Broadcast Beat Magazine 2017 BroadcastAsia Special Edition | Page 51

capture cameras, I was helping camera assistant in still photogra-
them to set up for a lot of demos. phy. Motion capture is about mix-
I became really good at setting up ing computer science, animation
motion capture stages in ad hoc and cameras together, so I was able
situations, but this expertise also to follow all my passions in one go.
meant travelling a lot. I moved on
in favour of a little independence
and I found myself doing motion
What do you see for the
future of motion capture?
capture work in places like Fiji, Italy,
New Zealand, and of course Los We see the demand constantly
Angeles. There came a time that I growing. It’s reached a level that
really wanted to plant some roots. we don’t call it motion capture any-
I opened Animatrik to help me to more, we call it performance cap-
settle down in Vancouver and serve ture, because we’re trying to record
the growing industry here. the essence of an actor. The future
is about iterating over the smallest
What was Animatrik’s very
first project? And which
challenged you the most? bodily details, so we can collect
The first project was District 9, There will be emerging technol-
but Warcraft was definitely the ogies that commoditize this and
most challenging! It was the largest make it cheaper, but there are also
scale virtual production effort ever emerging technologies all about
undertaken, and I think will remain resolution and fidelity to photore-
to be until production starts on alism.
more and more data that stays true
to what the actor does.
Avatar 2. It’s really challenging for
your project to have a good three
or four year run at the top of this
field, especially when technology is
And what advice would you
give to individuals trying to
supply motion capture?
With studios in Vancouver,
British Columbia and Los
Angeles, California Animatrik
Film Design can serve your
motion capture and virtual
production needs in North
Americas two largest film cen-
tres.
advancing so quickly.
Performance capture is a small,
What excites you
motion capture?
about
niche industry. Find a company to
target. Some might have internship
programmes, but like any other
I had a passion for cameras grow- production-based job, you have to
ing up, and even had a job as a find any way in!
When Vancouver or Los
Angeles aren’t an option, our
mobile team can come to you.
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