Vicon motion capture used to populate Troy with lifelike digital soldiers and crowds

Oxford, UK (June 11, 2004) - Vicon motion capture systems were put to task for multiple effects shots in the recent Warner Bros. Pictures release, Troy. Motion capture on the movie helped visual effects studios Moving Picture Company (MPC) and Framestore CFC meet the challenge of enhancing huge scenes to include tens of thousands of realistic digital soldiers and crowds. Both companies worked with Artem Digital, a Vicon customer with extensive in-house experience in motion capture, to capture and process the large amount of complex human animation required for the project.

Motion capture work for Troy is notable both for its prominence to the central action of the film, and for the sheer volume of data captured. Framestore CFC delivered an extensive range of 130 shots featuring the huge digital armada and beach landing battle. Very early on, Framestore CFC realized that motion capture was the ideal technology to animate the many thousands of Greek soldiers required to crew the 1000-boat armada and populate the beach encampment throughout the film.

Artem Digital delivered both raw C3D and FBX skeletal data, which was integrated into Framestore CFC's proprietary Crowd System, choreographed as agents in Alias Maya with a suite of in-house tools (density maps, flow controls, terrain mapping and spherical characteristic volume controls) and rendered through a custom pipeline using Pixar's RenderMan.

Capture sessions were staggered throughout the project, using many large-scale sets and props built by Artem Digital. For large set pieces, FrameStore CFC captured up to five performers simultaneously with props relating to specific actions. Moves captured included: raising and lowering sails, with five performers acting on a life-size mock-up of the Greek warships; hauling the warships onto the sand, with five performers in tug-the-boat competition; leaps off the prows of boats as they plough through the surf; and general crew and beach camp action, such as coiling ropes, preparing weapons, putting on armor and blacksmiths forging weapons.

For a massive shot from Apollo's temple roof looking down on the beach below, Framestore CFC used motion capture data and digital characters to increase the number of cheering soldiers to over 10,000 from the 300 actually present on set.

Moving Picture Company created over 425 visual effects shots for Troy. The company created a library including upwards of 11,000 seconds of motion capture movements. The recorded information, made up of all manner of runs, jumps and specific fight moves-- were used to control the movements of fully digital humans, as many as 150,000 foot soldiers, in scenes on land and around the Troy city.

Troy was released on May 14th by Warner Bros. Pictures and was directed by Wolfgang Petersen. The film takes place in the year 1193 B.C., Paris, a prince of Troy (Orlando Bloom) woos Helen, Queen of Sparta (Diane Kruger), away from her husband, Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson), setting the kingdoms of Mycenae Greece at war with Troy. The Greeks sail to Troy and lay siege. Achilles (Brad Pitt) was the greatest hero among the Greeks, while Hector (Eric Bana), the eldest son of Priam (Peter O'Toole), King of Troy, embodied the hopes of the people of his city.

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