Mocap Consulting
Welcome to the intersection of technology and artistry, where motion capture meets fight choreography. As a Mocap Consultant with over 23 years of experience in technology, I bring a unique blend of expertise to the table. My journey began with a deep dive into the world of technology, where I honed my skills and developed a keen understanding of its nuances. Over the years, I've stayed ahead of the curve, embracing new advancements and innovations in the field. But my passion doesn't stop there. I've also immersed myself in the study of human anatomy and range of motion, particularly as it relates to fight choreography. This dual expertise allows me to bridge the gap between technology and movement, offering unparalleled insights and solutions for your projects. Whether you're looking to capture the perfect motion or choreograph a breathtaking fight sequence, I'm here to help you bring your vision to life. Let's create something extraordinary together. I am a liaison between actors, technology and studio collaborations. I have been heavily influenced by the works of Gian Luca Frattelini who is a dear kind friend and 3d animator. A very incredible human being and worked together on a portfolio piece titled "Taxi in Time." We have received over seven awards on it from all over the world.
Now... On to some Mocap History....
Motion capture technology got its start to be used in video games in the early 1990s. One of the earliest examples of motion capture in a video game is "Prince of Persia," released in 1989, which used rotoscoping, a technique that involves tracing over live-action footage frame by frame. As it turns out, the use of modern motion capture systems in video games started to become more prevalent in the early to mid-1990s.
One of the early breakthroughs in mocap for video games was the use of the technology in "Mortal Kombat," a popular fighting game franchise. The first "Mortal Kombat" game, released in 1992, featured digitized actors whose movements were captured using live-action footage.
This added a level of realism to the game's characters and animations, setting a new standard for fighting games.
As it turns out, motion capture has become a standard tool in the development of video games, used to create lifelike character animations, realistic movement, and immersive gameplay experiences. The technology has continued to evolve, with advancements in hardware and software enabling developers to create more sophisticated and realistic animations for video games.
Mocap Sliced Through
Every type of Mocap Technology has its pros and cons. As it turns out, they can be cumbersome. Let's go over each one for education, and then breakdown its problems.
Mocap Sliced Through
Optical Mocap
Optical Motion Capture 1970s, 1980s, 1990s
While these have been around they provide unique accuracy and smooth detail. I find it suitable for capturing subtle movements. It does a good job and can track multiple actors simultaneously. For fight scenes I like this choice.
I feel the difficulties they pose is a controlled environment with accurate lighting conditions. It can be affected by "occlusions" when markers are not visible to cameras. So crossing your arms and covering your markers can be an issue. So postures should be modified.
Inertial Mocap
Inertial Mocap - 1990s this came on the scene, dev of inertial mobcap sensors for sports and medical application. Then in 2000's introduced for animations and VR applications. In 2010 the sensors improved with more advanced accurate and reliable, algorithms and systems.
Markerless Mocap
In the year 2000 there were some early research on marker less motion capture using computer vision techniques then in 2010 a commercialized version of marker less motion capture systems were then introduced onto the scene for animation and biomechanics.
Mocap Sliced Through (Continued)
Facial Motion Capture
In the early 1990s Facial Motion Capture came on to the scene. They used markers and sensors then in 2000's markerless facial capture systems appeared. Today continued advancements and use of Cell Phone technology is making way. Now, real time capture (as if it is happening now) with detailed captures like a grimace of the face or anger expressions.
Full Body Mocap
With the invention of Full-Body Motion Capture:
This came on to the scene in 1990s and the first early development of full-body motion capture systems using optical and magnetic tracking technologies changed shit up a bit.
In the early 2000s, the awesome introduction of marker-less full-body motion capture systems using computer vision took over.
Today we see unique advancements in the sensor technology and using A.I. along with algorithms improve the accuracy and usability of full-body motion capture systems.
Real Time Mocap
Real-Time Motion Capture:
In the early 1990s the real-time motion capture systems were developed for virtual reality and interactive applications. Some were cheesy, yet they did the job.
If we look back into the 2000s, an introduction of real-time motion capture systems for live performances and gaming exploded on the scene and gained popularity.
We are now looking more into ongoing advancements in real-time motion capture technology, including improved latency and performance. Latency in motion capture refers to the delay between the time of your movement (when it's performed), and the time the system registers it by the mocap system, and reflects the outputted data.