NEXODUS partnered with ArtClass Content to deliver 600 VFX shots for Bedtime Stories with Ryan starring Ryan Reynolds. The kid-friendly series serves as flagship content for the launch of Reynolds’ new Maximum Effort Channel on subscription streaming service Fubo TV.
The 15 episodes feature Reynolds reading beloved children’s storybooks inside a dollhouse, complete with library, theater and greenhouse. His audience in the show is a variety of practical and CG puppet animals, who gradually succumb to sleep as the stories progress.
NEXODUS Onset VFX Supervisor Melissa Graff covered the shoot in New York, which included a miniature shoot for the dollhouse and motion control work on set with Reynolds. The practical dollhouse miniature was used for complex transition shots in which the camera follows Reynolds from one room to another. Reynolds was then added into the dollhouse in post production by NEXODUS.
NEXODUS VFX Supervisor Robert Rossello oversaw the 5 person compositing team, delivering a remarkable 600 VFX shots in just 10 weeks. Efficiency was key to the success of the project, with two episodes shipping each week during the latter half of the schedule. The studio’s proprietary cloud platform allowed the remote VFX team to collaborate seamlessly with each other and with the client, handling versions of hundreds of VFX shots and terabytes of data each week.
In addition to blue screen composites of Reynolds in the miniature dollhouse, NEXODUS composited all shots featuring CG animals and the key graphics sequences. The charming, puppet-style CG creatures were created by Untold Studios, then handed over for integration into the dollhouse footage by NEXODUS. Among many subtle touches, the compositing team added movement to practical lily pads on which the CG frogs sit, and enhanced popcorn being eaten by CG penguins in the home’s theater.
For scenes in which Reynolds climbs out onto the roof of the house, ArtClass animated stars forming pictures and words in the night sky, which NEXODUS composited to create a consistent look across the sequences. 3D Lead Mike Oakley enhanced the facade of the dollhouse with CG window panes that animate open as the camera enters the attic during the show’s opening.
Described as “a magical mix of joy and relaxation” by Pamela Duckworth, head of Fubo Studios, Bedtime Stories with Ryan has a unique, nostalgic feel set to captivate parents and children alike.