Mocap

It All Started with Jessica Jefferies

This was an area of the industry I discovered in my mid-twenties and prior to that, I was oblivious to it. Backing up a bit, in the last two decades mocap has really come into its own but certainly, in the last ten years from a performer’s perspective, this area has exploded. When I discovered it, I fell instantly in love because I felt that my theatrical training had a place outside of the theatres and in a filming studio-type environment. You can read multiple blogs and interviews I have done on performance capture and motion capture but this Jessica Jefferies interview is where it all started.

Revisiting the Drawing Board as an Artist

When I carried out this interview, it was on the back of a weekend event in London called Get Your Game On. Jessica was running an intensive course which I knew I must attend. This is where my mocap and performance capture journey began, and I have not looked back. The beauty was I did not need to think all that hard about what to ask Jessica for the article because I was too hungry to know as much as I could about working in mocap and performance capture that I was not short of questions. I knew adding mocap and performance capture to my belt was essential but in addition to that I was starting all over again in a new field, looking at the drawing board whilst I learn and develop in this area.

Knowing Who’s Who

Breaking out of our specific fields of work (In this instance voice over) can be tricky. There is so much going on how do we add more to the pile? I soon learnt that the setup was the same in that clients went to casting directors who became gatekeepers of the work. Jessica Jefferies spoke at this particular event, and I was volunteering, so I got to chat with her a fair bit. What makes her position as a casting director unique is that she had worked as a performer in mocap and performance capture for years but wanted to now help more talent get into the industry and help companies draw in a better yield of talent for their projects. At this point, there was not even an agent in the UK specifically for performance capture (There is now). There is only a small number of casting directors in the UK that specialise in mocap and performance capture specifically it’s common for the larger acting agencies to represent artists who are going into performance capture and mocap.

Three Things the Jessica Jefferies Interview Showed Me

Jessica said some very interesting things in the interview, but one of my highlights is her three top tips for actors and voiceover artists to adapt. Those three things are imagination, taking direction quickly, and breathing. I will use the rest of this blog to break down each of these three points they are all massively important in their own right, and I see them as a critical force to success in performance capture and mocap. Remember, I am coming at this from an actor and voiceover artist perspective, not an established regularly working performance and motion capture performer perspective.

Using Imagination

Whether it be on stage, in front of a lens, or behind the mic, imagination is key! Be you carrying out an acting gig or a voice over job, you must use your imagination as it is vital across the entire industry. I often ask my students to tell me what just happened in the scene they are reading from before the first line, they have to make it up! I ask them to describe the situation their character is performing in. The detail is vital, the smell, the temperature, what’s on the walls, how loud it is outside, and anything else they can imagine. We want to get to a place as a performer where we are totally submerged into the imagined environment we have made to deliver a truthful, fresh, and unique performance that will catch the casting directors’ eyes.

Taking Direction Quickly

We know we need to take direction; it’s a massive part of the job. Sculpting our performance around the words given by casting hopes to produce a performance that reflects the characteristics displayed only in their mind. It can be a bit of guesswork, but the key thing here is the word quickly. We have to adapt our performance by implementing their feedback quickly. Why is this? Well, casting professionals often see hundreds of actors, and the first thing is they don’t have time to spoon-feed actors they need the finished package. The second reason is that adapting quickly shows them you can react fast on set and will be able to pull off what is asked of them when it comes to direction.

Adapting Differently to Breathing

It took me years to realise the importance of breath in performance capture and motion capture. As a performer, we know the importance of breathing! In voice over it gets tidied up a lot in the edit, and on-screen, it’s fairly subtle. In performance and motion capture, you have to breathe big! In these skin-tight suits, the censors will pick up every little movement, and the bigger the breaths, the better the digitalized character looks. Also, the breath is a character’s signature! A military officer running will have big breaths but thinks about a dragon; how does a dragon breathe? Well, these are elements we must bring into performance capture auditions.

How the Actor and Voiceover Artist Get in With the Mocap Agency

If you have read any of my other motion capture and performance capture posts, you will know I LOVE this area of the industry, it is one of my favourites and it is one of the most fun areas too! I loved the idea of being represented explicitly for motion capture and performance capture, and from the moment I heard of The Mocap Agency, I wanted to get involved. The Mocap Agency was birthed by Emily Dean, who is also the agent for Voice Fox (my agent). This agency was geared to go in early 2020, and the pandemic happened! But Emily persevered to make it what it is today and boy is it paying off! – As a side note, when unexpected trials happen, such as pandemics, don’t give up! So, how does an actor and voiceover artist get in with The Mocap Agency?

Recognising That it’s All Just Performance

It’s all just performance, guys! It’s all acting! I have a background in theatre, and after trying my best to break into the acting world fresh from my BA Hons in Acting, I soon discovered I had to pull my socks up and learn the industry’s business side. As a business, you are constantly growing and evolving, which is essential too. But to fund, grow and develop my acting business, I discovered voiceover, which fundamentally became my full-time focus and liberated me from a place of being employed to being self-employed. But what about all that great theatrical training? Well, the voiceover skills I built, the acting skills I studied, and the theatrical elements I trained under all set an excellent foundation for good motion capture and performance capture performer.

Dealing With Setbacks

So for me, I happily approached Emily regarding representation in this area, though very much ignorant of what I needed to elevate above the foundation perspective I shared above and propel myself into the competitive circle. Truth be told, there are thousands of actors who had the experience I had, so I had to do something different and showcase a unique element of my skills, almost how other businesses pride themselves on their Unique Selling Point (or USP), I too needed to find my ‘USP’ to showcase.

Finding Opportunities to Work with the Mocap Agency

Fortunately, one of my clients was keen on having The Mocap Agency featured in their magazine, and as Emily was my agent, I was the one who was able to interview her. As I was interviewing Emily about The Mocap Agency, I learnt very quickly that I needed more tools under my belt. As my voice agent, I could ask Emily for feedback too, but the article was enough for anyone to understand what they needed to get into motion capture. So, what do you need? – well, fundamentally, you need two things to start you off.

The first is training! Take a mocap course, get familiar with a T pose, an A pose, and a tight sweaty suit, and learn the terminology and setup. Ask about how the markers and cameras work. Reading this, do you know what a volume is? And no, I am not referring to the audio levels blasting from your speakers. What about a ROM? (Range of Movement). You will learn these introductory elements from some motion capture training courses. Target 3D in the UK does a phenomenal 2-day introductory course that is second to none. I know the desire is just to act and want to book the prominent characters, but there must be an understanding technically to work in performance capture too. Shoots are so fast, and deadlines are so tight that there isn’t always time to instruct people on the job.

The second thing you need is skills! A skill will give you that nice USP to a potential client. The ability to yield a sword, fire a gun, ride a horse, juggle, move on a unicycle, or just about anything and everything else you can imagine are great skills. If they need this for a performance capture job and you have that ability, you are miles ahead of your competition.

Voice Actors Pioneering in Motion Capture

So, my story is I left that conversation and the interview with Emily, and I realised I needed to gain some skills. I had already taken courses and understood motion capture, but I did not have much in the way of a unique selling point. So, I learnt to fire four guns, wield a staff and a light sabra, and did basic horse riding. I think horse riding needs more work as there are many programs, but the basics are there, and it’s a journey that I enjoy. Like with most things, practising helps to push these things forward progressively and powerfully. With the guns, I run through my mind the routines regularly, but I remember the weight and the recoil, which helps with performance. Finally, for the light saber and staff, this is something I can simply just practise in the garden. But the keyword I just used applies to everything I suggested above; practise. We must keep practising our skills and our craft to stay sharp. Pay to ride a horse for an hour or visit a shooting range, and buy your own props like staffs and swords so you can rehearse and learn routines. Practise! Practise practise practise!

Booking With the Mocap Agency

At the end of this journey, when I had made a performance demo, I was taken on by The Mocap Agency, got my first audition, and booked a job which was a full performance capture role on UK TV. It is important I continue to learn and practise in this area whilst I attempt to hustle roles. But the final thing is we must think about our material. Actors have showreels, and voice actors have demos, but what do mocap actors have? Well, a skills reel for sure, but if you can get mirroring footage of you in the suits performing against the animated characters on the screen, you should! Seeing it will make you up your game, and acquiring the footage shows you have been hustling away in this area. Combining skills and performance together into a demo will produce a strong marketing tool for your business in this field.

The Hustle of Performance Capture

If you have read any of my other mocap or performance capture blogs, you will know by now I am passionate about this area of the industry. Accompanying that passion is the endeavour to ensure that I consistently continue sharpening my craft and learning as much as I can about this field. Any entrepreneur should be looking to become an expert in their field. I think if someone is doing something half-hearted, it really shows, and in entertainment, you do need to give it your everything to book the job otherwise, someone will get it over you. Moreover, if you are down in the dumps when performing, it’s going to set up a poor atmosphere for all involved, so the problem with that is, well… they just won’t book you again, and that is the worst problem you can have in this industry because word spreads fast.

Famous Actor Working in Performance Capture

I met Victoria Atkin at one of my client’s video game events called Get Your Game On, and I loved learning about her journey with Ubisoft, Assassins Creed, and performance capture. Victoria had booked one of the first lead female roles in a video game with her role as Victoria Atkin in the Assassins Creed syndicate. Many actors and voiceover artists work in mocap and performance capture aspire to book these types of roles. Typically, the pay is fantastic, the work is consistent for several months, and you get flown worldwide. It’s an amazing experience.

How Does a Voiceover Artist Book the Biggest of Jobs?

Victoria shared a phenomenal story of where she did a self-tape, sent it over, and then forgot about it. A year later, they booked her for it. Sometimes when we send self-tapes, it can take a while to hear back, so I think the best thing is just to forget about it and move on to the next job. In the meantime, you never know when the return on that audition or self-tape might present itself. We are so used to everything moving a million miles an hour, so it’s pleasantly unique to hear how this works with a massive title like Assassins Creed. The key is to always be ready, be ready to audition and self-tape, be ready to fly, be ready to be called in, and be ready for a call back.

Working with the Great Actors in Performance Capture

Victoria agreed to teach an intensive workshop for the organisation. I think it is essential to work with the people who have booked the jobs you aspire to book, so I signed up for this workshop. It was in 2019, in the early days of my ventures into mocap and performance capture. I am pleased to say I have built fantastic clients and booked excellent jobs since then. The workshop was very informative, and the content available was impressive. Learning from the best brings value because they have the experience of not only the process of booking the job but the knowledge of what it takes to see it through to completion. I used the workshop and the event as an opportunity to interview Victoria and get some powerful content for the readers.

Top Tips From the Best in Mocap

I wanted to know what challenges an actor and voiceover artist may face in mocap and performance capture. Well, the answer to this takes us back to that position we are very familiar with, that being, we are in a heavily over-saturated industry where a lot of the work is hidden behind a small number of agents. So, finding the work is a challenge. Mocap and performance capture is a small-knit community, so networking, building a portfolio, and attempting to be the best you can be is compulsory for success.

The Audition Process

We send in voice demos for a voiceover job and a showreel for the on-screen jobs, but what do we send off for performance capture and mocap roles? Any skills you may have, like parkour and arms usage, must be captured on camera. If you have the footage in the volume against what’s on the screen, then this is good to have (though keep it short), and finally, just deliver something that shows off your skills and unique abilities. What happens after the demo stage? Well, you may be asked to self-tape, and for mocap and performance capture, these range from being random to needing a lot of physical ability.

I have had auditions that required the tape to show a lot of movement in a vast space, I’ve had others that are looking to capture bigger characters with powerful facial expressions and line delivery. The final thing to consider with performance capture and mocap is the prospect of getting called into an audition. Though the world has changed how it deals with the audition process, it is not uncommon to be called in for an audition, even if you have sent demos and self-tapes. Sometimes you might be asked to audition instead of a self-tape, other times, it will be the third step following the demos and the self-tape. Over the years, I have learned to have fun in in-person auditions and try to give something to the casting director that they did not expect but is true to the piece. Don’t worry about what anyone thinks. Give your best performance, and just enjoy the experience. I love chatting with the team during an audition, after all, we are all human, and auditions are great networking and connection-building opportunities.

Voice Actors in Motion Capture and Performance Capture

To start, I will say this is all just performance. The skills are interchangeable and transferable if you are in front of a lens, behind a microphone, or standing in a volume (mocap stage). The tricky element is how to spin all these wonderful performance-based events. Actors will have their agent, casting sites, headshots, and their typical routines with taping and so forth. Voiceover artists have their material, sites, demos, and so forth. But what of voice actors in motion capture?

In many respects, it is the new kid on the block when put next to voiceover and on-screen acting, even though it has been around for decades! The other thing vital to recognise is that performance capture continues to develop. The software used is becoming more efficient, detailed, and fast! Multiple styles of suits serve different purposes, and the cameras and sensors are constantly being upgraded. Now, I will stop on this rabbit hole of the evolution of performance capture for a second, we can cover that in another blog. The fascinating thing is that it is all just performance; thus, we must know how to act. So, let us delve into the differences and similarities.

Developing Skills in Performance Capture

If we are voicing a video game as a performer, my number one tip is to act the character. If the character on screen is waving its arm around and going wild, you must do that in your booth. Ok, do not punch the screen, knock over the microphone or hurt yourself! You do need to be aware of the space, but your performance level will massively improve if you fully immerse yourself into the character. If we are on-screen, less is typically more, which is normal. That said, the commitment to the character is vital. What are they thinking? What are they seeing? How are they feeling? What just happened in the scene before? What would you do in the character’s position?

These are standard and true questions to help you find that genuine performance. Now onto performance capture and motion capture. Commitment! Commitment is my number 1 tip. Like what you would do in front of the camera with those questions, you ask yourself to find truth in your performance, combined with the wild elements the characters demand (which I outlined above in my voiceover top tips), and we find a common ground for performance capture.

Voiceover in High Volume!

The volume; is a phrase I have used a couple of times. This is the stage a performer performs on during a motion capture and performance capture shoot. The difference between motion capture and performance capture is summed up like this: motion capture is strictly the capturing of the movement; performance capture adds the additional benefits of voice over or facial capture. Then, often you will hear the term ‘full performance capture,’ which is everything combined! Face, voice, movement, and sometimes even stunts! The performer in the volume has a 360 space to perform like on a stage, and that space is yours to own! To flourish in this area, every bit of you needs to commit to the role and take it to its maximum level, the further, and harder you push the character, the better your performance will be, and the bigger the wow factor will hit.

Voice Actors in Motion Capture Production Companies

I had the honour of working with Centroid3D during the pandemic in 2021. Whilst productions were slow in coming in and going out, artists worldwide invested in themselves, learning new skills and improving themselves. We did some live acting classes with Centroid, and a friendship was born. Aligned with this, ‘The Mocap Agency’ was born around the same time in the UK, the first Mocap agency in the UK! The mocap and performance capture industry is exploding and growing increasingly, which is exciting.

The joy of training and supporting other actors and voiceover artists is that relationships become established. Those relationships often start as professional, then casual, but in the end, they can often become long-lasting partnerships and friendships. I was thrilled to invite Centroid 3D to do an article with us and positively highlight them because the service they offer the industry is massive.

Delving in Deeper

I have gone into a good amount of detail about most of the points in the article. The one thing I have missed is the skills and stunts part of the industry. Here is the thing, performance and motion capture invite EVERYTHING. Sword-wielding, gun shooting, parkour, dancing… whatever the skill, it will come in handy at some point in performance capture. Like any other part of the entertainment industry, if you have something that will give you an edge or draw yourself closer to the be better aligned with the brief, you must capitalise on that.

Performance and motion capture are two unique and beautiful parts of the entertainment industry. They are unique, and they are fun. If you are like me and enjoy really submerging into a character and taking a big character to the furthest points of intensity and performance, then this area really does invite that. So commonly think of characters like Gollum from Lord of the Rings and Smaug from The Hobbit when we reference phenomenal performance capture characters, and rightly so! These roles are exceptional. But what did Benedict Cumberbatch and Andy Serkis do to make these roles exceptional? They went to the furthest point of physical representation they could. They were totally committed. They rolled around and slithered on the ground, they made the most surreal sounds and bizarre facial expressions. They allowed themselves to immerse themselves in these exceptional surreal, and incredibly unique characters because that is what the role demanded!