Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1464279
ANIMATION www.postmagazine.com 23 POST MAR/APR 2022 Facial capture developed quickly towards the end of the 2000s, driven by the introduction of photogrammetry, technology that can measure the 3D position of an individual pixel from its position in multi- ple images. For example, rather than using a sparse set of markers, the Mova Contour system used fluo escent speckled makeup applied to an actor's face to capture dense 3D facial scans at video rates. One of the earliest examples of 4D facial capture, the Mova Contour system was used by Digital Domain to both age and de-age Brad Pitt in 2008's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and was later used for movies such as Guardians of the Galaxy and the game Rise of the Tomb Raider. Later, Depth Analysis created the MotionScan system to capture actors' facial performances using photogrammetry without the need for markers or special makeup. This system was used extensively in the de- velopment of Rockstar Games' 2011 title L.A. Noire, one of the fir t video games to rely on nuanced facial animation of digital doubles. Over the last 10 years, DI4D has pioneered the use of photogramme- try-based 4D capture of facial performance data for the most demand- ing entertainment projects. The nine-camera, DI4D Pro system can be used to capture the highest fidelity 4D d ta for a single-seated actor, or stereo camera DI4D HMC systems can be used to simultaneous- ly capture 4D data for multiple dynamic actors. Most recently, DI4D launched the hybrid Pure4D solution, which combines the benefits o both approaches to meet the demands of next-gen game developers to produce high fidelity acial animation for digital doubles at scale. Such photogrammetry-based 4D capture systems have been used for a range of leading movie and video game projects in recent years — including Blade Runner 2049 to help re-create actress Sean Young's per- formance as the replicant Rachael, and for the metal mutant Colossus in Marvel's Deadpool 2. The same technology has also been used for highly lifelike digital human characters in Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and EA Sports' F1 2021. As more and more movie and game fans watch and play on 4K screens, and as filmma ers and video-game developers aim to deliver ever more awe-inspiring and hyper-detailed content, facial capture is being used with increased frequency. Fortunately, not only has the technology become more powerful over the years, but also more versatile and easier to use. Today's facial-capture solutions help enable storytelling and bring creative visions to life like never before. For video games, new technologies, including DI4D's Pure4D, are driving a shift, not only in the character detail, but also how they are created. Characters featured in the cut-scenes of the recent F1 2021 game, for example, were creat- ed in their entirety from acting performances, as motion capture, facial capture, and audio from an actor's performance combined to drive their digital double counterparts in the game. Performance capture as a tool is nothing new to the entertainment industry and has been used for many years. The difference now is that the body and fa- cial-tracking technology is so accurate that digital characters can embody the life and feel of a real actor. We're moving into an era in which the performance of the actor will be absolutely key to delivering the best possible results from a digital double — without the need for any subsequent artist intervention. It's a shift from post production to prepoduction. From their origins in blockbuster movies and video games, digital doubles are expanding their reach and utility. It is becoming more common for these characters to act as digital customer service reps in new verticals like retail and even healthcare. In tandem, we're also seeing the fidelity o digital doubles evolve to the point where it is almost impossible to tell them apart from their real-life counter- parts. This use across multiple industries is only likely to fuel the demand for even more realistic digital double character creation in the years to come. Colin Urquhart is a 20-plus year industry veteran and inno- vator in the field of facial capture, and the founder of DI4D, which has worked on a host of entertainment projects, including Blade Runner 2049; Call of Duty: Modern Warfare; Love, Death + Robots; and Quantum Break. Colossus appears in Marvel's Deadpool 2. DI4D uses a nine-camera system to capture 4D data. Photogrammetry-based systems are being used in games such as EA Sports' F1 2021.