Motion capture is a key part of creating digital characters in video games, movies and TV shows.
In a way, motion capture is nearly as old as film itself. Rotoscoping, when animators would capture the movements of a performer on film and use those movements to make their moving illustrations more lifelike, is more than a century old.
Many modern moviegoers were probably first made familiar with the technology through the character of Gollum, played by Andy Serkis, in the first “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, or in “The Polar Express,” filmed entirely with motion capture equipment. Today, motion capture is a staple of filmmaking, particularly effects-driven blockbusters.
Actors wear suits and other types of wearable devices that are covered in sensors designed to track movements, with cameras recording them from different angles. This data is then mapped onto a 3D model. A big player within this corner of the industry is Atlanta-based Actor Capture, which houses its operations at the Creative Media Industries Institute at Georgia State University. Actor Capture has worked on “Lyle, Lyle Crocodile,” “The Suicide Squad” and “Creed III,” among other projects that have taken the company as far as Taipei, Vancouver and South Korea.
James Martin is technical director of Actor Capture, which he co-founded five years ago. Martin has built a 20-year-plus career around real-time animation and multimedia, about 12 of which were spent in Atlanta. He’s drawn to the fields because they give him the ability to innovate with speed and efficiency. He calls real-time animation a break from the norm of traditional animation — it’s active, creatively collaborative and constantly evolving.
Martin sat down with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution to discuss the industry. Portions of this interview first appeared in the AJC’s new entertainment industry newsletter, The Scene, which you can subscribe to at qr1.be/V6U4.
Q: What is the most exciting trend you’re following in real-time animation?
A: Short form (animation features). It’s absolutely taking the world by storm. It’s something that makes you a visual storyteller faster and more efficiently. Platforms that are now short-form oriented give a great distribution point for any artist who’s rendering video.
Q: What is your advice for people looking to get into real-time animation?
A: Three words: practice, practice, practice. Continue to refine your craft and hone your talents and abilities in a way that you’re passionate about. Do that day in and day out, and bring that same amount of passion and enthusiasm every day. It’s important to the longevity of your art. Remain flexible to new techniques and innovations in the field, and bring those into your workflow. Something I think everyone should embrace is an open-minded approach to digital art. It’s an ever-changing realm and it’s a living art form.
Q: In your time in Georgia, what has been the biggest evolution you’ve witnessed in the entertainment industry?
A: The frequency of productions that are utilizing below-the-line workers and VFX workers, and in a lot of cases, international crews. Really bringing the world to Georgia has been something I’ve been honored to be a part of and humbled to witness. I grew up in the South. Seeing the industry that I once thought was only something you could experience in California come to the South and embrace Southern culture with open arms has been a breath of fresh air.
Q: What has kept you in the industry for so long?
A: I like the idea of being able to innovate with speed and efficiency and still produce high-quality animation and performances that literally are tracked from the face to the fingertip. When done correctly, and when the proper combination of ingredients come together, what you get is a really tasty performance. That’s something that I keep coming back for. That’s something that’s kept me in the field for a long time.
Q: If you could pursue a career outside of real-time animation, what would it be?
A: Practical effects. I don’t even have to think about it. I wish I was making scary masks and cool props and animatronics and a lot more hands-on type art that I do. At my core, I’m a fine artist, and sculpting and painting are things that I only do in a digital sense these days, except for when October rolls around and I get ahold of a pumpkin and a set of traditional sculpting tools.
Q: What is your favorite movie of all time?
A: “The Big Lebowski.”
Meet James Martin
Age: 44
Title: Technical director at Actor Capture and professor of practice at Georgia State’s Creative Media Industries Institute
Company: Actor Capture
Education: The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale
Family: Wife, Levona, three children and one pug
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