Introduction to Mocha

10 Day Course
Date: Anytime
Times: 10.00am to 5.00pm
Price: £150.00
Instructor: Self-Learning

Course Setup
This course consists of 10 video-based lessons. Each lesson is approximately 30 minutes in duration and most include supplementary files and footage.
This course can be taken at any time - for instance every day for 10 days, or once a week for 10 weeks.

Mocha is a popular tracking and rotosoping software based on an innovative 2.5 D planar tracking system which helps visual effects artists solve complex tracking challenges. As a rotoscoping station, mocha's ability to accurately track mask shapes saves hours of manual labor for articulate matte creation. Create & render mattes with less keyframes!

Course Outline
The introduction to Mocha is an in-depth look at 2.5D planar tracking and will show you from the ground up how to use Mocha to generate accurate tracks without relying on traditional tracking marks (feature tracking) and how to export that data into After Effects and other applications.

You’ll also learn a much easier way to perform rotoscoping including the use of the mocha Shape plug in for After Effects CS4 and above. The extensive practical exploration will also include working with alpha channels, embedded mattes, edge controls, and off screen tracking.

Lesson 1: An explanation of what planar tracking is and how it works followed by the first tracking exercise. The track is exported and proved in After Effects. The basic Mocha interface is explored.

Lesson 2: Tracking multiple objects and objects that become obscured. Adjusting tracks and exporting corner pin data for use in After Effects as well as other Mocha interface options.

Lesson 3: Using Mocha for Rotoscoping inside After Effects. Using multiple tracking shapes on a single layer, tracking multiple objects in the same shot, and more tracking tips.

Lesson 4: Tracking objects that either enter the frame or leave the frame during the tracking process and exporting tracks that may not start or end at the beginning or end of the shot.

Lesson 5: All about tracking organic objects (no tracking marks required) and using color correction to improve tracking results.

Lesson 6: Tracking complicated shots with extreme perspective tracks, tracking rotation and perspective, as well as tracking perspective on rotational shots where the rotation is not a required track element.

Lesson 7: Exporting shape data with the Mocha shape plug-in for After Effects. Attaching multiple shapes to a single track and how to track footage with 3:2 pulldown.

Lesson 8: Rotoscoping and shape export. Rotoscoping organic shapes and objects with more than one motion axis. Creating motion blur edges and controlling through key frames, a look at the curve editor.

Lesson 9: More Tracking and Rotoscoping techniques, tips and tricks.

Lesson 10: Tracking 3D shots. Using a number of tools to track and help solve 3D shots.