ELI5: Motion Capture
Motion Capture (MoCap) is the process of recording the movements of a person or object and translating them into digital data. This data can then be used to create realistic animations in video games, movies, and other digital media.
To do MoCap, a performer wears a suit with markers placed on key points on their body, such as their joints, extremities, and head. The markers are tracked by cameras, which capture the actor’s movements in 3D. The data from the cameras is then used to create a ‘digital skeleton’ or wireframe of the actor’s body.
That wireframe can then be used to animate a character in a video game, movie etc. Animators use this to move the skeleton’s bones to create different poses and movements. An animator can also add skin, clothes, and other details to the character to make it look more realistic.
MoCap is used to create realistic animations:
- Video games
- Movies
- TV shows
- Commercials
- Music videos
- Training simulations
- Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) applications
- Also in previz – when they need to test movie shots or stunts
Here are some examples of MoCap in action:
- The character Gollum in ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies was animated using MoCap.
- ‘Avatar’ was also animated from MoCap.
- Many of the characters in the video game series ‘Hogwarts Legacy’, ‘Uncharted’ and ‘The Last of Us’ were animated using MoCap.
Why is MoCap important?
MoCap is important because it allows animators to create realistic animations that would be difficult and expensive to create by hand. MoCap also allows animators to work more efficiently and to produce higher-quality animations.
ELI5 version:
If we had to explain to a 5 year old this is how we’d go about it: MoCap is a way to record someone’s movements and put them into a computer. This is useful for making things like video games and movies.
To perform MoCap, one wears a suit with markers on it. The markers are tracked by cameras, which capture the person’s movements in 3D. The computer then uses the data from the cameras to create a digital skeleton of the person’s body.
The animator can then move the skeleton’s bones to create different poses and movements. The animator can also add skin, clothes, and other details to the person to make them look more realistic.
MoCap is used in a lot of different things, like video games, movies, and TV shows. It’s a great way to create realistic animations that would be difficult and time consuming to create by hand.
Perhaps this is an industry you are interested in working in?
Would you like to train as a performer? [Read how here]
Would you like to train as a technician? [Read how here]
