Comments on: Blooper reel from LA Noire reveals its excellent motion capture technology http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/blooper-reel-from-la-noire-rev.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sat, 18 May 2013 12:05:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Organic Motion http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/blooper-reel-from-la-noire-rev.html#comment-1649340 Organic Motion Thu, 07 Feb 2013 20:52:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211041#comment-1649340 More real than real life. Motion Capture to the rescue!! More real than real life. Motion Capture to the rescue!!

]]> By: Nathan Hornby http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/blooper-reel-from-la-noire-rev.html#comment-1649236 Nathan Hornby Thu, 07 Feb 2013 19:33:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211041#comment-1649236 Good point actually - they're also portraying a style of character that is kind of wooden and theatrical - which now that I think about it doesn't lend well to a game where one of the main goals is to gauge emotion. Good point actually – they’re also portraying a style of character that is kind of wooden and theatrical – which now that I think about it doesn’t lend well to a game where one of the main goals is to gauge emotion.

]]> By: Sam Pourasghar http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/blooper-reel-from-la-noire-rev.html#comment-1647981 Sam Pourasghar Wed, 06 Feb 2013 18:26:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211041#comment-1647981 I've only recently started playing LA Noire and am really impressed by the level of expression that is captured. I think that these cgi bloopers have a unique authenticity to them because the technique they use allows the genuine smiles/sneezes/tongue-bites to be transplanted into the game footage without having that end-of-toy-story-2-scripted-blooper-reel feel (which I'm not knocking, but real bloopers are better). I'm loving spotting actors I recognise, like "Dead Meat" Thompson from Hot Shots. This is not that bit though >>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNhDB3Aists I’ve only recently started playing LA Noire and am really impressed by the level of expression that is captured. I think that these cgi bloopers have a unique authenticity to them because the technique they use allows the genuine smiles/sneezes/tongue-bites to be transplanted into the game footage without having that end-of-toy-story-2-scripted-blooper-reel feel (which I’m not knocking, but real bloopers are better). I’m loving spotting actors I recognise, like “Dead Meat” Thompson from Hot Shots.

This is not that bit though >>>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNhDB3Aists

]]> By: TheMudshark http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/blooper-reel-from-la-noire-rev.html#comment-1647627 TheMudshark Wed, 06 Feb 2013 11:31:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211041#comment-1647627 Great facial expressions, movements like puppets on strings. Great facial expressions, movements like puppets on strings.

]]> By: Ladyfingers http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/blooper-reel-from-la-noire-rev.html#comment-1647423 Ladyfingers Wed, 06 Feb 2013 03:04:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211041#comment-1647423 The separate capture certainly explains why the neck and shoulders on these things always appear to be trapped in a brace of some sort. My friends and I used to do impressions of mo-cap performances to make each other laugh. The separate capture certainly explains why the neck and shoulders on these things always appear to be trapped in a brace of some sort. My friends and I used to do impressions of mo-cap performances to make each other laugh.

]]> By: LogrusZed http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/blooper-reel-from-la-noire-rev.html#comment-1647411 LogrusZed Wed, 06 Feb 2013 02:50:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211041#comment-1647411 It was a very good looking and totally boring game. It was a very good looking and totally boring game.

]]> By: echolocate chocolate http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/blooper-reel-from-la-noire-rev.html#comment-1647170 echolocate chocolate Tue, 05 Feb 2013 23:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211041#comment-1647170 Part of the problem is that the body and face have to be captured separately, so the performance is always going to be a bit "off". The other problem is plain art direction: they're effectively compositing realistic-looking video (with topology info) for the face onto an overly simple body. It looks like a man wearing a slightly oversized and stiff man suit. Better deformation and some kind of cloth simulation might have helped a bit, but ultimately the faces look like they belong in a different universe. Bear in mind this technology was well behind the state-of-the-art even when the game came out. There are games in production right now using capture systems that can capture facial animation and full body performance at the same time. There are also smarter "re-targeting" systems where they can map the performance from one face onto another--or, more usefully, apply whatever kind of art direction they want to the CG faces to make them fit more harmoniously with the body. I've seen the results and they <i>can</i> look amazing. But personally I think the performances in LA Noire will still hold up for quite a while. Just the fact they're playing regular old people down here in the real world, not space marines or wizards, lends an air of believability. Part of the problem is that the body and face have to be captured separately, so the performance is always going to be a bit “off”.

The other problem is plain art direction: they’re effectively compositing realistic-looking video (with topology info) for the face onto an overly simple body. It looks like a man wearing a slightly oversized and stiff man suit. Better deformation and some kind of cloth simulation might have helped a bit, but ultimately the faces look like they belong in a different universe.

Bear in mind this technology was well behind the state-of-the-art even when the game came out. There are games in production right now using capture systems that can capture facial animation and full body performance at the same time. There are also smarter “re-targeting” systems where they can map the performance from one face onto another–or, more usefully, apply whatever kind of art direction they want to the CG faces to make them fit more harmoniously with the body. I’ve seen the results and they can look amazing.

But personally I think the performances in LA Noire will still hold up for quite a while. Just the fact they’re playing regular old people down here in the real world, not space marines or wizards, lends an air of believability.

]]> By: Ziggamorph http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/blooper-reel-from-la-noire-rev.html#comment-1647038 Ziggamorph Tue, 05 Feb 2013 22:37:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211041#comment-1647038 In LA Noire, there is ambient noise. They haven't put that in here. In LA Noire, there is ambient noise. They haven’t put that in here.

]]> By: Joseph Francis http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/blooper-reel-from-la-noire-rev.html#comment-1646868 Joseph Francis Tue, 05 Feb 2013 21:00:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211041#comment-1646868 I guess they wouldn't bother with bloopers, but for the game can they process the voices in the exteriors so that the people sound more like they are really outside? I guess they wouldn’t bother with bloopers, but for the game can they process the voices in the exteriors so that the people sound more like they are really outside?

]]> By: Joseph Francis http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/blooper-reel-from-la-noire-rev.html#comment-1646863 Joseph Francis Tue, 05 Feb 2013 20:58:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211041#comment-1646863  Yes but they are chicken byproducts that you can render from any angle.  Yes but they are chicken byproducts that you can render from any angle.

]]> By: VideoMonkey http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/blooper-reel-from-la-noire-rev.html#comment-1646812 VideoMonkey Tue, 05 Feb 2013 20:25:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211041#comment-1646812 Wow, the way they shot that real video and then converted it into animation almost looks like real video!  This is the best thing since they learned how to make real chicken into chicken byproducts that taste almost like chicken. Wow, the way they shot that real video and then converted it into animation almost looks like real video!  This is the best thing since they learned how to make real chicken into chicken byproducts that taste almost like chicken.

]]> By: Robert Drop http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/blooper-reel-from-la-noire-rev.html#comment-1646795 Robert Drop Tue, 05 Feb 2013 20:14:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211041#comment-1646795 The mo-cap for the screw-ups did seem a lot more real.  I'm thinking that the nature of the dialog (which seemed pretty bad) and direction probably had a lot to do with it.  When the characters are impassive cops interviewing suspects trying not to let anything slip, you'll get, at best, subtle expressions from good actors that mo-cap of this sort is really bad at capturing. The mo-cap for the screw-ups did seem a lot more real.  I’m thinking that the nature of the dialog (which seemed pretty bad) and direction probably had a lot to do with it.  When the characters are impassive cops interviewing suspects trying not to let anything slip, you’ll get, at best, subtle expressions from good actors that mo-cap of this sort is really bad at capturing.

]]> By: Dave Pease http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/blooper-reel-from-la-noire-rev.html#comment-1646779 Dave Pease Tue, 05 Feb 2013 20:03:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211041#comment-1646779 the expressions were pretty impressive. i wish the maker of this video hadn't gotten so cute with the long old-school film style lead-in and the clip with the beeps between each of them. the expressions were pretty impressive.

i wish the maker of this video hadn’t gotten so cute with the long old-school film style lead-in and the clip with the beeps between each of them.

]]> By: Glen Able http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/blooper-reel-from-la-noire-rev.html#comment-1646763 Glen Able Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:51:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211041#comment-1646763 Seems to me that it's let down particularly by the arms.  The clothing looks like it's rigidly attached to the skeleton, and the fingers look all weird and clumsy. Seems to me that it’s let down particularly by the arms.  The clothing looks like it’s rigidly attached to the skeleton, and the fingers look all weird and clumsy.

]]> By: tristan eldritch http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/blooper-reel-from-la-noire-rev.html#comment-1646729 tristan eldritch Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:27:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211041#comment-1646729 I think I'm going to write a modern day Philip K Dick novel called Bloopers in the Uncanny Valley: "Soon I realized that there were others like me.......others who had noticed the bloopers, the fluffs, the laughter.......then I realized that my life came in short, plot-heavy chunks....." I think I’m going to write a modern day Philip K Dick novel called Bloopers in the Uncanny Valley:
“Soon I realized that there were others like me…….others who had noticed the bloopers, the fluffs, the laughter…….then I realized that my life came in short, plot-heavy chunks…..”

]]> By: jon_anon http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/blooper-reel-from-la-noire-rev.html#comment-1646719 jon_anon Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:21:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211041#comment-1646719 I don't think it's that the actors aren't very good. The mo-cap and rendering are good enough that I could recognise Ken Cosgrove immediately - I'm so confident about that, I'm not even going to stop and look it up! The body language and facial expressions are reproduced very well, and clearly the same actor is excellent in Mad Men. So if it looks wooden, it must be part uncanny valley, and part just plain corny dialogue, that makes you perceive his performance as bad. (I'm going to look like an idiot if it's not him.) I don’t think it’s that the actors aren’t very good. The mo-cap and rendering are good enough that I could recognise Ken Cosgrove immediately – I’m so confident about that, I’m not even going to stop and look it up! The body language and facial expressions are reproduced very well, and clearly the same actor is excellent in Mad Men. So if it looks wooden, it must be part uncanny valley, and part just plain corny dialogue, that makes you perceive his performance as bad. (I’m going to look like an idiot if it’s not him.)

]]> By: Florian Bösch http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/blooper-reel-from-la-noire-rev.html#comment-1646696 Florian Bösch Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:06:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211041#comment-1646696 Was thinking the same thing. Was thinking the same thing.

]]> By: wizardru http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/blooper-reel-from-la-noire-rev.html#comment-1646672 wizardru Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:49:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211041#comment-1646672 Hilarious might be a bit...generous, here.  This isn't exactly Burt Reynolds and Dom Deluise screw-ups or Jackie Chan out-takes.   The facial animation captures, though, are pretty impressive. Hilarious might be a bit…generous, here.  This isn’t exactly Burt Reynolds and Dom Deluise screw-ups or Jackie Chan out-takes.  

The facial animation captures, though, are pretty impressive.

]]> By: noggin http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/blooper-reel-from-la-noire-rev.html#comment-1646674 noggin Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:49:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211041#comment-1646674 Good start to climbing out of the uncanny valley.  The off-script discussions after the line flubs are an order of magnitude ahead of the scripted dialog on that climb. Good start to climbing out of the uncanny valley.  The off-script discussions after the line flubs are an order of magnitude ahead of the scripted dialog on that climb.

]]> By: Nathan Hornby http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/blooper-reel-from-la-noire-rev.html#comment-1646667 Nathan Hornby Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:46:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211041#comment-1646667 Weirdly that's the best demonstration I've seen of the mo-cap in LA Noire. The mistakes look so much more REAL - maybe they're just not very good actors? Weirdly that’s the best demonstration I’ve seen of the mo-cap in LA Noire. The mistakes look so much more REAL – maybe they’re just not very good actors?

]]> By: timquinn http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/blooper-reel-from-la-noire-rev.html#comment-1646645 timquinn Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:35:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211041#comment-1646645 Some of those wertr . . . damn, sorry Some of those wertr . . . damn, sorry

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