The animated character interacted realistically with his live-action co-stars by relying on the mocap technique developed by Weta studios. In the next few years, it was quickly popularized by the then-revolutionary animated character Gollum in The Lord of the Rings. Motion capture was first used in the film Sinbad: Beyond the Veil of Mists (2000).

The rise of motion capture as a Hollywood must-have It’s a similar technology that is used in Rokoko’s facial mocap app for iOS, which allows 3D artists to capture facial motions as blendshapes to apply them on their custom characters in their 3D animation projects. For example, Instagram filters use a type of mocap to track your face in real-time and apply simple animation overlays. With evolving technology, you can even use your cellphone to do basic motion capture.

Motion capture records movement and translates it into data that can be read by animation software and applied to a 3D rig or character. It's a common misconception that motion capture projects need a big budget and an entire production team. Physical mocap suits, specialty cameras, and advanced software are used to create photorealistic animations that can be used in film, sports, and even healthcare. Motion capture (mocap) technology is used to record movements and apply them to a 3D model.

Iclone 7 facial motion capture