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Animation List and Flowchart In order to begin planning your shoot, you need the game spec, including an animation list and flowchart. You'll be revising the animation list and flowchart back and forth with the team as you turn it into a shot list. Let's say you are producing an action game called Superguy. I'm going to keep this example fairly simple. Who are all of the characters in the game? This should be defined in the animation list along with the moves that have been planned so far. Game characters in "Superguy":
Superguy's moves
You should have a separate flow chart for each character.
Look at your mo-cap flowchart and see if your character can easily transition from each move to any other. You'd do this no matter how the animation was being created, but with motion capture, you can't have an animator create the missing move without a re-shoot. This animation list and flowchart would lead to many questions. For example:
The answers to these questions depend on the game engine and game design. Some animation blending tools will handle transitions, so you don't have to capture them. While it's generally safer to capture more data than you need, naturally you don't want to spend extra time and money shooting totally superfluous moves. Review the list with the designer and producer to see whether additional moves are required to improve gameplay. Does the player's character have all moves necessary to confront or avoid danger and enemies? Can he/she reasonably travel through every area of the game's environment? While this is a design issue and therefore the responsibility of the designer and producer, it's up to you, the director, to avoid additional mo-cap shoots late in the production schedule. You'll most likely need to add some transitions to any animation list. For this example, we'll say that your team has some blending tools, but you are going to change the following animations because you need realistic human motion for the transitions:
After you've reviewed and amended the animation lists and flowcharts for each character, you can start planning the shot list. You will also need an estimated frame count for each move. Work closely with the animation team that is going to reduce the motion data to the target size so you understand their procedures. No human being is going to be able to throw a punch in precisely fifteen frames, but you can determine a relative timing strategy. Shot list So far, an animation list for motion capture probably seems similar to that of any other type of character animation. Defining the shot list, however, is where you will account for how to shoot the moves in a motion capture studio. It's helpful to use a database program, such as File Maker Pro, to organize the motion capture information. You can generate a shot list from the database, and later on you and the other team members will be able to produce customized lists needed for post production. You should have separate fields for character name, talent, move names, move descriptions, file names, frame counts, size of capture space, props and special set ups. Also, note whether it's a looping or transitional animation. Any move that repeats is a loop--standing, crouching, walking. Any move that has a defined start and finish is a transition--a punch, a fall, a special move. List the starting and ending positions for all transition moves. Establish file-naming conventions with your team early in the process. This will allow you to name additional moves later in the process and make sorting the data alot easier. For example: SGSA001A: SG (Superguy) S (Standing) A (Attack) 001 (punch forward) A (version) EVWT001A: EV (Evil Villainess) W (Walking) T (Transition) 001 (to run, left foot) A (version) HBCL001A: HB (Henchman B) C (Crouching) L (loop) 001 (crouching) A (version) Your preliminary shot list would have entries like this:
All key members should thoroughly review and agree upon the completed shot list. You must provide detailed written descriptions of each move, but on their own these can still be subject to interpretation. To clarify, create storyboards everyone can refer to. Videotape someone acting out the moves, even if it's no the actual talent for the shoot. You should also have an appendix to the shot list the agreed-upon scene and prop measurements, which correspond to the game environment. Also include approved sketches of the game characters in costume. Anything that's flowing, like long hair or a coat or cape, is going to need special attention from both the animators and the studio personnel. You may be able to create a special motion capture costume or prop to track the motion of tricky costume elements. When you do a test shoot, you can see if it works properly. Full Motion Video Sequences The spec should provide information about all FMV's needed for the game. Usually, the motion capture for these sequences will be done in the last stages of production. You should have final voice-over scripts and detailed storyboards, including camera cuts, in order to create separate shot lists for FMV production. The timing for these sequences will probably be closer to real time, and you will have to match any planned voice-over dialogue. You may be able to capture more detailed motion data for these sequences, because the whole thing will be pre-rendered and won't be competing for memory with other game elements. Depending on the type of motion capture studio you are using, you may also be able to capture the moves of two or more people at once. When casting your talent, remember that these scenes also tend to require more acting ability than the in-game moves.
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