Developing practical models for teaching motion capture

Motion capture technology is increasingly being used across a range of digital moving image practice, from 3D animation, digital visual effects and gaming, to digitally augmented live performance and dance.

Keeping abreast of developing and cutting edge moving image production technologies is often a constant challenge in digital moving image-related teaching programmes, as is the requirement to create curriculum that delivers both a strong foundational technical skill-base, but which is also addresses the meaningful application of the technology to a range of communicative and/or aesthetic principles and outcomes. In addition, there is the importance of sustaining a robust teaching-research nexus within an academic context.

This paper presents a range of preliminary pedagogical and research issues which have arisen at the early stages of developing teaching modules around the use of low cost, entry level motion capture technology at the School of Art and Design, AUT University, New Zealand. The motion capture system being utilised is Optitrack's economical eight-camera optical motion capture package. This initiative represents a 'first step' in the integration of motion capture within an existing digital moving image programme and was conceived to address of a number of core pedagogical and research aims around 3D animation, performance and motion capture.

The move to address motion capture in curriculum at AUT University was a result of several factors. The increasing utilisation of motion capture in the New Zealand animation and visual effects industry has meant that there is a need for graduates to have some developed skills in this area. Motion capture is also a developing field in academic research with regard to its use in the entertainment industries, including cinema, gaming and live performance. In addition an opportunity has arisen to develop some key industry partnerships to build a high-end motion capture facility at AUT University.

A range of research projects being undertaken by postgraduate students and staff are being used to develop a series of motion capture teaching modules. Experience at a motion capture 'bootcamp' at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia is also being drawn on.

Our pedagogical aims around motion capture have two areas of principle focus at this stage. The first is the issue of character animation: the use of motion capture as an aid for teaching animated performance and exploring the relationship between classical animation principles and motion captured movement. The second is concerned with developing director and performer skill sets -- how to direct and perform effectively with motion capture for shifting project and performance mode requirements. Within these particular fields of focus a number of issues arise: questions of motion capture versus classical animation technique, stylised or exaggerated versus naturalistic performance modes, motion captured movement applied to stylised character models and/or photo-realistic models, the translation of 'live' to digital movement, and the digital processing of performance.

The paper will present an overview of the range of projects, and their varied applications of motion capture technology, and the related teaching, curriculum development and research considerations arising at this initial stage.