A two-part mini documentary series has just been released which lets you take a peek behind the scenes of the motion capture performances for the next game in the Dark Pictures Anthology - Little Hope.
Motion capture - or mo-cap - plays a pivotal role in the production of many games these days. It allows for the recording of movements made by the actors or objects hooked up to the mo-cap system, and as such sets up a large chunk of the foundation before animations and visual effects are layered on top of it later.
The first episode in this Little Hope Dev Diaries series introduces us to the body actors who stepped into the mo-capped shoes of some of Little Hope's main characters. Check it out below:
As you might imagine, it seems like motion capture acting can be quite challenging. At the very least, it demands mental flexibility that is pretty unique compared to the kind which one would expect traditional acting to entail. The body actors are expected to be able to follow instructions (but also think on their feet where necessary), to harness their imaginations big time, and to be on the ball. Always.
What's also interesting is the fact that most of the acting and casting was done with limited contextual info to work with, thanks to both logistical and confidentiality constraints. This of course adds another layer of difficulty to the task, but evidently a level of excitement too.
"Each day is completely different. You walk in, and it's [like], 'Now, today you're running from a monster in the woods. And, go!" says Michael Jinks, one of the body actors. The rest is up to the directors and producers, and as an actor, you must simply trust in them.
Check out the second Dev Diary below:
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope is the second game in the eight-part Dark Pictures series, and will be released for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on October 30, 2020 - just in time for Halloween!
Source: YouTube