Motion Capture For Games

Categories: animation, motion capture
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About Course

Master motion capture for games from someone who has actually done it at the highest level.

This is not a theory course. This is a professional-grade, end-to-end training on motion capture for video games — built by a seasoned animation director with real AAA credits. Whether you’re an animator looking to expand your skillset, a student preparing for the industry, or a developer wanting to understand the pipeline, this course takes you from zero to production-ready.

You will learn how motion capture actually works in a games studio — from planning a shoot and directing actors, to importing data into Maya, cleaning it up with professional tools, and delivering final animations that meet AAA standards. You’ll go deep into cinematics, vehicle rigs, blending mocap with hand-keyed animation, and working within a professional team using real tools like Perforce and Red9.

By the end, you won’t just understand motion capture — you’ll be able to do it, communicate about it, and get hired for it. The course spans 3 parts, 32 topics, and 79 lessons. You’ll also join an online community of animators and developers to share work, get feedback, and grow together.

What You’ll Learn

  • Plan a full motion capture shoot from scratch — shot lists, documentation, pre-production goals
  • Direct professional mocap actors for both gameplay and cinematic sequences
  • Set up Maya correctly for an efficient motion capture workflow
  • Import and manage mocap data from multiple file formats
  • Clean up raw motion capture data to production-ready quality — no plugins and with Red9
  • Use the Red9 plugin (including Pro tools) to dramatically speed up your workflow
  • Work with the Nubian character rig in both standard and advanced configurations
  • Blend motion capture data with hand-keyed animation seamlessly
  • Transfer animation between rigs and adapt animations with redirection techniques
  • Build idle loops, climb animations, and multi-character cinematic sequences
  • Use Perforce and professional naming conventions in a studio team pipeline
  • Understand the key differences between gameplay mocap and cinematic mocap
  • Work with vehicle rigs — Interstellar and Rover — in a mocap context
  • Apply facial motion capture principles for storytelling and cinematics

Who This Course Is For

  • Animators looking to break into the games industry and master the full mocap pipeline
  • Animation students preparing for junior or mid-level roles at games studios
  • Technical artists or developers who need to understand how motion capture fits into production
  • Freelance animators wanting to expand into motion capture cleanup as a service
  • Anyone curious about how AAA game animations are made — and who wants to be part of it

Requirements

  • A basic understanding of 3D animation principles — no advanced experience needed
  • Autodesk Maya installed (student or commercial version is fine)
  • A computer capable of running Maya
  • No prior motion capture experience required — this course starts from the ground up
  • A genuine desire to work in games and level up your animation career

What’s Included

  • The Nubian character rig — standard and advanced versions, ready to use
  • Raw motion capture data files for hands-on practice at every stage
  • Exclusive 30% discount on Red9 Pro — a professional Maya plugin used by studios
  • Mocap planning documentation and shot list templates
  • FBX Maya setup files and configuration guides
  • Vehicle rigs — Interstellar and Rover — for the vehicle animation module
  • Access to the Animworks community for peer feedback and ongoing support
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What Will You Learn?

  • By the end of this course, you will be able to:
  • Understand how professional mocap pipelines work in AAA games production
  • Plan and prepare a motion capture shoot from scratch
  • Blend motion capture with hand-keyed animation for full creative control
  • Direct actors on set to capture exactly the performance you need
  • Work with mocap as part of a team using Perforce and naming conventions
  • Set up Maya correctly for a professional mocap workflow
  • Apply advanced clean-up techniques using the Graph Editor
  • Import, retarget, and clean motion capture data to a polished standard
  • Set up and animate vehicle rigs including spacecraft and companion vehicles
  • Build seamless idle loops and polished in-game animations
  • Retarget and redirect animations across multiple rigs and characters

Course Content

Part 1 – Introduction to Motion Capture
This opening module sets the foundation for the entire course. You will gain a clear understanding of what motion capture is, how it is used in games, and why it has become such a critical part of modern animation pipelines. We also explore different mindsets around motion capture, from beginners to seasoned professionals, helping you frame the rest of the course with the right expectations and goals.

  • About Me
    06:49
  • Different Attitudes Towards Motion Capture – From Beginners to Professional
    13:27
  • A Remarkable Tool for Games Animation
    07:34
  • Get Ready -> Documentation Link
  • Course Review

Planning Motion Capture
Strong motion capture starts long before actors step into a volume. In this module, you will learn how to plan motion capture shoots effectively, including defining goals, preparing shot lists, and understanding what information animators and teams need ahead of time. This section helps you avoid common mistakes that cost time, money, and quality later in production.

Motion Capture Actors
Motion capture performance is only as good as the people performing it. This module focuses on the role of the motion capture actor, what makes a great performance for games, and how acting differs between gameplay and cinematics. You will also gain insight into working with professional performers and understanding their value within a production.

Motion Capture Directing
Directing motion capture is a unique discipline that blends animation, filmmaking, and live performance. This module teaches you how to communicate effectively with actors, guide performances, and adapt your directing style depending on whether you are capturing gameplay or cinematic content. It also covers the creative responsibilities of a motion capture director on set.

Working with Teams and Clients
Motion capture is rarely a solo effort. In this module, you will learn how to collaborate with internal teams and external clients, manage expectations, and communicate clearly throughout a project. This section focuses on real-world production workflows, approvals, and delivery standards used in professional game development.

Maya Setup For Motion Capture
Before importing any data, your software needs to be set up correctly. This module walks you through preparing Maya for motion capture work, including essential settings, workflows, and best practices. You will learn how to create a stable environment that supports clean imports and efficient iteration.

The Nubian Rig
This module introduces the Nubian rig used throughout the course. You will learn how the rig is structured, how to use it effectively with motion capture data, and how it fits into a game animation workflow. This section ensures you are comfortable with the rig before moving into more technical animation work.

Importing Motion Capture
Once data is captured, it needs to be brought into your animation pipeline cleanly and efficiently. This module covers the process of importing motion capture data, understanding different file formats, and ensuring that your data is correctly aligned and usable inside Maya. It forms a crucial bridge between capture and animation.

The Motion Capture Idle Loop (The Basics)
Idle animations are one of the most important, yet often underestimated, assets in games. In this module, you will work with raw motion capture data to create a functional and believable idle loop. You will learn how to evaluate raw data, clean it up, and begin shaping it into something suitable for gameplay.

PART 2 – Advanced Motion Capture
Part 2 of the course takes everything you have learned and pushes it further. This module introduces more advanced workflows, problem-solving techniques, and production considerations used in professional game studios. It is designed to help you move beyond basic cleanup and into higher-quality, production-ready animation.

Working With Motion Capture As a Team
Game development is collaborative by nature. This module focuses on working within larger animation and development teams, understanding shared pipelines, and maintaining consistency across multiple contributors. You will learn how motion capture fits into broader production workflows.

Perforce & Naming Conventions – What is it and How it Works
Good version control and naming conventions are essential in professional environments. This module introduces Perforce, explains how it is used in game development, and covers best practices for naming files and assets. These skills are critical for anyone looking to work in or alongside studio pipelines.

Plugins to Make Your Life Easier
Motion capture workflows can be significantly improved with the right tools. This module explores useful plugins, including Red9, showing how they can speed up cleanup, organisation, and iteration. You will learn when and why to use plugins, and how they fit into a professional workflow without becoming a crutch.

New Nubian Rig – More Advanced and Versatile
This lesson introduces the updated Nubian rig and explains what makes it more powerful and flexible for advanced motion capture work. You will learn how the rig supports more complex animation scenarios and why it is better suited for higher-quality, production-ready results.

How To Import Motion Capture – Advanced Techniques
This lesson dives deeper into importing motion capture data beyond the basics. It focuses on advanced techniques for handling complex data, solving common import issues, and preparing animations properly for further cleanup and refinement inside Maya.

How To Copy Data from One Rig to Another
In this lesson, you will learn how to transfer animation data between different rigs. This is a crucial skill when working across multiple characters, iterations, or production constraints, and is commonly used in professional game animation pipelines.

Mocap Clean Up – Advanced Techniques
This lesson focuses on higher-level motion capture cleanup techniques used in real production environments. You will learn how to identify subtle issues, improve motion quality, and push animations beyond basic cleanup into polished, game-ready results.

Graph Editor Filters for Motion Capture
The Graph Editor is one of the most powerful tools for refining motion capture. This lesson explores specific filters and techniques that help you clean, smooth, and control animation curves efficiently, while maintaining the natural feel of the original performance.

How to Blend Two Mocap Animations
Blending motion capture clips is a common requirement in games. This lesson teaches you how to combine two separate mocap animations smoothly, ensuring continuity, believability, and gameplay usability without introducing unwanted artefacts.

Animation Redirector – How to tweak your Animations
This lesson covers animation redirection techniques that allow you to adjust and fine-tune existing motion capture data. You will learn how to adapt animations to different needs without starting from scratch, saving time while maintaining quality.

Vehicle Rigs – Interstellar & Rover
Motion capture is not limited to characters. This lesson introduces vehicle rigs and demonstrates how motion capture principles apply to vehicles such as rovers and spacecraft. It expands your understanding of mocap beyond traditional character animation.

Blending Handkey & Mocap Animations
This lesson focuses on combining hand-keyed animation with motion capture data. You will learn how to enhance mocap performances with hand-animated adjustments, giving you greater creative control while preserving realism.

Knowledge Transfer – Mark Jackson Interview
In this lesson, you gain insight from Mark Jackson through a dedicated interview focused on professional workflows, tools, and problem-solving approaches. It provides valuable industry perspective and practical knowledge drawn from real production experience.

Part 2 Closing Video
The closing lesson wraps up Part 2 of the course and reflects on the advanced techniques covered. It helps you contextualise what you have learned and prepares you to apply these skills confidently in professional or personal projects.

Part 3 – Introduction to Cinematics
This opening lesson introduces the cinematic side of game development and how it connects with motion capture. It sets the context for Part 3 by explaining the role cinematics play in storytelling, pacing, and player experience, and how they differ from purely gameplay-driven animation.

Cutscene Perception
This lesson explores how players perceive cutscenes and why certain cinematic choices work better than others. You will learn how camera work, timing, performance, and editing influence immersion, and how poor execution can pull players out of the experience.

Cutscenes Types In Games
Games use many different types of cutscenes, from fully pre-rendered sequences to in-engine and interactive moments. This lesson breaks down the main cutscene types used in modern games, explaining their strengths, limitations, and when each approach is most appropriate.

Cinematics Vs Gameplay
This lesson focuses on the differences between cinematic animation and gameplay animation. You will learn how priorities shift between the two, including framing, timing, control, and player agency, and why understanding these differences is essential when working across both disciplines.

The Cinematics Approach
Here, you will explore the overall mindset and workflow behind cinematic production in games. This lesson covers how to think cinematically, how shots are planned, and how animation, camera, and performance come together to support narrative and emotion.

Actor Performance
Strong cinematics rely heavily on performance. This lesson focuses on directing and evaluating actor performances for cutscenes, including body language, subtle motion, and emotional clarity. It builds on earlier motion capture directing concepts with a cinematic focus.

Facial Motion Capture
Facial performance is critical for believable storytelling. This lesson introduces facial motion capture workflows, explains how facial data is captured and used, and discusses common challenges when integrating facial animation into cinematic scenes.

Part 3 – Closing Video (End of Course)
The final lesson wraps up Part 3 and the course as a whole. It reflects on the journey from foundational motion capture through advanced workflows and into cinematics, helping you connect all the concepts and encouraging you to apply them confidently in real-world projects.

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