Love it, hate it, or just plain dont understand it. Any way that
you look at it, motion capture has become a valuable tool in the
animators arsenal. It has been used in a number of award-winning,
top grossing feature films and is used extensively for character
animation in video games. Even though a lot of videographers and
digital artists have a solid understanding of building 3D into a
production pipeline, motion capture still remains something of an
enigma. Most people now understand the basics of motion capture,
even if only from watching the special feature section of Lord of
the Rings. The next step in the demystification is getting motion
capture samples and tutorials to talented digital artists and
animators. This objective comes with its own set of challenges and
problems. There are several myths that have developed regarding
motion capture among the traditional animators, who are the most
reluctant to try the technology. One of the basic questions looming
in many minds is What exactly is motion capture and what can it do
for me? Motion capture is the easiest, and often the most
cost-effective alternative for computer-animation of people,
animals, or creatures that require realistic or life-like movement.
It is, essentially, the process of capturing the movement. That
motion is brought into a number of animation packages and applied
to a 3D model or character. One common argument that we hear from
animators is that motion capture is too limiting and too expensive.
Motion capture is neither but you need to be clear about what you
are capturing and why you are doing it. The act of capturing the
gross motor movements of a character, especially one that is
remotely human, will reduce an animators production time
significantly. There are millions of visual cues, postures and
physical nuances that we use to communicate which are simply too
complex and/or time consuming for keyframe animation. Motion
capture can translate those cues to the character and allow the
animator to start from a solid working base. A myth that we try
very hard to dispel is that motion capture will eliminate or
replace key-frame animators. Lets make one thing clear: motion
capture does not replace a talented animator; in fact, the very
best effects have resulted from a combination of motion capture and
key-frame animation techniques. Capturing the performers human
motions is only one step in the animation process. Animators can
then exaggerate certain characteristics, gestures and nuances to
end up with their characters final performance.
As well as providing character animation data, motion capture
studios provide a broad range of other valuable offerings. Imagine
being a director with a complex 3D scene and character. Now place
yourself in a studio where you could, with the aid of a pair of
virtual reality goggles, walk through your scene with your
characters and plan your camera moves and triggering sequences
while the character and scenery is rendered in real time.
Storyboards spring to life because the animators create their
animatics in real time utilizing motion capture data. And last, but
surely not least, watch your character animated in real time while
directing the actor gives the animators and director invaluable
information. The director now instructs the actor how to alter his
performance to compensate for any distinctive character traits the
model may have; for example, much longer legs or arms, bigger head,
etc. Planning Is The Key I am not touting motion capture as
the answer to all animation issues (well, maybe I am but that would
be another story), however, planning is the key to achieving your
goals from a motion capture session. Some examples of planning: 1.
Identify what/who you would like to capture; male, female, are
there any special characteristics that you require? Choose your
actors well; a 6 foot 5 inch, 200 lb. male kick boxer will have a
distinctly different set of moves from a 5 foot 5 inch 110 lb.
female ballerina (yes, even just walking). 2. Prepare a shot list,
including the detail. Get shot will probably not be enough
direction to an actor. You may wish to elaborate: shot on the left
side of the head, fall to the right sideways gives your actor a
little more to work with and you have a better chance of getting
what you want. 3.Identify any props that you will require (guns,
walls, pads, etc.). Most props will be supplied by the studio but
make sure and identify any props that you wish to capture the
motion of, it does happen. We have been asked to capture swords,
guns, and all sorts of things. 4. Have at least one rehearsal with
your actor if possible. Establish communication with your actor and
set their expectations. This will make your motion capture session
much more efficient. 5. Run some range of motion tests with your
models and rigs. Do you have any mesh or skeleton issues? Most
motion capture houses will help you test your assets. A select few
will also let you view the motion on your character in real time
during the capture day so that you and your actor can make
allowances for any differences in physical proportions that may
exist (i.e., longer than normal legs or arms). Never fear, most
studios will work closely with animators that have no prior motion
capture experience. This helps both parties to understand what is
going to be accomplished, dispels any pervading myths, and ensures
that everyone ends up having a great experience. Are you still
unsure? There are also a number of places to get sample motion
files. My suggestion is to get data, read tutorials, and ask
questions. Many motion capture studios are happy to answer your
questions and help allay your fears about their product.  About Mantis Motion Productions Located in Utah, our
studio offers a unique alternative to traditional motion capture
studios. We are an energetic, experienced team of people dedicated
to deliver very high quality animation and data. Our mission is to
deliver the best possible solution in the minimum amount of time.
We supply the highest quality data and animation for games,
television, music videos and film productions. The flexibility of
our motion capture solution easily accommodates the fast paced
environment of episodic television shows, and can shave days or
weeks off of game and film productions. We can provide the data
captured in numerous formats whether you require skeletal data or
simply marker translational data for integration into your 3D
animations. We have the ability to deliver data in many 3D motion
formats and for any technical pipeline. Once the data is captured
and processed, we also provide an array of services to ease the
integration of the motion captured animations into your pipelines.
Our studio employs leading edge technology that enables us to
generate data with minimal occlusion Add to this equation our
vastly reduced set up times and this allows our customers to spend
more time capturing motion rather than fixing issues in the data
captured, making us a very cost effective solution for any sized
project. We welcome you to visit Mantis Motion
Productions for additional information.
The Art and Soul of Motion Capture first
appeared in Issue 7 of the Renderosity Magazine |
