Product category:
Imaging/Image processing software/VR
News Release from: OMG | Subject: Vicon MX40
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 18 August 2006
Vicon brings skateboard tale to life
Animated Movie Captures the Subtleties of Skaters' Signature Moves and Styles
Vicon, a leading developer of motion capture systems and part of Oxford Metrics Group, has announced the use of a Vicon MX40 motion capture system by Mainframe Entertainment for the 70-minute animated movie Tony Hawk in Boom Boom Sabotage Vicon MX motion capture offered the extreme accuracy and real-time performance required to record the signature performances of skateboard legend Tony Hawk and a supporting cast of skaters to bring true-to-form performances to their counterparts in the all-CGI film
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 18 Jan 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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Ninety five percent of the animation for the completely CGI project, which sees a town turned upside down by Hawk's HuckJam tour, was recorded via motion capture.
Mainframe captured more than 15,000 skateboard tricks between a shoot on location with Tony Hawk in San Diego, and a session with pro street riders on its own Vicon motion capture stage in Vancouver.
"With skateboarding, you love a certain skater for the way they move, their style, the way they land".
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"It's so specific to their skating," said Ben Burden Smith, Producer and Co-Writer on Tony Hawk in Boom Boom Sabotage at Mainframe Entertainment.
"We knew motion capture was the only way to bring these super-miniscule details to our characters - and to skateboard fans".
"Vicon performs so well that our mo-cap sessions just became these great organic skate jams where the skaters were super comfortable and could just go when they wanted to".
"We were able to avoid any form of shooting structure - it was refreshing and a lot of fun".
Motion capture markers of reflective tape were placed on each skater's board so that the Vicon cameras were able to record rotational data about how the boards were flipping, spinning or even being held in the skateboarders' hands.
An array of ramps up to 13 feet high and other props provided the athletes with familiar action turf.
"We were recording something like eight tricks in a single run with Tony, and only needed about an hour of his time to capture motions that were perfect," recalled Burden Smith.
Motion capture was also recorded for numerous other characters in the movie, such as circus "carnies" whose local fame is displaced by the arrival of the HuckJam tour.
"Motion capture has become so production friendly and supportive of the creative process," Burden Smith added.
"These days, on the motion capture stage you actually get to make your movie a couple of times".
"The speed and accuracy has been growing by leaps and bounds and Vicon's RandD leadership is bringing about benefits for everyone, not just the larger players".
"Vicon's support is amazing, and, as a producer, that helps me sleep better!" "Tony is a veteran of Vicon motion capture," said Nick Bolton, CEO of OMG.
"In addition to lending his moves to several game titles, he was also motion-captured for an episode of the TV show CSI: Miami, in which he guest starred".
"On that project, the producers came to Vicon with a plotline that had motion data from the Vicon cameras holding important clues to solve the case of a murdered skateboarder".
"We are pleased that we are continuing to help film, games and television clients meet their needs for bringing highly detailed realism to their projects".
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