|
Home
> News
> Press Releases
MOCAP
LEGEND SELECTS ASCENSION'S
REACTOR
2 FOR CHILDREN'S TV
SERIES
|
 |
BURLINGTON, VERMONT;OCTOBER
1, 2004: Legendary broadcast
animation studio director,
Herve Tardif, has chosen Ascension
Technology’s ReActor2®--
active-optical motion-capture
workstation--for his latest
high-profile TV production.
Cotoons is a 7-minute, 26-episode
3D animated series being created
by Tardif’s Paris-based animation
studio 3dclic.
The mocap veteran’s decision
to use ReActor2 is significant
as he carefully evaluated
all competing optical mocap
systems currently on the market.
Mr. Tardif is best known for
his extensive productions
with MediaLab in the late
1990’s including Donkey Kong
Country.
“I chose ReActor for several
reasons. Most importantly,
there is less reconstruction
(data clean-up) time when
capturing with an active-optical
system like ReActor2,” said
Mr.Tardif. He added, “With
passive optical systems, if
the actor walks in and out
of the capture area, he needs
to be re-calibrated. That
takes a lot of valuable time
in a production environment.
ReActor2 does not need calibration."
Tardif further added that
due to the size of his studio,
any passive optical system
would have only provided a
very small capture volume.
The lower price of ReActor2
compared to other optical
systems was also a factor.
Eighty-five percent of "Cotoons"
will be motion captured, while
the rest will be key-framed.
“Cotoons” (airing in early
2005 with 26 episodes) features
a special universe designed
for the preschool child --
a parallel world next door
to Earth, where the four “Cotoons”
(Punky, Tulip, Wabap and Zoom)
live. In each episode, there
is a dilemma for the “Cotoons”
(and vicariously their viewer
friends) to solve. "Cotoons"
is about the senses -- observing,
hearing, smelling, tasting,
and touching. In each episode,
there is a two-minute sequence
where two of the characters
are composited over live action.
Tardif says of ReActor2 and
MotionStar technologies, “Ascension
has always given us the level
of support that we expect.
Over the years, we have developed
a strong and valuable professional
relationship.”
3dclic, headquartered in
Paris, France is a 3D production
studio that produces television
shows, commercials, and interactive
web experiences. For more
information, visit www.3dclic.com.
“Cotoons” is being produced
by Film en Stock of France
and Zone 3 of Canada.
Ascension Technology Corporation,
based in Burlington, Vermont,
USA, is a world leader in
magnetic, optical and inertial
motion tracking solutions
for 3D computer graphics applications
in animation, biomechanics,
simulation, virtual reality,
medicine and military targeting
systems. More information
about Ascension trackers is
available at www.ascension-tech.com.
--END—
Back to Top
|
