Celebs get Punk'd - Post News

Post, June, 2003

HOLLYWOOD -- Broadcast design/animation ho use Class-Key Chew-Pa (www.classkeychewpo.com) renewed its long working relationship with MTV when it recently created the opening title sequence for the network's latest primetime series Punk'd. For the open, Class-Key Chew-Po shot live action sequences and provided design work forthe open.

Punk'd is a hidden camera reality TV show featuring Ashton Kutcher from That '70s Show playing pranks on celebrities. In one instance a fan pleads with Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis to tackle him. Bettis finally complies by lightly tackling the fan. The fan falls to the ground and writhes in pain, screaming out that he's going to sue, while Bettis looks on dumbfounded.

Punk'd was MTV's number two highest rated premiere in its history, second only to the first episode of MTV's, The Osbournes, for which Class-key Chew-Pa was responsible for creating the identity.

The main title was created with a stark and assertive look to reflect the mischievous, devious tone prankster host Kutcher wanted for the series, Director Bil White and lead designer Gene Sung drew from images of the early underground punk scene, skateboard culture and classic television action series as inspiration.

The studio started by shooting Kutcher against a white seamless background on an insert stage at MTV. They then pulled selected shots and treated the footage by minimizing the color palette to just red, black and white. The design team textured the images by adding a dot screen layer in selected areas. To create the scenes with Astons accomplices, White worked with the talent to create mini action-sequences, climbing up ladders, running past cars, etc. The sequences were then rotoscoped into silhouette images with the red, black and white color palette to match the footage of Ashton. The final step was editing the work together in Apple Final Cut Pro and compositing the final piece against paper textured background in Adobe After Effects.

Additional credits include effects artists Lisa Rubinelli and Paul Grant, senior producer Nathalie Renard and production coordinator Malika R. Cohen.