Xsens, known for 3D inertial motion tracking technology, has introduced a new wearable motion capture product line to deliver fast, production-ready 3D data to professional animators at a more affordable price.
Featuring two fully redesigned systems and a 4.0 version of its software, the new Xsens MVN product line brings faster set-ups, cleaner data, and tougher materials designed for daily use in demanding production environments. With customers actively engaging in the product design process, the updated Xsens MVN line brings accessibility and high-quality performance to a production-ready workflow.
“We started using the MVN system over five years ago while working on ‘Paul’ and have continued to use it ever since,” says Simon Kay, motion capture supervisor at Double Negative. “Xsens MVN has been a fantastic tool for previs and animation blocking. After experiencing the new MVN systems first hand, we can’t wait to introduce it into our production pipeline."
“The portability of the MVN system allows us to get true interplay between a CG character and the rest of the cast,” says Webster Colcord, motion capture specialist on ‘Ted.’ “This is particularly important in comedy, where improvisation and timing are everything.”
MVN product line
The three pillars of quality data, robust hardware and easier interactivity led Xsens to redesign its motion capture systems and software into a production-ready solution:
MVN Link: Xsens’ full-body, camera-less mocap suit has been rebuilt to handle more strenuous conditions. Kevlar-reinforced wires, ultra-small and lightweight trackers, fast on-body data buffering, and a battery life of 9.5 hours round out a robust design that is ready for any on-set production.
MVN Awinda: Xsens’ strap-based system is ideal for animators who want to capture motions on the fly. Individual wireless motion trackers are attached to straps that can be quickly snapped on over clothes or easily exchanged among actors to record for up to 6.5 hours.
MVN Studio 4.0: Xsens’ widely used software package featuring patented 3D motion tracking technologies. Thanks to a massive update to Xsens’ mocap engine, it now tracks height in real-time and delivers exceptionally clean data.
The MVN Studio pipeline integration has also been greatly expanded to solidify its mocap data in VFX and animation workflows. Now MVN Studio is even more accessible to industry-standard software pipelines such as Autodesk Maya, Autodesk 3ds Max, MotionBuilder, Houdini, UDK and Unity3D.
“Seven years after developing the world’s first inertial motion capture suit that quickly became the industry de facto standard tool for animators, Xsens has once again taken the motion capture market in an exciting new direction,” says Hein Beute, product manager for Xsens. “Motion capture is now affordable and accessible anywhere in its easiest and most powerful form yet. All you need is an idea.”
Users can start working with Xsens MVN at a starting price of $12,000..
After 20 Years of Acting, Megan Park Finds Her Groove In The Director’s Chair On “My Old Ass”
Megan Park feels a little bad that her movie is making so many people cry. It's not just a single tear either — more like full body sobs.
She didn't set out to make a tearjerker with "My Old Ass," now streaming on Prime Video. She just wanted to tell a story about a young woman in conversation with her older self. The film is quite funny (the dialogue between 18-year-old and almost 40-year-old Elliott happens because of a mushroom trip that includes a Justin Bieber cover), but it packs an emotional punch, too.
Writing, Park said, is often her way of working through things. When she put pen to paper on "My Old Ass," she was a new mom and staying in her childhood bedroom during the pandemic. One night, she and her whole nuclear family slept under the same roof. She didn't know it then, but it would be the last time, and she started wondering what it would be like to have known that.
In the film, older Elliott ( Aubrey Plaza ) advises younger Elliott ( Maisy Stella ) to not be so eager to leave her provincial town, her younger brothers and her parents and to slow down and appreciate things as they are. She also tells her to stay away from a guy named Chad who she meets the next day and discovers that, unfortunately, he's quite cute.
At 38, Park is just getting started as a filmmaker. Her first, "The Fallout," in which Jenna Ortega plays a teen in the aftermath of a school shooting, had one of those pandemic releases that didn't even feel real. But it did get the attention of Margot Robbie 's production company LuckyChap Entertainment, who reached out to Park to see what other ideas she had brewing.
"They were very instrumental in encouraging me to go with it," Park said. "They're just really even-keeled, good people, which makes... Read More