New Muppets movie must be almost all bluescreen

[Puppet crazy]

I have a DVD player that allows you to zoom out giving you more of the picture. Sometimes this allows you to see things that are not meant to be in shot or other times just a black frame.

I tried it with the new Muppets Movie. To my surprise all the shots below Muppet waist level shows their legs (except Kermit)
and the Muppets with live action hands - their elbows with no puppet sleeves or puppeteers in view in almost every scene.

This must mean blue screen was used in almost the whole movie? Perhaps it's something to do with the technique they used to remove the rods?
Has anyone else tried this?
What is unusual is, if they did this, why they did not show them purposely below waist more often. Perhaps it gives too much of a CGI type appearance?

 

[Muppet fan 123]

Yes, it is, actually.
http://www.awn.com/articles/article/finessing-muppets

 

[Oscarfan]

It was blue-screen sometimes; other times they were live on the set and the performers and the arm rods were digitally erased. It's a subtle touch that works nicely.

 

[Puppet crazy]

It was blue-screen sometimes; other times they were live on the set and the performers and the arm rods were digitally erased. It's a subtle touch that works nicely.

Perhaps the technique they use erases anything blue/green automatically and the puppeteers sleeves and Muppet "elbow sleeves" were made the same colour as the arm rods.

 

[Puppet crazy]

Yes, it is, actually.
http://www.awn.com/articles/article/finessing-muppets

Thanks! I guess it’s probably cheaper than being on location for every scene. They're doing it with most movies now probably.

 

[muppetlover123]

what dvd player do u have?

 

[D'Snowth]

Thanks! I guess it’s probably cheaper than being on location for every scene. They're doing it with most movies now probably.

It works for full-bodied shots (like Walter dancing), but it takes away from the warmth, realism, and believability of the scene if they basically green-screen or blue screen the location entirely. I know it's "cheaper" to do it that way, but really, can't the movie industry find other areas to trim the budget so the actual work itself doesn't have to suffer by LOOKING like a cheaply-made movie?

I AM curious though as to how they were able to successful do chromakey with Zoot, considering his hair is basically the same color as the blue screen.

 

[muppetlover123]

im wondering how they shot the theme song

 

[D'Snowth]

im wondering how they shot the theme song

There's a video of it on Vimeo: it's basically almost like Photoshop, they shot each individual character (against bluescreen), then super-imposed them into the arches, then super-imposed all of them into the final shot.

 

[Oscarfan]

I AM curious though as to how they were able to successful do chromakey with Zoot, considering his hair is basically the same color as the blue screen.

...there's also the greenscreen. They used both, depending on the color of the character.