The Technical Terms in Motion Capture

(Pre - Production, Production, Post Production,done in a professional edit suite with high quality
Motion Capture, Newequipment. If off-line editing had been done, the
_________A) Pre - ProductionScene: A sceneedit decision list from that phase guides the on-line
or script is a numbered part of a film script, whichedit process, typically minimizing the time and cost
may be broken down into parts in longshot,in the professional edit suite.Post Production : The
medium-shot, close-up, etc by the director whenphases of production that occur after the
shooting. A master scene is a fairly long length ofrecording, filming, or taping. This includes editing,
the script, all under one number, which themixing, effects, dubbing, compression, mastering,
director will certainly break down later. He or sheetc.Render Farm : A group of computers which
may, however, take the whole of a masterwork together to perform the
scene first, then shoot closeups of the variouscomputation-intensive tasks of 3-D
characters to cut in with this later. In animation) Motion CaptureMocap : The process of recording
the basic unit of continuous action, usually shot onthe data from human movement so that it can
one background, from which a film is builtbe used for 3D characters created on a
up.Script: The detailed scene-by-scene instructionscomputer. Mocap can be used for 3D animations
for a film or television production, includingfor film, TV and games, and for special effects
description of setting and action with dialogue andwork. There are wireless, magnetic motion
camera directions. When the script also has fullcapture systems, and optical systems, which
details of visuals it is termed atrack markers attached to the
'storyboard'.Storyboard: A form of shooting scriptanimator.Performance Capture : The recording of
common for animated films for many years anda performance, either human or animal, using a
now usually used for commercials, even live-actionMotion Capture system (or similar technology) -
ones. It consists of a series of sketches showingdifference being that you can motion capture a
key positions for every scene, with dialogue andtable, but it is cannot give a performance. Special
descriptive notes below. Still used inEffects Blue (or Green)Screen : A system that
) Production2D Animation: The creation of movingreplaces a specified colour (blue in this case) with
pictures in a two-dimensional environment, such asimages from another source. This can either be
through "traditional" cel animation or indone optically (eg. using film) or electronically (eg.
computerized animation software. This is done byin video, also known as Chroma-Key in video).
sequencing consecutive images, or "frames", thatSome computer systems look at pixel in the
simulate motion by each image showing the nextscene and determine whether to replace that
in a gradual progression of steps. The eye can bepixel with the other video source. Better
"fooled" into perceiving motion when thesecomputer systems allow 'some' of the colour of
consecutive images are shown at a rate of 24the pixel from 1 image and 'some' from another
frames per second or faster. 3DAnimation:image. The better systems could be take
The creation of moving pictures in atransparent objects (eg. bottles) or smoke and
three-dimensional digital environment. This is donecombine these with the images from another
by sequencing consecutive images, or "frames",source.Chroma-Key : Keying out parts of an
that simulate motion by each image showing theimage which contain a particular colour (or colours).
next in a gradual progression of steps, filmed by aEg. replacing a blue or green background with
virtual "camera" and then output to video by aimages from another source.Composite : To
rendering engine. The eye can be "fooled" intocombine two or more individual images onto one
perceiving motion when these consecutive imagespiece of film by photographic or digital means.
are shown at a rate of 24 frames per second orEarly compositing was accomplished in the camera
faster.Character animation: The art of making anby masking part of the scene when filming,
animated figure move like a unique individual;rewinding the film and removing the matte and
sometimes described as acting through drawings.shooting again to expose the previously masked
The animator must "understand how theportion. Digital compositing is commonplace, in
character's personality and body structure will bewhich multiple film images are scanned into the
reflected in its movements.Character model: Acomputer, combined digitally, and output to a
sheet of drawings defining the proportions, shape,single piece of film.Motion Control : Controling the
clothing etc. of a character for the guidance ofmotion of a camera or special effects object (eg.
animators.Computer animation: The technique ofmodel space ship etc), using commands from a
using computers to generate moving pictures.computer, so that the exact moves can be
Some systems can achieve this in real-time (25repeated as many times. This makes it easy to
frames per second-or in the USA 30fps), but thecomposite it (ie.combine it with another
majority of animation is created one frame at ashot).Rotoscoping : Drawing around something in
time and then edited into a continuous sequence.the frame so that an effect can be applied to
Very sophisticated programs are required tothat part of the film. If an animated creature has
perform the tasks of movement, fairing,to go behind something in the live action piece of
perspective, hidden-surface removal, colouring,film, that object can be drawn around so a matte
shading and illumination, and as the trend increasescan be created, so that the createure will not
towards more realistic images, faster computersshow over the top of that object. If the camera
are needed to process the millions ofis moving, then each frame of film would have to
computations required for each frame. The termbe rotoscoped. If the camera is still, then the
"computer animation" covers a broad range ofsame matte can probably be used for all frames
subjects, but overall can be defined as thein that shot. Rotoscoping was first used by the
creation of moving images through the use ofFleischers for making cartoons. The Fleischers
computers. These images can be created in eitherinvented the Rotoscope, which is a device for
a two-dimensional or three-dimensional space, andprojecting live-action film on to paper frame by
can be applied to web design, user interfaceframe, so that the outline could be traced and
design, application development, video games,used as a guide for the animation. The Rotoscope
movies, special effects, cartooning, and manyconsists of an animation camera and a light source
others.Computer graphics: Charts, diagrams,(usually using a prism behind the movement and
drawings and other pictorial representations thatthe lamp house attached to the camera's open
are computer generated.Effects animation: Thedoor) that projects a print through the camera's
animation of non-character movements such aslense and the projected image is then traced to
rain, smoke, lightning, water, etc.Go-Motion: Similarcreate a matte. The lamp house is then removed
to 'Stop-Motion', but the animation is produced byand the raw stock placed in the camera and the
rods attached to the pupet/creature, which candrawings are filmed through the same lense that
be programmed by a computer to perform theprojected the image. The resulting image will then
required movement. The advantage overfit the original image if the two strips of film are
stop-motion is that a lot more realistic movementrun bi-packed in the same projector movment
can be created, because the puppet/creature(using an optical printer). In digital film effects
blurs slightly between each frame. Thework, rotoscoping refers to any drawn matte, as
disadvantage is that the rods attached to theboth images can be seen compisited while the
creature need to be hidden from view (e.g. usingmatte is being drawn, so good results can be
the blue-screen process)In Between: The paperachieved.Virtual Sets : Sets which are generated
drawing of a figure that lies in sequence between(at least partially) from data within a computer.
two key positions drawn by an animator.KeyMostly used for TV work, these systems replace
frame animation: The animator 'draws' directlythe real set (eg. an empty studio) with a
onto the CRT display and produces a basic picturecomputer generated set, allowing the actor
or cell. A number of these drawings can then bepresenter to move in the foreground. eg. the
superimposed on one another to form abackground is 'keyed out' and replaced with the
composite cell or key frame. Many of these keyset which has been created in a 3D package (eg.
frames can be made up and stored in theSoftimage or 3D Studio Max), and any camera
computer to be called up and used as required.movements will be duplicated by the 'virtual
The action of the film can be created by stringingcamera'. This will require a powerful computer,
together the series of key frames, andespecially if it is to be done in real-time, for
introducing the desired movements between oneexample a Silicon Graphics machine. The method
frame and the next. Each key frame can be usedof keeping track of the camera movement (so
over and over again by simply calling it repeatedlythat it can be duplicated in the 3D computer set)
from the computer score.Stop-Motion Animation:is different for the various sytems. Some
Moving a special effects puppet or modelsystems use a blue grid painted on the back wall
creature a small amount and recording a singleof a studio of a known size. A red LED is
frame (or small number of frames) so that whenprojected onto the cameras and the actor
the film is played back at a normal speed itpresenter so that they too can be tracked
appears to move. The disadvantage with thisthroughout the set.Visual effects (also called
form of animation is that it can sometimesoptical or photographic effects) : Special effects
appear to 'strobe', partly due to the lack of blurachieved with the aid of photographic or digital
between the frames.Three-dimensional modeling:technology, occurring after the principal
Geometrical descriptions of an object usingphotography, or main shooting, of a film. Includes
polygons or solids in three dimensions (x,y,zminiatures, optical and digital effects, matte
coordinates) for the purpose of creating thepaintings, stop-motion animation, and
illusion of height, width and depth.computer-generated imagery (CGI).Wire Removal
C) Post ProductionEdit : The process of: Removal of unwanted wires, rods, etc. from a
assembling video clips, audio tracks, graphics andpiece of film by replacing them with what would
other source marerial into a presentablehave been seen if they weren't there (eg. the
package.Off-Line Edit : A "draft" edit, usuallybackground). This can be done by replacing them
prepared in an off-line edit suite (at a lower cost),with the same area from another frame in which
then taken to an on-line facility to make the finalthe wires/rods were not visible, or by averaging
cut.On-Line Edit : The final version of an edit,the colours on either side of the wire and
prepared in a professional edit facility.Non-linearreplacing it with the
editing : An approach to video editing madeNew MediaA generic term for the many different
possible by digital video recordings. As in wordforms of electronic communication that are made
processing, video segments can be insertedpossible through the use of computer technology.
between two existing segments without erasingThe term is in relation to "old" media forms, such
either. Unlike the approach required when editingas print newspapers and magazines, that are
analog video , segments do not need to "laidstatic representations of text and graphics. New
down" in the sequence in which they will later bemedia includes:* Web sites* streaming audio and
shown.Off-line editing : The steps during the editvideo* chat rooms* e-mail* online communities*
process when a preliminary selection of usableWeb advertising* DVD and CD-ROM media*
shots and scenes is made, and the tentativevirtual reality environments* integration of digital
sequence of these elements is decided. Thisdata with the telephone, such as Internet
process is typically done with lower cost, simplertelephony* digital cameras* mobile computingUse
editing equipment than is found in a professionalof the term new media implies that the data
edit suite (where on-line editing is done). Usingcommunication is happening between desktop and
off-line editing can significantly reduce the totallaptop computers and handhelds , such as PDAs ,
cost of a producation.On-line editing : The stepsand the media they take data from, such as
during the edit process when the compilation ofcompact discs.
final program is done. When affordable, this is