This volume explores the practicalities of how motion capture technology can be used creatively, beyond mere replication of live action.

By focusing on what digital visual effects can learn from more established art forms like acting, keyframe animating and stagecraft, this book pushes the boundaries of what can be achieved with the hardware and software, to push the levels of performance, drama and audience engagement.

This is an essential text for students who want to forge better appreciations of the mechanics and physicality of how we move and how we then re-interpret this knowledge via practical artistic forms of virtual expression and digital animation. We know that more control, more understanding of style and performance and storytelling is needed to master the visual technology, to capture and conjure designs, models and scenes. This book enables readers to construct better convincing movements, character animation and scenarios with 3D motion capture. A digital alchemist’s path that leads, ultimately, from base models to captured moments of gold.