In these sponsored promos for Impractical Jokers and Mountain Dew, I was asked to integrate the action figures of Joe, Q, Murr, and Sal into live action backplates of a workout gym and a dance club. Shot on set in forced perspective to match the lighting, stop-motion still photography of the action figures was turned into animated sequences, rotoscoped out and composited back in with contact shadows.
Amazing stop-motion animation by Natalia Janul. She worked in reverse while looking at a reference monitor, keeping the motion in her head without playback. Upside down, underwater and with the lights off.
Impractical Jokers Unboxed Gym
Impractical Jokers Bust a Move Dance Club
I enjoy making rigs that animate with just a few sliders, so when I was asked to add spotlights to ‘Dance Club’ I set up a light array with just three controllers - left/right spread, up/down at-camera, and - my favorite - ‘swirl.’ The cool part was from learning how real stage lights behave from watching an interview with Sean Hackett, the lighting director for Kiss.