Recruiter's Glossary

Examples: Texturing • Hair Dynamics • Solid Drawing

Motion Capture

Term from Animation industry explained for recruiters

Motion Capture, often called "MoCap" or "Performance Capture," is a technique used in animation and film to record real people's movements and apply them to digital characters. Think of it like digital puppetry - actors wear special suits with markers, and their movements are recorded by special cameras to make animated characters move naturally. This technology is widely used in movies, video games, and TV shows to create realistic character animations. Companies often look for artists who can work with motion capture data to create smooth, lifelike animations.

Examples in Resumes

Created character animations using Motion Capture data for a major video game project

Cleaned and refined MoCap data for animated film sequences

Supervised Motion Capture shooting sessions with actors and athletes

Integrated Performance Capture data into final animation workflows

Typical job title: "Motion Capture Artists"

Also try searching for:

Motion Capture Technician Motion Capture Artist Animation Technical Director MoCap Supervisor Character Animator Performance Capture Specialist Motion Editor

Where to Find Motion Capture Artists

Online Communities

Job Boards

Events & Conferences

• SIGGRAPH Conference
• FMX Conference

Professional Networks

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How would you handle a motion capture shoot with multiple actors interacting?

Expected Answer: Should explain coordinating multiple performers, managing different data streams, and troubleshooting technical issues in real-time. Should mention experience with various mocap systems and handling complex scenes.

Q: Describe your experience managing a motion capture pipeline from capture to final animation.

Expected Answer: Should discuss overseeing the entire process, including planning shoots, managing data processing, coordinating with animators, and ensuring quality throughout the production pipeline.

Mid Level Questions

Q: How do you clean and process raw motion capture data?

Expected Answer: Should explain the process of fixing tracking errors, smoothing movements, and preparing the data for animators to use, while maintaining the original performance quality.

Q: What's your approach to solving technical issues during a motion capture session?

Expected Answer: Should describe common problems like marker occlusion or data gaps, and how to solve them efficiently without disrupting the shooting schedule.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What are the basic components of a motion capture system?

Expected Answer: Should be able to describe the basic setup including cameras, markers, capture space, and recording software in simple terms.

Q: What's the difference between optical and inertial motion capture?

Expected Answer: Should explain that optical uses cameras and markers, while inertial uses sensors, and describe basic advantages and disadvantages of each.