The Motion Capture Session

This chapter focuses on the various aspects of a motion capture session. The candidate table is a preliminary step that is designed to save time, and help to avoid creating storyboards for shots that are not even in consideration. The table should include at a minimum a shot name, which will be used to designate the data file as well, a list of the character(s) involved, and a description of each shot. One can also include a client reference name, which could be the board number or a page number in the script. In case of performance animation, blueprints are created to provide shot description, character names, storyboards, and shot timing. A typical storyboard is a drawn representation of a scene, which is a combination of shots that take place in a particular setting. A shot is represented in a storyboard by one or more drawings that are commonly used to block character movements and camera work in relationship with dialogue and timing. The storyboards needed for motion capture pertain only to a particular shot and not to a whole scene, and they need to be more specific for complicated motions, sometimes showing various views of the action. Including all the performance's measurements in the storyboard ensures that one can divide the shots into groups based on stage volume and configuration, which makes the tracking postprocess more efficient. Character setup deals with the locations of joints or bones in the body of a character that will provide the final motion and deformations. This is usually done using the 3D animation software, such as Maya or 3d Studio Max.