Performance Capture: Split between the Fictitious and Physical World

Joel Bennett & Chris Carter Part of CW17

Performance Capture (PCap) is the process of capturing a continuous recording of an actor’s movements and emotions using motion capture technology, typically in a 3D virtual world. This presents a somewhat unique situation for the actor in that they are challenged to imagine their virtual counterparts and a completely abstract, computer-generated world whilst delivering their performance. Central to this paper is the identification of the various implications that affect the actor’s abilities during a performance by investigating professionals’ experiences when using performance capture and through the exploration of the implications of performance capture in the creation of a short experimental animation.