Performing for Motion Capture: A Guide for Practitioners

Want to be the next Andy Serkis as Gollum in Lord of the Rings? Or Zoe Saldana in Avatar? How about Seth MacFarlane in Ted? Or do you want to star in video games such as Fortnite, Call of Duty or Halo? If so, this book will tell you everything you need to know about acting for motion capture. This is the first book to provide an invaluable resource for the education of the next generation of performers in this exciting medium. Over the last 10 years, a revolution has occurred in digital production - video games have overtaken the film and TV industries in terms of production and revenues. Many video games derive their digital animation from human performance by means of motion and performance capture. Actors such as Andy Serkis and Troy Baker have won critical acclaim for their digital performance in games and film. The book includes contributions from practitioners working across the globe, including: actor Kezia Burrows; software developer Stéphane Dalbera; director Kate Saxon; a group of Japanese games directors; Jeremy Meunier, Head of Motion Capture at Moov studios, Montreal; Marc Morisseau, motion editor for Avatar; and a Chinese Motion Capture suit manufacturer.

John Dower is co-founder of www.themocapvaults.com and runs workshops with students and consultancy with developers worldwide in Motion Capture. He directs in Film, Television Drama and Motion Captured animation. He is on the Get Directing! team at Directors Charitable Foundation (UK) inspiring the next generation of Directors in all mediums.

Pascal Langdale is an actor and teacher known for his reliable versatility across multiple media. He has worked in TV, Film, Voice and Video Game, and has been described as the “Swiss Army Knife” of Mocap. Head of the Canadian branch of The Mocap Vaults, Pascal is a movement specialist with an expertise in nonverbal behavior, bringing characters to life through voice, body and psychology. His most recent mocap work includes Far Cry 6 as a body double and the voice of Bagley in Watchdogs: Legion (Nominated for a Canadian Game Award), also contributing to many of the 'Play as anyone' NPC's, as actor and movement choreographer.