic Holding announces its board members

      Mu Space to distribute OneWeb capacity in Southeast Asia

      Mu Space to distribute OneWeb capacity in Southeast Asia

      Last Cut Media consolidates storage and media management with EditShare

      Last Cut Media consolidates storage and media management with EditShare

      Trending Tags

      • broadcast
      • MENA broadcast
      • ConnecTech2019
    • Tech Features
      • All
      • CASE STUDIES
      • Virtual Production Series
      • REVIEWS
      • TV/Radio Deals
      • New Media
      Why intercom should be part of the audio-overrip network

      Why intercom should be part of the audio-overrip network

      Real-time recap: What to prepare for when going virtual

      Real-time recap: What to prepare for when going virtual

      What to expect in 2023?

      What to expect in 2023?

      From talent to telcos, CEOs discuss industry challenges

      From talent to telcos, CEOs discuss industry challenges

      Key trends shaping the broadcast media landscape

      Key trends shaping the broadcast media landscape

      Tried and Tested: Real techniques of working with a virtual world

      Tried and Tested: Real techniques of working with a virtual world

      Technologies that should be on a broadcaster’s roadmap

      Technologies that should be on a broadcaster’s roadmap

      Magic buttons & busting myths: Debunking the mysteries of virtual prodution

      Magic buttons & busting myths: Debunking the mysteries of virtual prodution

      How VFX and CG can take brands to the next level

      How VFX and CG can take brands to the next level

      Tradition & Tech: Shedding some light on lighting with game engines

      Tradition & Tech: Shedding some light on lighting with game engines

      Trending Tags

      • Videos
        Exclusive: Video of the construction of the AlUla studio complex

        Exclusive: Video of the construction of the AlUla studio complex

        Protecting your content – Devising a multi-pronged strategy

        Protecting your content – Devising a multi-pronged strategy

        Gearing up for a FAST audience

        Gearing up for a FAST audience

        Planning Your Hybrid Cloud Playout Journey

        Planning Your Hybrid Cloud Playout Journey

        Qvest on “The cutting edge of Cloud Editing”

        Qvest on “The cutting edge of Cloud Editing”

        Said Bacho on Editshare’s Middle East plans

        Said Bacho on Editshare’s Middle East plans

        Rami Moussawi, Product Manager at ST Engineering iDirect speaks about SKYFlow

        Rami Moussawi, Product Manager at ST Engineering iDirect speaks about SKYFlow

        ASBU BroadcastPro ME Awards Footage

        ASBU BroadcastPro ME Awards Footage

        CEO Panel – Thriving in the New World Order

        CEO Panel – Thriving in the New World Order

      • Opinion
        Virtual Production: Another Buzzword?

        Virtual Production: Another Buzzword?

        New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

        Watch out for Shofha

        The role of standards in the hybrid era

        The role of standards in the hybrid era

        New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

        A new TV station enters UAE market

        Creating more engagement in sport

        Creating more engagement in sport

        The Evolution of the Metaverse

        The Evolution of the Metaverse

        New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

        BroadcastPro Summit and Awards 2022 a big success

        Tackling the creative challenges of HDR

        Tackling the creative challenges of HDR

        New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

        Get ready for the BroadcastPro Summit and Awards 2022

        IBC2022 reflections: From new business models to riding the economic wave

        IBC2022 reflections: From new business models to riding the economic wave

      • Interviews
        • All
        • Lounge
        A tour of CNN’s high-tech hub in Abu Dhabi

        A tour of CNN’s high-tech hub in Abu Dhabi

        Keeping a watch on streaming

        Keeping a watch on streaming

        Dare to be different

        Dare to be different

        Good Tide-ings

        Good Tide-ings

        Living on the edge

        Living on the edge

        Creating a sound experience

        Creating a sound experience

        Canon’s African dream

        Canon’s African dream

        Rising to the IP challenge

        Rising to the IP challenge

        Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth starts on October 10

        Catch them young

        Taking art seriously

        Taking art seriously

      • Products
      • Magazine Archive
        • BroadcastPro ME Magazine
        • PRO Directory
      • Events
        • Upcoming Events
        • News from Events
        IBC 2023

        IBC 2023

        BroadcastPro Tech Summit 2023

        BroadcastPro Tech Summit 2023

        BroadcastProME Manufacturer Awards 2023

        CABSAT 2023

        CABSAT 2023

        NABSHOW 2023

        NABSHOW 2023

      No Result
      View All Result
      BroadcastPro ME
      No Result
      View All Result
      Home Reviews

      Navigating 360° with Mocha VR: A review

      Guest Columnist by Guest Columnist
      October 2, 2018
      in Reviews
      ShareTweetPostEmail

      Mocha VR is the latest iteration of the Mocha family of products. Does it tick all the right boxes? Post-production expert Alistair Rankine finds out.

      Alistair Rankine is a Post Production Manager, Colourist and VFX artist working in both the UAE and the UK.

      Mocha VR is the latest iteration of the Mocha family of products. Does it tick all the right boxes? Post-production expert Alistair Rankine finds out.

      It’s been a few years now since my last review of Mocha Pro, and a lot has happened to the software in that time. Mocha was originally developed and owned by Imagineer Systems, which sold it as three products: Mocha, Monet and Mokey.

      Eventually, all three products were combined as one and Mocha Pro was born. In 2014, Boris FX, one of the industry’s leading developers and distributors of visual effects plugins, acquired Mocha and helped to develop and shape it to become the industry standard go-to planar tracker.

      For those who have never used Mocha, it is a planar tracker and object removal tool, vital when carrying out rotoscoping and object removal within a scene. Mocha can handle the most complicated of tracking scenarios with its planar tracker and advanced rotoscoping tools. From my experience, there isn’t anything Mocha can’t handle. It copes perfectly with motion blur, lens distortion and even with tracking objects that go off screen. Unlike most point trackers, Mocha tracks images using pixel patterns.

      Now Boris FX has taken the power of Mocha one step further. Earlier this year, it released Mocha VR, a smart move now that virtual reality is becoming more widespread.

      So what is Mocha VR? Mocha VR is basically Mocha on steroids. It contains the toolset of Mocha Pro, but now also contains an advanced toolset aimed at users working in a mono or stereo 360° VR environment.

      Rotoscoping

      If, like me, you are not a fan of rotoscoping, then Mocha is the tool for you. In my opinion, Mocha has the most accurate and user-friendly roto tools available by way of its bezier and X spline tools. I can easily combine any roto work with the planar tracker for quick and efficient output. Mocha also handles motion blur extremely well, something that usually trips me up when tracking and rotoscoping in other software. With Mocha VR, I can now carry out the most advanced roto work in a 360° VR environment.

      When I found out Mocha had entered the world of VR, one thing I was curious about was the ability to rotoscope within a stereo working environment. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Mocha VR allows the user to work on a single master view. I can basically carry out all of my tracking object removal and roto work on a single eye view, and the corrections will automatically be applied to the other eye. This is not only a huge time saver when working on difficult and complex shots, but also means I don’t have to do all the work twice, on both left and right, ruling out any chance of slight differences or human error.

      “Mocha VR allows the user to work on a single master view. I can basically carry out all of my tracking object removal and roto work on a single eye view and the corrections will automatically be applied to the other eye” Alistair Rankine, Post Production Manager, Colourist and VFX artist

      As with all new tools and features, there has been a learning curve, especially as I’m also new to working in VR. However, I have always found the Mocha toolset easy to use. It has been vastly streamlined over the years so that each button on the interface does exactly what you need it to, without any extra or hidden stages.

      Object removal

      Like Mocha Pro, Mocha VR is excellent at handling any necessary object removal, such as painting out cameras, rigs, wires or even just objects within a scene that the director wants to wave goodbye to. From my experience over the years, this always depends on the complexity of the object in question, where it sits within the frame, what kind of background the object is covering and many more factors specific to each shot I’m working on.

      If I’m working on a less complex shot, I find that Mocha can easily paint out and remove an object, with very little input from me. As the shots and object removal become more and more complex, I have to put more and more work to it. Although Mocha won’t magically remove objects in more complex environments, it certainly puts end users in the correct ball park, allowing them to complete the shot faster without having to spend as much time finessing the end result.

      Now that VR is becoming mainstream, VFX artists will have no option but to use Mocha VR or similar products to remove rigs and objects, as most time cameras, rigs and lights become visible in a 360° shoot. Mocha does this by initially tracking the image and then using the removal module, which takes clean frames from other points in time to rebuild the object pixel by pixel. This works by way of advanced illumination settings to match colour changes in hue, saturation and value.

      “Now that VR is becoming embedded in the mainstream, VFX artists will have no option but to use Mocha VR or similar products to remove rigs and objects” Alistair Rankine, Post Production Manager, Colourist and VFX artist

      Working with VR footage, Mocha automatically turns the footage into an equirectangular image. This is basically a flat view of a VR 3D projection, allowing the user to see the entire 360° view easily within the software. It is also integral for the end user to be able to move around the scene easily and for the Mocha software to analyse the image easily in order to carry out complex removal and tracking tasks.

      As stated earlier, the complexity of the shot and what needs to be removed plays a huge factor in how automatic the process is. From a user perspective, I have always found that Mocha can handle the bulk of the work and I need to refine it afterwards.

      Stabilisation

      The introduction of working with 360° footage has also introduced many other issues, such as shaky footage. Shaky footage is something we have always had to deal with, but in the 360° environment, it is even more exaggerated, especially when viewed via a VR headset. To overcome this, the footage needs to be stabilised to allow the viewer to feel totally immersed. This is done simply by tracking the horizon and then reorienting the footage. Depending on the complexity of the shot, one or more trackers can be added during the process.

      I have always found stabilisation within Mocha second to none, and the same can be said of the VR version. The process itself is easy to understand and perform. As with everything VFX, the process will never be automatic and will always need tweaking. Luckily, the toolset within Mocha has always been intuitive and allows manual adjustments to be made easily without over-complication. Other new features There are many other features available in Mocha VR, such as Lens Workflow for 360° Compositing. This allows you to add titles, logos and non-360°-enabled objects to your scene and see how they look within an equirectangular frame. 360° masking tools are also available within Mocha VR, allowing the user to create masks around people or objects within a scene. These masks can then be exported as mattes to be used in other software, to allow for selective colour grading or be used as inclusion or exclusion mattes within VFX compositing.

      Conclusion

      Mocha Pro has always been my goto planar tracker and rotoscoping tool. Having used it on a number of projects over many years, it has never let me down. I have always been impressed by its ease of use and how logical the workflow is. Perhaps I like it because it is what I’m used to working with. Although I’m a Flame, Nuke and Fusion user, I find the most complicated tracking tasks are easier and better executed within Mocha.

      Mocha Pro and Mocha VR are available either as standalone products or as a plug-in for After Effects, OFX and Avid. I always use the standalone versions, as I prefer the ability to output the scene or information to whatever format I want and to not be contained within the individual software. That’s purely a workflow preference I have, as I work on various systems. If you work in Avid, OFX or After Effects, you can use the plug-in directly inside your software without ever needing to change platform. Mocha VR supports stereo workflows for various 3D 360° cameras such as Z Cam, Vuze and Samsung Round. I imagine support for other cameras will be added as they come on the market.

       

      Verdict

      The Good: Extremely clever, intuitive and fast, there are very few products on the market that can match Mocha VR. The only other competitor is Cara VR by Foundry, an amazing product which does everything required; however, it costs around $4,600 just for the plugin, and on top of that you must spend a similar amount to obtain the software to run it on. Mocha Pro standalone comes in at $1,695, contains all the toolsets you need and allows you to share information with many other software solutions, such as Nuke and After Effects.

      The Bad: Not everything is smooth sailing, as nothing is done automatically. There will always be parameters that need adjusting. But this is to be expected when working on complex tracking, rotoscoping and object removal, especially when it is all done within a 360° environment. I found I did have a small learning curve to overcome with the new VR toolset, but my main learning curve was not with the software but more my understanding of working in a VR environment.

      Wishlist: When Boris FX acquired Mocha, I was worried that it might discontinue it or let it fall by the wayside, as often happens in these scenarios. Fortunately, Boris has taken Imagineer’s ethos of building affordable high-end, user-friendly software to the next level and has embraced its work ethic. I hope Boris continues to bring us even more advanced versions of Mocha VR in the future.

      Tags: post productionMochar VRAlistair Rankinereview

      Related Posts

      Telestream introduces purpose-built for post-production

      Telestream introduces purpose-built for post-production

      March 15, 2023
      Women on a mission

      Red Sea Fund announces third edition

      January 31, 2023
      RedSeaIFF partners with Final Cut in Venice to support regional filmmakers

      RedSeaIFF partners with Final Cut in Venice to support regional filmmakers

      August 31, 2022
      Arab Telemedia wraps up post-production of ‘September’s Gold’

      Arab Telemedia wraps up post-production of ‘September’s Gold’

      August 23, 2022
      Amazon Studios ties with Avid to deliver production editorial in cloud

      Amazon Studios ties with Avid to deliver production editorial in cloud

      August 4, 2022
      Red Sea Fund opens submissions for third cycle

      Red Sea Fund opens submissions for third cycle

      June 29, 2022

      Related News

      Red Giant VFX Suite – A game changer?

      Red Giant VFX Suite – A game changer?

      June 12, 2020
      Taking Blackmagic Fusion 9 through the paces

      Taking Blackmagic Fusion 9 through the paces

      February 3, 2018
      A new resolve

      A new resolve

      September 16, 2015
      Mocha Tracker

      Mocha Tracker

      February 4, 2015
      Rekindling the Flame

      Rekindling the Flame

      September 28, 2014
      More Related News

      Popular Stories

      • Film Clinic Holding announces its board members

        Film Clinic Holding announces its board members

        1217 shares
        Share 487 Tweet 304
      • A tour of CNN’s high-tech hub in Abu Dhabi

        746 shares
        Share 298 Tweet 187
      • MBC Group extends licensing agreement with NBCUniversal

        712 shares
        Share 285 Tweet 178
      • Virtual Production: Another Buzzword?

        701 shares
        Share 280 Tweet 175
      • WildTrack Productions first in region with FUJINON 125x 4K field lens

        701 shares
        Share 280 Tweet 175

      BroadcastPro ME

      • About
      • Advertise
      • Subscribe
      • Magazine Archive
      • Directory
      • Contact
      • Privacy

      Follow us on Social Media

      No Result
      View All Result
      • News
      • Tech Features
      • Videos
      • Opinion
      • Interviews
      • Products
      • Magazine Archive
        • BroadcastPro ME Magazine
        • PRO Directory
      • Events

      Login to your account below

      Forgotten Password?

      Fill the forms bellow to register

      All fields are required. Log In

      Retrieve your password

      Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

      Log In
      Social Media Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com
      ×