Why motion capture is harder than it looks

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

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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.

Watch the above video to learn more.

Further Reading:

Plask.ai lets you try out these tools for yourself. It’s a fun way to see just how far AI-based motion capture can go.


Mixamo is one of many resources for motion capture artists, and it’s fun to just browse the animations and see how they work.


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

Note: The headline on this piece has been updated.
Previous headline: Why motion capture is more than actors in funny suits

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