Isolation: a mocap movie made in lockdown

When Jonathan Bridgen, Managing and Creative Director of Bristol-based Studio Giggle got in touch with us in March, we had no idea what was about to happen. Neither in terms of the project, nor the impending lockdown. So Jonathan’s request to source a Noitom Perception Neuron Pro suit for an internal project seemed pretty normal...

Studio Giggle Visual Artist, Ed Vosper, and Digital Artist, Iina Kuula, dropped into StudioT3D in Hoxton (remember when that was still allowed?) where Target3D’s Stephanie facilitated a half day training session on the suit and the Axis Neuron Pro Software. The plan was for Ed and Iina to then work with two professional dancers on an artistic project at Studio Giggle.

But, we know that April didn’t really go to plan.

With performers no longer able to travel and studios out of bounds, perhaps the tracking suit might just be hung up and forgotten about for a while?

Being as creative as they are, and inspired in part by the Queen’s lockdown speech, Jonathan and the Studio Giggle team instead set about creating a very special film.

A capture space was created in Ed’s living room. Wearing the Perception Neuron Pro, he recreated the movement, dance and characterisation of someone leaving their loved one to go into isolation, with the Axis Neuron Pro Software capturing the movement data. Next the suit was taken to Iina’s doorstep - on Ed’s daily permitted-exercise jog - and her living room was also turned into a mini mocap studio for her theatrical movement data to be captured.

In an act of socially-distanced collaboration, both sets of mocap data were checked in Animatics and by linking basic 3D models to the mocap data in Notch, a motion graphics and VFX software, the team created avatars that emit bright particles, the colours of which reflect the characters moods and feelings.

The result? This wonderfully compelling film about the 5 stages of grief that you can experience whilst in isolation.

We’re pretty blown away by it. That something so creative and visual, born from just a mocap suit and two pieces of software, could be produced at lightning speed.

You can see ‘the making of Isolation’ film too, featuring Target3D's Stephanie.

Thanks to Studio Giggle for sharing these films with us.

For motion capture products, (virtual) training, install and support get in touch with the Target3D team today. The studio may be closed for now, but we’re still here working - in our socially-distanced way.

#Mocap #BodyTracking #TheArts #LockdownCreatives #Noitom #Target3D #GiggleStudio