How 'Ted Lasso' turned a crowd of 20 into a stadium of 26,000 using fake people

Using completely real crowds in Hollywood productions can be a huge logistical challenge. That's why movies and TV shows have found many ways to make crowds look bigger than they are. Older movies like "Ben-Hur" used matte paintings, while movies like "Glory Road'' have used inflatable extras. Today, duplication and CGI are the most frequently used techniques. On the Apple TV+ series "Ted Lasso," Barnstorm VFX had the daunting challenge of filling a 26,000-seat stadium using a mix of real and fake people. As Barnstorm VFX supervisor Lawson Deming told us, it's the mix of the two that best convinces the viewer.

Thanks to Barnstorm VFX for speaking with us and providing footage from "Ted Lasso" and "Insecure." Check out more of its work here:

www.barnstormvfx.com
https://vimeo.com/barnstormvfx

Check out more of Molecule VFX's work here:

https://www.moleculevfx.com/portfolio/
https://www.instagram.com/moleculevfx/

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