The Bell Affair
About
The Bell Affair is an animated feature film based on the true story of Daniel and Mary Bell, who sued for their freedom from slavery and won. After slaveholders threatened to re-enslave them and their children, the Bells led one of the largest escape attempts in American history.
Filmed and directed remotely during the covid-19 pandemic, the cast was never in the same room with each other or with the director at the same time.
Roles -Motion Capture Researcher -3D Artist
Tools Adobe After Effects Miro VidGrid Unreal Engine DazStudio Blender Maya Rokoko
Awards
3D DESIGN
3D MODELS
3D model samples from The Bell Affair
Animation
Animation samples from The Bell Affair
RESEARCH
Background
Salt Marsh Production Studio purchased Motion Capture Suits in 2021. The primary objective of this research was to identify seamless ways to integrate the motion capture technology into the animation pipeline for 'The Bell Affair,' a film that was currently in post-production, and identify the best-use case scenarios for the technology in other ongoing projects within the studio
Research Goals
Seamlessy integrated Motion Capture into the Bell Affair animation pipeline
Identify Opportunities for Scaling the Technology Across Other Projects
Methodology
Our research employed a diverse array of case studies and controlled experiments. Initially, my team and I conducted controlled experiments to assess various techniques in motion capture retargeting. The controlled experiments allowed us to evaluate the accuracy and efficiency of each method thoroughly. Our initial focus in these controlled experiments was motion capture retargeting techniques from Rokoko studio to the Daz 3D Meta Human Characters. The Bell Affair film used Meta-Human characters from Daz 3D Studio. Therefore, it was paramount to establish a workflow tailored to the specific needs of the post-production team working on the film.
After completing these controlled experiments, we conducted case studies, applying the workflows to various projects and 3D models within the studio. This endeavor aimed to discern the optimal use-case scenarios for this technology in other projects and identify the most effective methods to enhance and restructure our animation workflow for seamless technology integration.
Conducting Research
A select few images from our research
Key Insights
Transferring Motion from A-Pose to T-Pose Rig directly leads to high motion transfer rate error: The Rokoko default rig is a T-pose, while the Daz-Meta Human Character Rig is in an A-pose. This difference in rig poses significantly elevates error rates when transferring motion data directly from the Rokoko Rig to the Daz-Meta-Human Rig
Motion Capture improved workflow efficiency in select animation Shots: Our controlled experiments revealed that motion capture technology notably improved workflow efficiency in specific animation projects. However, the advantages were less pronounced in shots featuring minimal full-body movements.
Unreal Engine and its Meta-Human Characters performed exceptionally well: Among various 3D software options, Unreal Engine stood out as a more versatile choice for creating Meta-Human characters. Our research showed that Unreal Engine's Meta-Humans offered diverse features catering to different ethnicities, facial characteristics, and skin types, resulting in photorealistic outcomes. Additionally, Unreal Engine excels in providing comprehensive filmmaking capabilities, allowing users to test the Meta-Human Characters in a wide range of scene-lighting scene composition within a single software package. Lastly, the vibrant developer and animation community associated with Unreal Engine enhances peer-to-peer learning and offers many solutions when troubleshooting.
Reccomendation
Using 3D software like Blender or Maya to adjust the pose of the Daz rig before retargeting the motion capture data: In our experiments, we devised various workflows to facilitate the conversion of the Daz-Meta Human Rig into a T-pose and transferring the motion capture data on the rig and back into Daz Studio. This adjustment significantly improved the accuracy of motion transfer from the Rokoko rig to the Daz rig.
Utilizing animation pre-set libraries in Daz Studio for specific shots: While motion capture data expedited the animation process for full-body movements, most scenes in the film "The Bell Affair" did not necessitate motion capture suits. Thus, we recommended saving animations in the pre-set file format in Daz-Studio, allowing for convenient reuse in various shots.
Leveraging Unreal Engine Meta-Humans in conjunction with motion capture technology for upcoming studio projects: Unreal Engine's Meta-Humans offer an extensive range of features tailored to diverse human body characteristics, aligning seamlessly with the requirements of films in production at the studio. Furthermore, the transfer of motion data between the Rokoko and Unreal Engine rigs exhibited minimal error rates. Additionally, Unreal Engine licenses allow the software to be used mainly for free, enabling resources to be directed towards other critical areas in the studio. Last but not least, its vibrant community provides ready access to a wide range of resources when troubleshooting.