It used to be that the key ingredients for producing an animated feature was a team of talented artists, some collateral, and a sense of childlike whimsy. Now, it seems like the defining factor is whether or not you have a set of balls – motion-tracking balls, that is. The ever-refining technology of motion capture is changing the face of animation in almost every field, but is it really a miracle technology or an expensive shortcut that dredges the life from our craft?
In the world of animation, there are many reasons to employ motion capture. In some instances, it can save a lot of time. An entire walk cycle can be extrapolated as simple as having someone stroll across the room. This also eliminates the need for artists to study complex and unique movement in detail prior to animating a sequence. Why spend a few days researching a kung fu master at his craft, when you can capture that organic performance and manipulate it after the fact?
While motion capture seems like a limitless technology, the reality is that it’s not nearly the digital panacea that many think it is. While mo cap can cut down on animation time in some circumstances, it can often be just as time-consuming as the traditional process. In very few cases is the motion-tracked data ready for inclusion without an artist’s tweaking. The equipment and space necessary to capture data is just as expensive as the old methods, if not more so.
Animation as an art form is often dedicated to crafting impossible worlds and unlikely characters. Rabbits crack wise, mice captain steamboats, and wolves sexually harass red-hot nightclub dancers. No matter how well a human can mimic these animal characters, their movements cannot possibly reflect the weight and gravity of the models. Animation is built around a series of exaggerated gestures that are not commonplace in real life. Anticipation, squash and stretch are all, in varying degrees, elements that the viewer has come to expect. These principles breathe a kinetic life into the characters. Mo cap precludes these exaggerated details. The result is animation that looks stiff and lifeless. This can, of course, be remedied by creatively tweaking captured data, which is why companies like ILM, despite using some of the most advanced technology available, still devote time to manipulating their results to create a more vibrant product.
This is not to say that mo cap is stamping the life out of animation. There are plenty of projects where the aforementioned restrictions don’t apply. The technology is perfect for projects like Robert Zemeckis’ “Beowulf,” which sought to blend age-old fantasy with the human subtly that arguably only mo cap can offer. Still, it is a hotly debated issue among some animators, whether or not mo cap constitutes animation. Pixar made their stance well known in “Ratatouille,” proudly touting during the film’s credits: “100% Pure Animation -- No Motion Capture!” Such squabbles don’t bother the Academy of Arts and Sciences, as the 2006 Academy Award for “Best Animated Film” went to Warner Bros’ “Happy Feet,” a mo capped penguin capper.
Artistic debates aside, mo cap has become a central tool in the world of special effects. The technology can be used to create digital stand-ins for actors during special effects-laden sequences or near-impossible camera angles. Digital puppetry such as Gollum in Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” captivated audiences with its uniquely human performance. The videogame industry too is reaping the many benefits of this process with games ranging from Sony’s epic “Heavenly Sword” to Rockstar Games' recent hit (and run) “Grand Theft Auto IV” featuring performance capture in gameplay and cutscenes. For the lightning-paced games industry, efficiency is key. As Ty Viveiros, an animator at Zindagi Games, points out, “when an animation team is on a tight schedule and can't afford the time to hand key-frame their work, their best bet is to use motion capture in order to produce a lot of high quality animations in a very short amount of time.”
Motion Capture has become an invaluable resource for animators of all fields. It is not a replacement for traditional 3D animation any more than rotoscoping was for 2D. It’s a stylistic choice and a tool that helps craft a more realistic result. Mo cap is simply a tool and, like any tool, it has its limitations. Green is a fantastic color, but a painter would never paint a scene using nothing but viridian hues. In every great work of art, there must be some degree of contrast. By combining the broad strokes of motion capture with the intricate details of traditional animation, we can create an exciting, organic, and visually rich future for animation.
About Mark Garabedian
Mark Garabedian is a freelance animation writer and all-around cartoon connoisseur. He also works as a video game designer at Bionic Games under the more aerodynamic moniker, Mark Stuart.