Motion Capture Heroes

For the Raven Motion Capture Team, getting caught in a grenade explosion, falling from a jet and dying from a shotgun blast is just another day at work as they create magic in our Motion Capture Room.  And while very few people know their faces, millions of people know their movements in the video games we’ve made. 

So, six months ago I proposed to Tim Uttech and Jeff Skubal that we shoot a video that would be like a trailer for an action movie, except we’d show the motion capture actors as the heroes. They liked the idea but it wasn’t until the week before Christmas that they had time to do it (the motion capture department is very busy). I asked each actor to choreograph a small fight that I’d be able to cut up into a movie trailer. But as we started shooting the video, each actor saw what one before them did, so of course the choreography grew longer and more intense. In the end, the first fight we shot was 16 seconds in length and used a space that was 10 ft. x 10 ft. … the last one we shot was 40 seconds and used the entire 30 x 30 motion capture area.

If we ever do this again, I’m sure they’ll jump at the chance – not that they want any praise, but because they love what they do.