REALTIME CINEMATICS
PERFORMANCE CAPTURE
KEYFRAME ANIMATION
REALTIME
CINEMATICS
We help transform your script into finished cutscenes
With a skilled team and more than 20 years of experience under our belt, we understand the importance of taking your game’s story to the next level, and we’re here to help.
Storytellers at heart, we specialize in creating immersive, cinematic cutscenes that feature your characters’ journeys, introduce your game’s universe and deliver your story’s tone. All while entertaining the Player and briefing them about their missions.
CINEMATICS
OVERVIEW
Our cinematics services range from full production to select steps in the production pipeline
We have worked on numerous projects in the past and are happy to adapt our operations to your preferred way of working.
PRE-PRODUCTION
Preparation Phase to make sure there is a joint understanding of the project‘s vision and that all needed assets and materials are in place or at least planned for.
We ask lots of questions.
- ARE WE ALIGNED ON THE VISION?
- WHAT IS THE PLAN?
- DO WE HAVE EVERYTHING WE NEED?
Pre-Production happens at the beginning of the project and again for each individual Cutscene. It covers creative questions, technical aspects and planning.
- Temporary VO*
- Final VO Recording*
- Script Analysis
- Scene Topography Layout / Environment Scouting
- References-Storyboard
- Boardomatic*
(Items marked with an *Asterisk may happen both on the client side or at metricminds.)
PRODUCTION
This is where things come to life.
We work iteratively, seeking feedback and approvals from you at pre-defined steps. We constantly make sure you are up to date about our progress.
Whenever we integrate a new aspect into a scene (i.e. Animation, Lighting, etc.), we make sure to bring it into the engine for proper assessment and reviews.
Production includes the following steps (among others):
- Performance Capture / Motion Capture
- Mocap Cleanup
- Scene Layout
- Scene Integration (Scene Layout)
- Body Animation
- Facial Retargeting
- Facial Animation (Polishing)
- Lighting with proxy VFX/SFX
- Scene Integration (Animation)
- Final Animation Polish
- Final Lighting Polish
- Scene Integration in Engine (Final)
FINISHING
Final Polishing Phase where we go over everything. We add sounds (supplied by the client or third party audio) and we place and tweak VFX.
It is important to us to plan the necessary time for this vital stage in production.
We know very well that things tend to come up towards the end of production and we make an extra effort to position ourselves in a way that we will be able to react properly and bring the project to a successful end.
The FINISHING phase includes the following main steps (among others):
- Quality Assurance
- Bug Fixing
- VFX Polish (Final)
- VO / SFX & Music (Final)
PIPELINE
TECHNOLOGY
Scene Creation and Animation
Our workflows have evolved significantly over the past decades and with every new project.
We use Motionbuilder as a central element for scene creation, which enables us to keep our way of working and transferring the results efficiently into any conceivable game engine.
Work inside the Engine
Our Tech Animators are skilled at bridging the transition between Motionbuilder, Maya, 3DS MAX, etc. and the Engine of your choice. We have developed tools to help make this a seamless process and we can happily adjust them for use with new or proprietary Technologies.
Engines
We have worked with Unreal Engine (3,4 and 5) as well as CryEngine and some proprietary ones.
Speak to us about how we can adjust our workflows to cater to your technology.
VALIDATION
Bidding Process
Every aspect of Production will be discussed with the proper contacts on both sides.
Timelines and Technical Workflows will be scrutinised.
As a result, we will be able to create a detailed budget proposal and a production timeline.
BUDGETING
Bidding Process
Our budget calculations are based on time and materials.
After careful analysis of the project scope and desired quality, while taking the client’s timeline into account, we estimate workloads for each working step.
The workloads are influenced by the quality bar and the complexities of scenes and / or technical workflows.
Depending on the overall scope and timeline, we virtually assign a team across the production timeframe to make sure all needed resources are available.
The final budget is a result of the projected times to be worked on and other costs, such as MOCAP, actors, etc.
OUR
REEL
PERFORMANCE
CAPTURE
We aim to provide the best possible Performance Capture services to you
Performance Capture is deeply ingrained in our company’s identity. We established our studio in 2001 with the goal of becoming go-to experts in mocap and animation, dedicated to helping you bring your vision to life.
Over the years, we have consistently improved our services to ensure they are of the highest use to our clients and of supreme quality. Our team’s expertise and experience allow us to fully understand and meet all of your needs.
PERFORMANCE CAPTURE
OVERVIEW
Our Objective is to reach best possible results at each step of the Production Pipeline
Each working step can only be as good as the one before and we constantly seek to improve on quality and efficiency.
PRE-PRODUCTION
Locking in Scope, Timeline and Talent
Initially, we ask for information from you, such as:
- Shot List or Script
- Character Descriptions
- if possible, a rigged Character
- Topology of the environment (usually for Cinematics)
- whatever else info you can provide
After we’ve gathered and analyzed as much information and materials about your project, we schedule a call with your team to go over open questions, schedules and casting decisions.
We then work out all the details with and for you.
On the day of the shoot, you can focus on getting the performance right, we take care of the rest.
Props and Stages
We have a fully equipped wood workshop and can build anything you may need as props or stages. If it can’t be built, we will look into buying or renting it in time for your shoot.
There is a wide selection of props and stage elements already available, which we can prepare and adjust for your particular needs.
We will need detailed descriptions or 3D Models of your desired props and environments, so we can put together a plan of action.
SHOOT
Making it all happen
On shooting day, we supply a full team to take care of anything that needs to be done or handled on set.
We get the actors ready on time so you can start shooting when you arrive.
A Supervisor looks after time and processes. We bring in props and stage elements that were prepared during Pre-Production.
We even make sure that you don’t go hungry.
On-Set Team
Our Set Crew is usually staffed with:
- Supervisor
- Operator
- Set Runners
Depending on the complexity of the shoot, we can also add some or all of the following into the mix:
- Realtime Operator
- HMC Operator
- Reference Audio Engineer
- Prop Master
- Stunt Coordinator
- Chaperone (for kid actors)
POST-PROCESS
Take Selection
During the shoot, our Supervisor will take note of your preferred takes, so we immediately have an idea of the scope to be expected.
After the shoot is complete, we upload all reference videos (from 4 different angles) to our server for your reference and to enable you to select which takes we should process.
Our MOCAP Team will send you a detailed list with all selections and how they translate into costs for post processing.
Based on this list, we update the budget proposal for you and ask for approval before we deliver motion data.
Processing
After you have confirmed your selection of takes, we go at it with full force.
First, all markers are labelled properly and then we fill gaps and dynamically filter the data. In this process, we eliminate unwanted jitters and kinks from your data.
We then solve the marker data onto your Characters’ skeletons. This is a manual process to ensure that your character is never forced to assume unnatural poses.
There is extensive QA throughout the whole process.
We usually deliver all takes within one week.
STUDIO
Facilities
Next to our MOCAP Stage, our studio is equipped with a dressing room and a shower for the actors, a green room with kitchen for the whole team and a desk for you.
We also offer the use of our meeting room.
We’re located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Our studio is a 20-minute cab ride away from the Airport.
Capture Volume:
metric:
17m (L) x 10m (W) x 4.5m (H)
in ft:
55 (L) x 32(W) x 14(H)
EQUIPMENT
Cameras
- 68 Optitrack Cameras
- 4 Reference HD Cameras
- 3 Wireless HMC‘s
Miscellaneous
- Capability to capture up to 10 People
- Remote Shoot Capability
- Reference Microphones
- Lavalier Microphones (wireless)
- Timecode
OUR WAY
Pricing for Post Process
Our motion capture post processing pipeline is very fast and reliable. To achieve the best results in the least amount of time, it is vital that we work on full takes. Therefore, we have devised a pricing scheme to reflect this.
By processing full takes (as opposed to snippets defined by IN and OUT points), we can substantially lower the amount of money we charge per second. Overall, the prices we charge for full takes (including T-Poses, etc.) will be less than what we would charge for specific selections, because it takes us less time to properly clean and skeleton-solve the animations.
KEYFRAME
ANIMATION
Our Passion for Animation brings Your Ideas to Life – Cinematic or
in-game
Count on us to assist you with your animation requirements! We’re happy to jump in whenever you need us!
We live and breathe animation! With our expertise in both Cinematic and in-game techniques, we’re excited to bring our craft to your projects.
ANIMATION
OVERVIEW
Unlock Your Imagination with Our Animation Dream Team
Our Animation team is made up of passionate and highly skilled animators, dedicated to surpassing your animation expectations. We know that Quality and Time are of essence. Working with us will feel like having a close partner by your side throughout the entire journey.
PLANNING
Aligning on Vision, Style and Details
The first step of our animation service involves working closely with you to understand your vision and requirements for the animation.
This includes discussing the game’s genre, setting, characters, and story, and figuring out how animation and attention to detail can enhance these elements.
Gameplay Requirements
For in-game animation, we set out to understand how your gameplay mechanics work.
We look for defining factors, like timing, speed and length, as well as elements of style, like exaggeration, etc.
PRODUCTION
Performing the Craft
The second step is where the actual production work begins.
The animators use software and technology compatible with your production pipeline to create animations and implement them into the game engine. This involves tasks such as keyframing, motion editing, physics simulation, as well as technical expertise.
Quality assurance is integral in this step to ensure that animations work correctly and look good in the game environment.
Services
- Motion Editing (based non MOCAP)
- Keyframe Animation
- in-game Animation
- offline Physics Simulation
- Vehicle Animation
POST / SUPPORT
All the way
The final step includes refining animations based on feedback from the game developers, and making sure that everything integrates seamlessly with the rest of the game. After the animations have been finalized, the team continues to provide support as needed.
This can include making adjustments or additional animations as the game continues to be developed and updated.
We aim to work collaboratively with developers throughout the entire process, from the initial concept to the final implementation and beyond.
