Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/815991
the aforementioned weekly timelines. In order to bring Barbie to life, House of Moves completed full face and body perfor- mance capture of an actor on its sound- stage. Once the crew captured the footage for each episode, they exported an EDL and sent it off to CounterPunch. CounterPunch used Faceware Technolo- gies' Analyzer to track each landmark of the actor's face, capturing the essence of her performance, before sending this data to Faceware Retargeter to apply that data onto the CG Barbie model's face. "Analyzer does a great job at capturing the essence of a performance. We can really capture the necessary subtleties," explains Egiziano. "Once the data is converted to use with Retargeter, it creates and constructs an animation based on those poses." Egiziano estimates that such capture solutions automate approximately 70 to 80 percent of the animation work, freeing his animators to focus on the last, crucial ele- ments: making Barbie seem as expressive, natural, and enthusiastic as possible for her adoring viewers. "Like any technology, Faceware gets you closer to the final project, but of course, professional artists and animators are still required to bring the show to its final qual- ity level," says Rausch. "Nevertheless, the man days spent polishing over the top are still way better than the many man weeks that we'd be working if we didn't have the animation core that Faceware delivered for the show." Egiziano adds: "Such soware allowed us to create high-volume quantities of quality animation in very short timelines, and with a project like the Barbie vlog, that's vital." MAINTAINING A BLOG The results of the Barbie vlog project were well received, as the videos logged millions of views, and Business Insider called the series "genius," adding that the production "nailed the mannerisms of a first-time You- Tuber; Barbie is just the right combination of nerves and excitement." It's no wonder that the creative teams were so pleased with the results they achieved. "The nuance that I am most pleased with is the overall human quality that Bar- bie exudes," says Rausch. "She's a young, vibrant lady, and you feel that throughout the animation. The results of the face, body, and voice being captured simultaneously make her so engaging and fun to watch." Egiziano was similarly proud of the final look and feel that exemplified the fun and joyous personality of Barbie. "Her voice is such a character on its own that we tried to hone in and capture that essence with expressions and feeling in the animation," he says. "We were im- pressed with how expressive Barbie's eyes and brows are, and how her passion and emotion shines through to the audience – she's so animated and adventurous that it's difficult not to enjoy watching her talk about whatever it is she happens to be talking about." The Barbie vlog project was a challenge, but one achieved with skill and final results that have proven a hit across the globe. "We took on the responsibility of making one of the most recognizable characters in Western culture – if not the world – seem young, beautiful, and relevant," concludes Rausch, looking back on the project. "This requires top-notch people, top-notch tools, and speed. It was imperative that at the end of our capture day, we had ani- mation core files available for artists ASAP. Thankfully, the tools we used made for an extremely quick process and allowed us to meet our deadlines." ¡ WHEN BARBIE SPEAKS, MANY YOUNG GIRLS LISTEN. TO GIVE HER EMOTIONAL APPEAL IN HER ROLE AS YOUTUBE STAR, HOUSE OF MOVES TEAMED WITH COUNTERPUNCH FOR A TALKING BARBIE WITH TRULY EXPRESSIVE RESULTS. m a r c h . a p r i l 2 0 1 7 c g w 3 1