A behind-the-scenes look at how portability, data quality, and a Hollywood legend came together in one production.
Sometimes the best studio is the one you already have.
When it came time to capture motion with legendary performer Terry Notary, our team made an unconventional decision. Instead of renting a dedicated studio, we transformed our Los Angeles office into a fully functional production space.
The decision was driven by efficiency. With a relatively small production team and scenes planned both indoors and at nearby Manhattan Beach, it made sense to keep everything close together. This allowed the team to move between locations and capture all the required scenes in a single day.
Terry Notary, the Hollywood performance-capture legend, during the motion capture shoot.
Creating a cinematic environment inside an office takes more than moving a few desks.
To prepare the space, the team blacked out the large office windows and switched off the house lights. This gave them full control over the lighting, one of the most important elements in creating a cinematic image.
With the environment prepared, the office became a flexible production space that gave the team the control they needed for the shoot.
The LA office transformed into a motion capture studio with Xsens.
The Terry Notary shoot highlighted one of the biggest advantages of Xsens motion capture: the freedom to capture performance beyond a fixed studio.
Because the system is portable, the team could move from the office to Manhattan Beach and continue filming against the backdrop of a California sunset.
That portability did not mean compromising on motion capture quality. Xsens enabled the team to capture reliable, high-quality performance data across different environments, giving them the freedom to choose locations based on the creative idea rather than the limits of the technology.
Instead of adapting the production to fit a motion capture stage, the team could take the system wherever the story required.
This gives filmmakers, animators, game developers, and virtual production teams more freedom to capture performances in the places that best support their creative vision.
Capturing Terry Notary at Manhattan Beach with the portable Xsens Link suit.
The visuals captured in Los Angeles are only the beginning.
Together with Terry Notary, known for bringing some of Hollywood’s most memorable creatures and characters to life, we captured a collection of unique motion capture performances.
Soon, artists, animators, game developers, and real-time creators will have the opportunity to use that data in the upcoming Xsens Animation Contest.
Participants will be challenged to create their own animated CGI scene using motion capture performed by Terry Notary. A range of prizes will be available, including Xsens motion capture hardware, software licenses, and rewards from our contest partners.
The full details are coming soon.
Follow Xsens and get ready to show us what you can create.