Performance and Motion Capture

This chapter focuses on the most prevalent form of motion capture, optical. Where possible it will cover alternate and variant technologies. Motion capture has become a widely used technique in visual effects because of its ability to deliver high-fidelity character motion in a timeframe not practically achieved through other methods. Aesthetically speaking, motion capture has a look that may not be appropriate for all projects. This is achieved by recording the translations and/or rotations directly from an actor and using them to drive a digital character. Technically, some projects are better for motion capture than others because what can be captured and how the data can be used often comes with limitations. Traditional optical motion capture hardware takes up a lot of space, involves lots of delicate, expensive hardware and trained technicians.