Earlier this month, Motus partnered up with Element X Creative to showcase our live animation technology with the Elf Hotline project.

So what is live animation? Look at it this way–you can now interact in real-time with a fully animated character. We’re using Skype video chats with children/parents who are hoping to get their names on Santa’s Nice List. Anyone can video chat with Herby the Elf in real time. It’s amazing. Watch the video below to see how it works.

It’s that time again, when all the great minds gather in the Heart of Texas for GDC ONLINE! The weather is cooling down but the excitement is getting hotter and hotter as new content is added daily. The lineup this year is amazing with Neal Stephenson starting the show off as the GDC Online Keynote Speaker. Make sure to check out the various summits and other speakers that are sure to dominate the show!

Motus Digital is making a big splash this year as well with our interactive Motion Capture booth, showcasing LIVE ANIMATION! What is live animation you ask? By using our proprietary character rig, we are now able to stream live interactive animation using our Vicon camera system. You have to see it to believe it!

We will also be giving demonstrations of 3DoubleTake, our MotionCapture Data Selection and Budgeting Software. 3DT allows our clients to not only view the captured motions, but cut them down frame by frame for final delivery. 3DT allows total accountability and
nowaste–a MUST for animation production & cost savings. Make sure to stop over at our booth(#324) on the show floor and see our
latest demo reel and talk to the production team. If you would like to set up a personal meeting, give us a call and we will reserve you some one-on-one time.

Email: Contact@MotusDigital.com

We look forward to seeing all of you in Austin next week and making this GDC ONINE the best one yet!

Our friends over at Janimation stopped in to do a Facial Mocap Shoot and capture data for an internal project, and results are phenomenal. Janimation has been doing a lot of R&D using Softimage Face Robot and their own ICE Tech to create some incredibly realistic character models and facial animation. The model and facial shapes were created with Zbrush, then final polish with Arnold. Add in Motus Digital’s mocap data, and the final results are simply amazing. These guys never cease to amaze us! You can see the final test video below and make sure to check out Janimation’s website for more info – http://www.janimation.com.

March 14, 2011 Austin, TX – Motus Digital is excited to announce its new ability to create live, high definition animations and stream them to the internet for people to interact via Skype, Twitter, or chat. Its ability to render the animation in real-time opens up possibilities that were never before available in the animation industry. Imagine the main character in a major animated movie being streamed live to the Internet where she could take questions and respond to comments about her upcoming movie, a new video game character going on the talk show circuit to promote his upcoming game, or even an animated corporate icon speaking to investors at a shareholder meeting. The possibilities do not stop here!

A link to Motus Digital’s YouTube shows its early testing. Starting next week, March 23rd, It plans on broadcasting the first of weekly webisodes to demonstrate its technology.

Kyle Blietz of Motus Digital explains, “We are excited about this technology because it allows us to create hi quality, 3D cartoons, instantly! About 0.33 seconds to be exact… This is the first time that a character has been able to truly live in the present. If you have ever dreamt about having a tea party with Daisy, or a beer with Homer, you ought to be excited about this!”

We’re going live! The Motus Digital crew is in Austin for South By South West this week to present our new “live animation” capabilities. We are exhibiting on the main floor at booth 243 (on the North side near the Microsoft booth), and we’re thrilled to show off our new technology.

Live animation–so what does that mean? To quickly sum it up, we can broadcast a solved and rendered animation of our motion capture performers in real time. As the actors speak and move within our capture volume, their body and facial movement is instantly transferred onto the animated characters in their CG environment. This technology could be used to create live animated talk shows, interactive advertising promotions, and integration with live-action television broadcasts to name a few.

But the best way to gain an understanding of how this works is to just view it for yourself. Check out our SXSW promo we shot just before heading down to Austin (above).

While we’re at it, we’re also hoping to win a NewTek TriCaster (portable live production system). This would be a great addition to the live animation experience, so to help us win head over to their fan page and “like” our post!

Join us in Park City for our 2nd Annual Motus Digital Sundance Party! The event will take place right on historic Main Street, smack-dab in the heart of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Join hundreds of filmmakers, producers and vendors as they come together for an exciting afternoon networking event during the opening weekend of America’s flagship film festival!

Event Details

• Sunday, January 23, 2011 from 2-5 p.m.
• Hosted by popular Sundance bistro Butcher’s Chop House, 751 Main Street
• Complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvres for all attendees

About the Sundance Film Festival:

Sundance is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. The Sundance Film Festival found its home in Park City in 1985 and continues to bring tens of thousands of visitors to the town every January from around the globe. Throughout the years it has become a networking must for industry professionals.

We hope to see you there!