top of page
Motion Capture
Motion Capture Mentorship
April 2024
Last Friday I had the absolute pleasure of mentoring two UW Stout Students Michaela Niedzwiecki and Andrew Hirl on Motion Capture workflows. These two awesome students were interested in learning what I do; it was an awesome way to share that with them as the mentors I've met in the industry have done for me. Over the course of an hour and a half, I got to mentor them on the following topics:
- MotionBuilder usage/workflows (Character Mapping, Characterization, Retargeting with Mobu, ROM Retargeting Workflow, etc)
- Using Move AI (Recording an animation, Uploading the Animation Video, Exporting the animation, etc.)
- Networking with Industry Professionals and The Motion Capture Society
Hoping to do another event like this before I leave Menomonie in May and go more in-depth on these previous topics. Thank You Andrew and Michaela for taking the time out of your day so I can share what I love doing with you. Wishing you all the best on the rest of your semester at Stout!
Haptix Studio Job Shadow Mocap Shoot
August 2023
In August 2023, I had the fantastic opportunity of job shadowing at Haptix Studio in Lansing, MI. Over one week, I got to meet the Haptix Studio Team and have them teach me more about motion capture / virtual production. This team consisted of John Allison, Paul Powell II, Cecilia Fry, Caitlin Burt, Billy Scharf, Bryel Smith, Jace Williams, Edouard Morisseau, Colleen Little, and Tommy Truong. Additionally, I got to run my own Motion Capture shoot with their in-house OptiTrack system. This opportunity allowed me to learn/improve my skills in the industry standard Motion Capture workflows, OptiTrack Motion Capture systems, retargeting with Autodesk Motionbuilder, VFX with Houdini, and Virtual Production within Unreal Engine. Currently, I am focused on retargeting the data to some character rigs. But I figured it would be a great idea to showcase the footage from my time at Haptix Studio as a preview of what is coming in the future. I was unable to get this uploaded until now due to some unprecedented events. It feels good to be working on my portfolio again and getting back into the swing of things. I want to thank the Haptix Studio team for this memorable experience. We had such great conversations, laughs, and fantastic memories. Wishing you all the best on your current projects.
MoveOne AI Shoot
Feburary 2024
At the beginning of February 2025, I decided to jump on the AI Motion Capture bandwagon and learn MoveAI. To do this, I found an empty room on UW Stout's campus and created a little mocap shoot space for a couple of hours. Over the course of those hours, I decided to record 3 animations which include the following: Waving, Boxing, and A Walk Cycle. I did this on two cameras: my iPhone 16 Plus and GoPro Hero 10. This allowed me to compare the results between the two devices. After comparing results, I decided I preferred the GoPro method. Honestly, I would love to fiddle with the multiple GoPro setup via MoveOne. I would also love to incorporate the ROM workflow with this method to utilize what I learned from previous Mocap experience. Honestly, I prefer using an Optical system. But it was fun to learn a new technology and I can't wait to learn more. Hoping to get some Stout students involved and do some more fun shoots before I leave.I will be sure to upload the shoot videos and animations once I get them all ready to go.
UW Stout Mocap Shoot
November 2022
​In November 2022, I conducted my first motion capture shoot using the UW Stout Vicon Motion Capture system, alongside Jesse Woodward, Zoe Cornwell, and John Leibbrandt. John was completing his senior capstone project, and Zoe served as the mocap graduate assistant at that time. On the day we recorded these animations, I participated in my UW Stout Motion Capture training, which allowed me to observe and learn the motion capture process in depth. Additionally, I had the opportunity to help mark talent for John's project and build individual relationships with each team member. Before this shoot, I had no experience with mocap technology. Looking back, it's incredible to see how much I have learned about the motion capture pipeline, animation retargeting, and operating both Vicon and OptiTrack systems. Currently, I am focused on retargeting the data to some character rigs using MotionBuilder. I also plan to create reels showcasing the motion capture shoots I've participated in over the years. I want to thank Jesse, Zoe, and John for this memorable experience. It's an experience that reinforced my love for Motion Capture and Virtual Production.
bottom of page