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Motion Capture Article Review

Acting or Animation?

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As I was browsing the articles on Animation Arena, I came across a topic that caught my eye: motion capture. More and more movies nowadays are using motion capture to help animate digital characters. From the blue aliens in Avatar to Smaug in The Hobbit, an increased number of characters are made to move to the faces and bodies of the actors that voice them. One side effect of this, however, seems to be the question on whether the main work in on that of the actor or the animator.

The article didn't give a definite answer to this, due to the general lack of one, but it seems that it cannot be defined as either. Without the actor, the character doesn't have the same nuanced performance. Without the animator, the movie would be limited to the special effects incorporated into live action. Motion capture is likely in pinnacle of the symbiosis of acting and animation that exists today.

Beyond it's intense monetary and time-saving benefits, I feel that Motion capture as a medium will only grow in use as the computers we use only increase in computing speed and power to handle what it can offer.

What do you think?