Performance Capture (Mocap) is a technical process that translates human movement directly onto a digital character rig, providing animators with highly realistic, complex foundational data for movement, particularly for crowds and subtle human actions. While Mocap offers unparalleled efficiency for complex motions, the technical challenge lies in the subsequent clean-up and data retargeting—adjusting the captured human performance to fit the unique proportions and stylistic needs of the digital character (e.g., a cartoon alien).

Our curriculum includes modules on integrating Mocap data into standard animation pipelines, focusing on the technical skills of filtering, solving jitter, and most importantly, layering an animator’s artistic performance on top of the raw data. This hybrid approach ensures that the final movement retains the subtle realism of the human performer while adhering to the character’s unique design and the project’s specific visual style, maintaining the artistic control of the animation team.