Why motion capture is harder than it looks

The suits are just the beginning of the motion capture process.

Motion capture has taken over a lot of computer animation for movies, video games, and TV. Coverage typically focuses on actors wearing funny suits and performing feats of imagination. But is it really that easy?

The above video shows that it’s a lot more complex than that. Motion capture requires heavy editing, tweaking, and processing after the actual capture to create animations that look real. That part of the process is key to understanding the images on your screen.

Try out some of these tools for yourself. It’s a fun way to see how far AI-based motion capture can go and it helped Phil Edwards create Moby Fitzsimmons. Other resources like Mixamo provide animations and 3D models for motion capture artists to work with.

As with most things related to visual effects, Befores & Afters has countless relevant nuggets of behind-the-scenes footage and deep dives into motion capture history.

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