It looks like holiday Christmas lights, until they move and begin to
attack each other. These less than jolly warriors armed with sparks of
red, battle and fall slain. Only through the eyes of a computer can the
whole of what’s transpired be seen. Remnant’s motion capture session
with PhaseSpace has come off without a hitch.
Remnant Studios’ preparation for motion capture started a month earlier
with tactical instructor Beau Bunac. Director Daniel Morrison brought a
synopsis to Beau Bunac who fleshed out what the fight sequences would
look like in the real world with warriors who were actually trained for
combat. Beau’s knowledge of period weaponry helped Remnant’s crew create
a more accurate picture of the selected historical scenes. Through
several fight practice sessions his guidance and training enabled
Remnant’s performers to fight like combatants.
Arriving at PhaseSpace, Remnant’s crew began suiting up. Attended by
Point Of View Productions, PhaseSpace’s tech team set to work outfitting
each piece of mock weaponry that would be needed for the fight
sequences: swords, shields, and spears. Several pieces of weaponry were
at times planned to be air born during different warfare tactics and had
to be tethered on an extended line for powering the glowing LED’s. After
a bit of prep it’s time for action.
The performers swing into action attacking, fighting, perishing, or
overcoming.
The performance space is smaller than the practice space, and the
practice sessions begin to pay off.
The great results seen in real-time on a computer screen projected on
the wall allow direct feedback from Remnant’s director. But more than
just fight sequences are performed. Everything from reading books,
falling in a fire, and chariot riding is captured in Remnant’s single
day session with Point Of View and Phase Space.
Capturing the motion is only the beginning. Remnant’s team now ingests
the data for processing and clean up in Autodesk’s Motion Builder, and
then Natural Motion’s Endorphin. The data will be applied to skeletons,
and then additional simulations will be added to intensify body falls,
collisions, and impossible stage interactions. Remnant’s team is up for
the challenge, and itching for action.
Action is what the final production will have. After all the simulations
of fire, water, cloth, and hair, and once the scenes have all been
textured and prepped for final render, this project will display some
amazingly intense fight sequences which would have taken a multitude of
man hours to produce by hand. This kind of automated control isn’t
cheap, but under the proper creative direction it can produce phenomenal
results.
Find out how the Remnant Studios team can help deliver your business message
to your audiences, call us now toll-free at (888) 463-4920 or visit us online at
www.RemnantStudios.com
Remnant Studios is a visual effects and creative media
production company with a long history of creating motion graphics,
post-production, and corporate events. Our award-winning team is dedicated to
excellence and functional creativity; setting a standard for media production in
the industry.
