The Big Question: Does motion capture add depth to characters?

Simon Pittam our consultant managing the role
Posting date: 10/06/2016

When Mo-cap technology first arrived it had an immediate benefit and efficiencies impacted quickly.

Realistic movements that once took a raft of hard-coded parameters could now be captured in one fell swoop. Initially it was deployed with productivity in mind however in recent years mo-cap has significantly evolved toward a deeper sense of characterisation; "It's all about creativity," says Phil Elderfield, Product Manager at Vicon Motion Systems; "Players want to immerse themselves in a story, and that requires a sense of reality." 

Biomechanics alone are not compelling without a level of performance

 

At a base level the function of mo-cap is to recreate movement by replicating natural biomechanics, so in this respect it could be seen to cover a scientific data-capture role within animation. However, biomechanics alone are not compelling without a level of performance. Mo-cap technology has advanced to a point where full body performance is not only very accurate but also provides results extremely quickly  so many AAA games  utilise it exclusively, hiring motion editors over traditional animators for a number of roles. 

Lead Animator at Realtime Will Eades describes the evolution of mo-cap’s contribution to character through performance- “The accessibility of Mo-Cap to studios nowadays allows us to produce content quicker which allows for more iterations creating a more refined and in depth performance of the characters”. So there has been a shift to toward performance capture rather than just movement capture as a driving force for character. “Motion Capture technology has come a long way since its conception” explains Richard Wearmouth, Mo-Cap Supervisor, “and so have the actors who are now engaging and specialising in 'performance capture', giving us an even more believable and realistic game character experience.” 

Freelance Animator, Damon Tasker agrees “I feel that it’s a widely-held misconception that mo-cap is some kind of magic process that adds depth to games characters” he says “but in order to add real depth to game characters, multiple facets of development have to be executed effectively - solid on-set preparation and direction, believable world building, compelling narrative and a considered approach motion editing and implementation to name but a few. Capturing motion from a real human, doesn’t make it compelling or interesting without purpose or vision.” 

Our innate connection to other beings is awakened when confronted with a reality that we already know

 

Let’s go back a step on why mo-cap has become such a compelling part of the process of character generation. Humans are hard-wired to identify life, specifically living-beings as opposed to objects or plants. Seeing a familiar movement pattern gives us an immediate reference of recognition and believability. Even if it’s fictional, our innate connection to other beings is awakened when confronted with a reality that we already know. Furthermore, if you generate enough belief you can start to stretch that sense of encounter with another being by manipulating features to create deeper emphasis on selected elements of characterisation. So characters with exaggerated, Gollum-like physicality aren’t real, but the performance capture foundation enables them to be real enough that we can believe in them. 

Whereas all mo-cap contributes to characterisation, not all characterisation is drawn from mo-cap. It’s worth acknowledging that a great many other ingredients such as texture, lighting, audio and dialogue contribute key layers toward the depth of character. Mo-cap provides a foundation upon which further details of characterisation are built.

One clear focal point here is in facial performance and this too is evolving. “Facial Mo-cap is advancing in its accessibility and technology” says Will Eades, Lead Animator at Realtime UK; “Combined with hi-res scanning of actors to create extremely realistic 3d models and rigs the characters in games are continually becoming more detailed and believable”. Facial animation provides some unique challenges however as Michael Berger, Co-Founder of Speech Graphics describes- “The movement of the face consists mainly of soft tissue deformation caused by surface muscles, and there's a lot of room for variation.  It's tricky to map facial motion captured from an actor onto a 3D character. This is a distinct process called 'retargeting', and it's as much an art as a science” he explains. Michael’s answer to this has been to use the audio signal to drive the face via an internal, procedural model of facial movement. Clever stuff. 

As well as close and detailed nuance of the face, mo-cap also has a role in wider-shot realism as Eades continues- “Some Mo-Cap studios can now capture up to 18 actors at once which would massively help in crowd animation that needed to interact which each other - a no brainer for a sports game developer for example”. Believability can’t only be limited to key characters, if a group scene provides a flimsy environment the gameplay experience would be significantly compromised not matter how solid the protagonist’s character.

There are examples where mo-cap makes less sense than keyframe

 

There are examples where mo-cap makes less sense, and keyframing still provides the kind of performance you need, such as the outstanding and slightly stylised animation by James Benson on the critically acclaimed Firewatch. Will Eades at Realtime agrees Mo-cap is a tool in the box rather than a silver bullet; - “as an animator I know that although the technology is becoming more and more accessible there will always be the need for keyframe clean-up and adjustments to enhance the performance”.  Berger agrees, “There is more involved in motion capture than simply 'capturing motion'” he concludes.
 
Having come so far in its contribution to character what’s next for mo-cap? “The increased accessibility of Mo-cap couldn’t have come at a better time, coinciding with the second coming of VR” says Andy Nye, Managing Director, New Moon Games. “We’ve found that when you’re placed in a VR environment, the increased realism of your interaction with the virtual world is significant” he says. We can’t wait to see this next level of mo-cap’s powerful role within providing character depth.

 
--relatedposts-postpage

Read more...

UK RANKED LOWEST IN A DECADE FOR WORKPLACE GENDER EQUALITY
UK RANKED LOWEST IN A DECADE FOR WORKPLACE GENDER EQUALITY

Teaser

Amiqus News

Content Type

Blog

13/03/2025

Summary

The UK slips from 17th to 18th in PwC’s Women in Work Index, down from 10th in 2020 - the steepest post-pandemic decline amongst OECD countries - with Iceland, New Zealand and Luxembour

Teaser

The UK's position in workplace gender equality has dropped to its lowest in more than a decade, according to PwC's latest Women in Work Index. Despite slight improvements in the gender pay gap and female labor participation, the UK's overall ranking fell due to factors such as increased female unemployment and a widening participation gap. Notably, Scotland emerged as the top-performing region for the second consecutive year.

Read full article
Liz Prince

by

Liz Prince

Liz Prince

by

Liz Prince

International Women's Day 2025
WHY IWD IS STILL CRUCIAL IN GAMES – AND BEYOND

Teaser

Amiqus News

Content Type

Blog

06/03/2025

Summary

We’re heading towards International Women’s Day this Saturday (March 8th). This annual global event honours the social, economic and cultural achievements of women, while serving as a call to

Teaser

International Women’s Day is more than just a celebration, it’s a reminder that true gender equity in the games industry is still a work in progress. Women and girls make up nearly half of all players worldwide, yet only about a quarter of the industry’s workforce. While progress is happening, it’s not enough.

Read full article
Liz Prince

by

Liz Prince

Liz Prince

by

Liz Prince

EXECUTIVE SEARCH FOR AVID GAMES
EXECUTIVE SEARCH FOR AVID GAMES

Teaser

Case Study

Content Type

News

30/01/2025

Summary

Avid Games, a leading digital card trading game developer, faced critical challenges in expanding its operations and enhancing its strategic capabilities. With ambitions to grow exponentially an

Teaser

Amiqus Executive successfully partnered with Avid Games to recruit key executives, including a COO/CFO and CTO, within a tight timeframe. This strategic collaboration enhanced Avid Games' operational efficiency and technological innovation, positioning them for significant growth in the digital card gaming industry.

Read full article
Stig Strand

by

Stig Strand

Stig Strand

by

Stig Strand

Empower Up, the online EDI platform celebrates its first-year anniversary.
Empower Up Celebrates A Year Of Providing EDI Advice & Resources

Teaser

Amiqus News

Content Type

News

18/11/2024

Summary

Empower Up, the online EDI platform from award-winning specialist games recruitment agency Amiqus and #RaiseTheGame – powered by Ukie, is celebrating its first-year anniversary. The

Teaser

Empower Up, the online EDI platform from award-winning specialist games recruitment agency Amiqus and #RaiseTheGame – powered by Ukie, is celebrating its first-year anniversary.

Read full article
Liz Prince

by

Liz Prince

Liz Prince

by

Liz Prince

UK Businesses Launch 4-Day Workweek Trial with 1,000+ Employees
NEW 4-DAY WEEK TRIAL BEGINS

Teaser

Amiqus News

Content Type

News

07/11/2024

Summary

Some 17 UK businesses, encompassing over 1,000 staff, are taking part in the second four-day week pilot scheme from this week. The trial is once again being led by the 4 Day Week Campaign, whi

Teaser

Read full article
Liz Prince

by

Liz Prince

Liz Prince

by

Liz Prince

HARINDER SANGHA PRESENTED WITH THE G INTO GAMING AWARD 2024
HARINDER SANGHA PRESENTED WITH THE G INTO GAMING AWARD 2024

Teaser

Amiqus News

Content Type

News

24/09/2024

Summary

We were delighted to present Harinder Sangha, Co-Founder & COO of Maverick Games with the G Into Gaming accolade at the recent Gamesindustry.biz Best Places To Work Awards. This awa

Teaser

Read full article
Liz Prince

by

Liz Prince

Liz Prince

by

Liz Prince

Liz Prince, Amiqus CEO, at the MCV / Develop Awards
BEING A RECRUITER, AWARDS AND HUGE THANKS

Teaser

Amiqus News

Content Type

News

19/07/2024

Summary

I’m in a service profession, one that I’ve been proud to belong to for the past 30 years. For 19 years (so far) of that career, I’ve served the games industry alongside my colleagues at Amiqus

Teaser

Amiqus CEO Liz Prince reflects on the successes and difficulties during her career.

Read full article
Liz Prince

by

Liz Prince

Liz Prince

by

Liz Prince

Develop:Brighton
AMIQUS @DEVELOP:BRIGHTON – WHAT’VE GOT IN STORE

Teaser

Amiqus News

Content Type

News

01/07/2024

Summary

Develop:Brighton is already upon us, and the Amiqus team is looking forward to once again meeting with friends and peers. We’re also delighted to be involved in the Conference programme – and

Teaser

Read full article
Liz Prince

by

Liz Prince

Liz Prince

by

Liz Prince

Amiqus Wins Recruitment Agency Of The Year At  MCV/DEVELOP Awards
MCV/DEVELOP AWARDS – WITH THANKS FOR OUR ACCOLADE!

Teaser

Amiqus News

Content Type

News

01/07/2024

Summary

We are delighted, honoured and thankful to have been named Recruitment Agency of the Year at the recent MCV/DEVELOP Awards. The Amiqus team and friends gathered at the Lancaster Hot

Teaser

We are delighted, honoured and thankful to have been named Recruitment Agency of the Year at the recent MCV/DEVELOP Awards.

Read full article
Liz Prince

by

Liz Prince

Liz Prince

by

Liz Prince

Attend Develop: Brighton With Blind Burners
Attend Develop: Brighton With Blind Burners

Teaser

Amiqus News

Content Type

News

25/06/2024

Summary

Our friends at Blind Burners are looking for active game devs to act as guides for their blind and low-vision delegates attending Develop: Brighton from the 9th to the 11th July, ideally helping

Teaser

Read full article
--relatedjobs-nosvg

Related Jobs

Community Manager

Salary

£25,000-£35,000

Location:

Liverpool (hybrid)

Location

North West

Job type

Permanent

Salary

£20 - 30,000

£30 - 40,000

Description

This is a fantastic opportunity to get involved with a studio who are creating a range of new titles!

Reference

9242

Expiry Date

01/01/0001

Will  Hudson

Author

Will Hudson
Will  Hudson

Author

Will Hudson
Apply now
DevOps Engineer

Salary

£55,000 - £78,000 + Bonus

Location:

Midlands or Remote

Specialisms

Back-end Developer

Build Programmer

Programmer

Server Programmer

Location

Europe

Remote working

Midlands

Job type

Permanent

Salary

£60 - 70,000

£70 - 80,000

£80 - 90,000

Description

This is a fantastic opportunity to work for a studio who are creating amazing titles

Reference

9292

Expiry Date

01/01/0001

Will  Hudson

Author

Will Hudson
Will  Hudson

Author

Will Hudson
Apply now
Senior Backend Developer - C# AWS GCP

Salary

to £80k plus benefits

Location:

Leamington Spa OR Remote

Specialisms

Back-end Developer

Dev Ops

Location

UK

Job type

Permanent

Salary

£60 - 70,000

£70 - 80,000

Description

Senior Backend Developer C# AWS GCP to build the backend for this mobile game developer. Must be familiar with scaling, backend performance, security and automated deployment (CI/CD pipelines).

Reference

9346

Expiry Date

01/01/0001

Simon Pittam

Author

Simon Pittam
Apply now
Senior 3D Games Artist

Salary

Up to £55k

Location:

Remote UK

Specialisms

Artist

Asset Artist

Location

UK

Job type

Permanent

Salary

£40 - 50,000

£50 - 60,000

Description

An exciting opportunity for an experienced Senior 3D Artist to join a new studio blending a passion for games and music.

Reference

9352

Expiry Date

01/01/0001

Chris Molleson Apply now
Principal UI Artist (Mobile Unity Games) – Fully Remote – Salary up to £80k

Salary

Salary up to £80k DoE

Location:

Remote Working

Specialisms

UI Artist

UI / UX designer

UX Designer

Location

Remote working

Job type

Permanent

Salary

£50 - 60,000

£60 - 70,000

£70 - 80,000

Description

Principal UI Artist to work remotely on an exciting new mobile game built in Unity.

Reference

9349

Expiry Date

01/01/0001

Lee  Burns

Author

Lee Burns
Lee  Burns

Author

Lee Burns
Apply now
Digital Campaign Manager

Salary

£60,000 - £70,000 + Benefits

Location:

London, UK (Hybrid)

Specialisms

Marketing & Commercial

Location

UK

Job type

Permanent

Salary

£50 - 60,000

£60 - 70,000

Description

Digital Campaign Manager Video Games London Hybrid £60 - £70k

Reference

9334

Expiry Date

01/01/0001

Alan Dixon

Author

Alan Dixon
Alan Dixon

Author

Alan Dixon
Apply now
Data Analyst

Salary

£40,000 - £50,000 + Benefits + Hybrid

Location:

London - Hybrid

Specialisms

Analytics

Data Analyst

Location

UK

Job type

Permanent

Salary

£40 - 50,000

Description

Data Analyst London Hybrid £40 - £50k

Reference

9335

Expiry Date

01/01/0001

Alan Dixon

Author

Alan Dixon
Alan Dixon

Author

Alan Dixon
Apply now
UI/UX Developer

Salary

£50,000 - £85,000

Location:

Fully Remote

Specialisms

Front-end Developer

UI Programmer

UX Programmer

Web Developer

Location

Europe

Overseas

Remote working

UK

Job type

Permanent

Salary

£30 - 40,000

£40 - 50,000

£50 - 60,000

£60 - 70,000

£70 - 80,000

£80 - 90,000

Description

UI UX Developer Javascripte, HTML, CSS Remote for EU and UK

Reference

9329

Expiry Date

01/01/0001

Alan Dixon

Author

Alan Dixon
Alan Dixon

Author

Alan Dixon
Apply now
Senior Backend Developer - UK (Remote)

Salary

to £70k plus Benefits

Location:

UK, Remote

Specialisms

Back-end Developer

Location

UK

Job type

Permanent

Salary

£50 - 60,000

£60 - 70,000

Description

Senior Backend Developer with C# to join this developer of AA games working on a PC / Console title. Salary to £70k plus benefits. This role is UK based, remote working.

Reference

9301

Expiry Date

01/01/0001

Simon Pittam

Author

Simon Pittam
Apply now
Senior Gameplay Programmer C++ UE4/5 - UK (Remote)

Salary

to £65k plus benefits

Location:

UK, Remote

Specialisms

Gameplay Programmer

Location

UK

Job type

Permanent

Salary

£50 - 60,000

£60 - 70,000

Description

Senior Gameplay Programmer C++ UE4/5 to join this AA studio working on an ambitious PC / Console title. UK based, remote working, salary to £65k plus benefits.

Reference

9300

Expiry Date

01/01/0001

Simon Pittam

Author

Simon Pittam
Apply now