The motion capture technique is essential for providing realism and emotional expression to digital characters. Mostly to non-humans, monsters, and other fantastical creatures.
This technology has allowed fantasy, science fiction and animation productions to reach a new level of immersion. This has elevated extraordinary, magical, and other-human stories to new levels of authenticity in cinema.
How about we recall five films that made exemplary use of this technique?
Films with characters created through motion capture
The use of motion capture in the film “Avatar” represented a significant milestone in the history of cinema. James Cameron, the director behind the work, and his team have extensively exploited this technology to create digital characters with an extraordinarily realistic appearance.
Thanks to this technique, the movements and expressions of the actors could be captured and transferred to the Na’vi, the inhabitants of Pandora.
The story of the film takes place in the distant future. Humans are colonizing and exploiting a precious natural resource on Pandora, a habitable moon of unique beauty. However, such activities pose a threat to the existence of the Na’vi.
The character Gollum is the first thing that comes to mind for most people when they talk about the technique of motion capture. Or the actor Andy Serkis, who has become the main reference when thinking about this technology.
That’s because Serkis is the one who brings the bizarre digital creature from the “Lord of the Rings” series to life through motion capture. And it was in “The Two Towers” that Gollum had a more prominent presence and surprised the world.
Directed by Peter Jackson, “The Two Towers” is a fantasy epic and the second film in the trilogy based on the works of JRR Tolkien.
Remake of the 1933 classic, “King Kong” is an epic film directed by Peter Jackson. Naomi Watts, Jack Black and Adrien Brody star in the human roles. Andy Serkis brings the giant King Kong to life using motion capture. The actor returns to work with this technology in another Jackson film.
The plot follows a team of filmmakers who travel to the mysterious Skull Island. There they encounter several prehistoric creatures, including King Kong, a colossal gorilla. King Kong falls in love with the leading actress, is captured and taken to New York.
Andy Serkis’ performance as Caesar in the “Planet of the Apes” reboot franchise received very positive reception from audiences and critics. It was so praised that it shed light on the discussion about recognizing motion capture performances in awards, in the same category as traditional performances.
Directed by Matt Reeves, the film is the sequel to “Planet of the Apes: The Origin”. The plot follows a group of intelligent apes led by Caesar who come into inevitable conflict with humans.
Motion capture was used in “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” to bring some characters to life. However, the most surprising is Davy Jones, the legendary captain of the ghost ship Flying Dutchman.
Played by Bill Nighy, the technique created an impressive character, a mix between human and sea creature, with tentacles on his face.
Starring Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom, “Scary’s Chest” is the second film in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series. In the plot, Davy Jones appears to collect a debt from Captain Jack Sparrow.
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Source: Olhar Digital
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
