★ — TECHNOLOGY
Why motion capture still matters.
AI-generated animation has come fast — but for hero character work, mocap is still essential. Here's why, and how to choose between the major mocap systems.
Where AI animation works
AI-generated locomotion, idle cycles, crowd animation. Anything generic. Off-the-shelf neural anim has matured fast.
Where mocap is essential
Hero performances. Specific actor mannerisms. Emotional nuance. Combat choreography. Dance routines. Anything where the audience expects to recognise a real performer's craft.
Choosing a system
Vicon: tier-1 optical, AAA-game / film standard. OptiTrack: optical value tier. Rokoko: indie inertial suit. Xsens / Movella MVN: pro inertial. Manus: gloves for hand capture.
EquipVerse retargets all of them: $750 per clip with foot-locking and ground-contact correction.