ANIMATION PROJECT DOMAIN APPEAL IN MOTION CAPTURE ANIMATION (2015)

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA
FACULTY OF FILM, THEATRE AND ANIMATION
ANIMATION PROJECT DOMAIN:
APPEAL IN MOTION CAPTURE ANIMATION
ADIB BIN MAHMUD
2012102951
BACHELOR OF
CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY (HONS)
ANIMATION AND SCREEN TECHNOLOGY
SEPTEMBER 2015

ANIMATION PROJECT DOMAIN:
APPEAL IN MOTION CAPTURE ANIMATION
ADIB BIN MAHMUD
Academic exercise submitted in partial fulfilment
of the requirements for the degree of
Bachelor of Creative Technology (Hons)
Animation and Screen Technology
Faculty of Film, Theatre and Animation
September 2015

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FACULTY OF FILM, THEATRE & ANIMATION
PUNCAK PERDANA CAMPUS
SHAH ALAM, SELANGOR
SESSION OF: SEPTEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016
THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT
ADIB BIN MAHMUD
2012102951
HAS FULFILLED THE REQUIREMENTS OF AN ACADEMIC EXERCISE
AS OUTLINED BY THE ACADEMIC BOARD OF THE FACULTY
DATE:
…………………………………………..
SUPERVISOR
ENCIK AIDI RAHIMI IBRAHIM
…………………………………………….
DEAN
DATO’ PROFESSOR A. RAZAK HJ. MOHAIDEEN
…………………………………………….

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DECLARATION
I declare that the work in this academic exercise was carried out in accordance with the
regulations of Universiti Teknologi MARA. It is original and is the results of my own
work, unless otherwise indicated or acknowledged as referenced work. This exercise
has not been submitted to any other institution or non-academic institution for my
degree or qualification.
Student Name : Adib bin Mahmud
Student ID Number : 2012102951
Programme : Animation & Screen Technology
(FF 227)
Faculty : Faculty of Film, Theatre and Animation
Academic Exercise Title : Animation Project Domain: Appeal in
Motion Capture Animation
Student Signature : …………………………..
Date : January 2016

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ABSTRACT
This thesis comprehends the appeal in motion capture animation. The problem in this
study is that many books deal only with the definition of the appeal from the perspective
of conventional animation, therefore, a phenomenological study was conducted. There
are eight participants who are involved in this study to obtain the data. The study
objectives are to study the problem of 'uncanny valley' in the movement of motion
capture animation, examine the success of using the markerless technique in animation
production and investigate the benefit of using motion capture in animation. The finding
from this study are that motion capture do not have its appeal included in the animation
because of the phenomenon of 'uncanny valley' that contributes to the animated
character to be moving in the inappropriate way with regard to its visual design. Besides,
the use of markerless technique, in general, does make the character moves accordingly
to the human actor but remains inaccurate. Additionally, staging is one of the animation
principles that has become the theme of the benefit in using motion capture. It helps in
providing flexibility to form a desired look of cinematography. Nevertheless, the
researcher hopes that more digital animating techniques can be produced like the
animating technique using the simulation of marionette upon the animation character
in order to have more perspective in studying the appeal in animation.

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ABSTRAK
Tesis ini meneroka pemahaman tentang daya penarik dalam animasi motion capture.
Permasalahan kajian ini adalah kerana kebanyakan buku hanya membincangkan
definisi daya penarik dari sudut teknik animasi konvensional, oleh itu, satu kajian
berbentuk kualitatif fenomenologi telah diadakan. Seramai lapan orang terlibat dalam
kajian ini untuk mengumpulkan data. Objektif kajian ini adalah untuk meneliti masalah
‘uncanny valley’ didalam pergerakan animasi motion capture, mengkaji kejayaan
dalam penggunaan teknik markerless dalam produksi animasi, dan menyiasat faedah
penggunaan motion capture dalam animasi. Dapatan kajian ini adalah motion capture
tidak mendapat daya penariknya diterapkan didalam animasi kerana fenomena
kewujudan ‘uncanny valley’ yang menyumbang kepada watak yang dianimasikan
bergerak dalam keadaan yang tidak sesuai dengan rekaan visualnya. Selain itu,
penggunaan teknik markerless, secara umumnya, mampu membuatkan pergerakan
watak menyerupai pelakon tetapi masih lagi kurang jitu. Tambahan, pementasan
adalah salah satu prinsip animasi yang menjadi tema utama dalam faedah penggunaan
motion capture. Ia membantu dalam memberikan fleksibiliti untuk membentuk
sinematografi yang diingini. Akhir sekali, penyiasat berharap bahawa lebih banyak
lagi teknik-teknik animasi secara digital dapat dihasilkan seperti teknik animasi
menggunakan simulasi patung tali terhadap watak animasi agar lebih banyak sudut
berkenaan daya penarik dalam animasi dapat dikaji.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Alhamdulillah, my utmost gratitude to Allah S.W.T for it is with His will and
blessings that the dissertation and accompanying project can be finished as they are.
They are the essence but at the same time only a part of the three years spent studying
in the Faculty of Film, Theatre, and Animation in UiTM Puncak Perdana.
To both of my coordinators of the course CTF 634, Encik Mohd Syuhaidi Abu
Bakar and Puan Nafishah binti Azmi, my gratitude knows no ground.
It is my greatest pleasure to also extend a thank you to my supervisor, Encik
Aidi Rahimi Ibrahim for his allocation of time, assistance and share of wisdom. His
dedication and tolerance for the dissertation and project were the source of
encouragement to keep me moving on.
To my mother, Remelah binti Dimat, whose support and motivation has kept
me strong in this journey.
Not to overlook, other lecturers that have given their time and ideas throughout
the years and the making of this dissertation, friends and family members that had
offered support and solace for every time things were in a slump or just in a stagnant
state of mind. Truly, there are not enough words to be given in return for everything.
Thank you.
Adib bin Mahmud
Faculty of Film, Theatre and Animation (FiTA)
Universiti Teknologi Mara
Shah Alam
Selangor Darul Ehsan.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page Number
VERIFICATION ii
DECLARATION iii
ABSTRACT iv
ABSTRAK v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS vii
INTRODUCTION
Introduction 1
Background of Study 1
Problem Statement 4
Purpose of the Study 5
Research Question 5
Research Objective 5
Scope of the Study 6
Limitation of the Study 6
Summary of Chapter 6
Conclusion 7
CHAPTER ONE:
CONTINUUM IN PERSPECTIVE
Introduction 8
Appeal 8
Aesthetical Approach 15
Anatomical Design 18

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Conclusion 20
CHAPTER TWO:
GAME IN PHENOMENON
Introduction 21
Research Methodology 21
Sampling 23
Instrumentation 24
Data Collection 25
Method of Analysis 26
Conclusion 26
CHAPTER THREE:
APPEALING SYNTHESIS
Introduction 28
Research Procedures 28
Significant Statement 37
Meaning of Statement 37
Themes of Meaning 37
Exhaustive Description of Phenomenon 39
Conclusion 39
CONCLUSION
Introduction 40
Recapitulation 40

1
INTRODUCTION
Introduction
This chapter will provide an introductory information about the topic of the thesis. After
some domestic research and development efforts, 3D animation in Malaysia is
becoming a mature technology. The latest advances in 3D graphic technology, high-
end motion capture systems, and distribution process on domestic and worldwide. It
has set a new trend – 3D animation. 3D animation is one of the types of animation with
the digital setting, computing the vector in three coordinates (x, y and z) which would
provide the depth of the object in the viewport. Valuable studies and research have
provided an awareness on this technology. 3D animation is becoming increasingly
popular in the worldwide market and continues to open bigger opportunities to the
entertainment industry. It provides a wider range of creativity and innovation for the
new systems, such as the motion capture system, particle system and interactivity
system.
Background of Study
This thesis has arisen out of the researcher’s interest in the motion capture technique in
animation and its context within substituting the ordinary filmmaking method into the
medium of animation. In history, the motion capture technology had emerged rather
late in the 1970’s. Among scholars, we have the visionary minds that pioneered the
technology such as Bill Polhemus who found the system for magnetic tracker in 1960s
and Lee Harrison III who invented Scanimate and ANIMAC (a human motion driven
digital character) in 1962. In the USA in 1970, Bill Polhemus founded his own company
Polhemus with his known invention of the magnetic tracking system, and this was

2
followed by Sušanka and Diblik in the same year with the 3D analysis technique
concern to eliminate error caused by perspective. To mention some other examples,
also in USA, Abdel-Aziz and Karara formulated the Direct Linear Transformation
(DLT) in 1971 and in 1973 Frederick G. Lippert III had metallic markers directly placed
to bones, in order to measure the relative motion between the human joint replacement
due to loosening of the component and the metallic markers. In Canada, there had been
another system about motion capture developed by Selcom Inc. known as SELSPOT,
though this system, as its name implies, uses optoelectric described as rhythmic light-
emitting diodes (LED) that are observed and later analysed by the computer to calibrate
the depth between the moving object and the background plate. In the 1976 Marius C.
van Wijk and Heinz Ziemann had done an analytical close-range cine-photogrammetry
and Selcom in 1982 had developed another optoelectric marker called SELSPOT II.
Even in the earlier phase of feature animation, the concept of imitating the human
motion has already spawned. In 1937, Disney had used the concept of imitating human
motion using rotoscoping. This method duplicates the similar movement from the
actor’s performance, which already become a successful method for the animation
studio to use the similar method over and over again in production ever since that
moment. This method utilizes the outline of actual human figures, and during late
1970’s, computers started to become one of the tools in animation and that contributes
to the adaptation of traditional rotoscoping into the digital viewport.
However, in 1990, much of the research had been done for the motion analysis
since its inception in 1983. During that time, only the making of motion capture
animation in CGI film began to occur. Although in California in 1989, the very first
CG movie Don’t Touch Me (1989) which was an animated music video had been
produced by Kleiser-Walczak Construction Company, the appeal from character’s

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performance in the video was ground-breaking, especially at that time. The production
studio is known today as Synthespian Studio that had been behind the scene for the
visual effects of Ra.One (2011) and Surrogates (2009), also making some contribution
to one of the best-known company logo animation appears in most Hollywood films
opening, notably Columbia Pictures an American film production and distribution
studio of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group. In Malaysia, visual effects studios
emerged even later but their production has been frequent though there were minor
efforts in the late 20th
– Century from KRU. Indeed even in Malaysia, prior to the
production of Young Jump Animation Studio’s Saladin: The Animated Series (2008),
recorded on location in Malaysia, there had been not many appealing personality of
motion capture animated characters, despite the growing market, though Young Jump
Animation’s Saladin and their subsequent animation did depict an interest in this kind
of method.
There are numbers of explanation for the unappealing in the animation from
motion capture in Malaysia. One is that prior to the source of data, the actor has to have
charisma in acting, and the production of animation from motion capture usually
depends on this excessiveness of layers of emotions from the actor. Another is that
animation industries within newly emerging market rarely have the resources to embark
on an expensive system of motion analysis normally associated with big budget film
production. Indeed, in Malaysia, animations using motion capture were only practiced
in production from this 21st
– century onwards. In Malaysia, the very first 3D
stereoscopic film was only produced in 2013, notably the Bola Kampung: The Movie,
and although based on 2D animated TV series within the Malaysian culture, an
important aspect of appeal is that 2D animation can really pull it off with its character
motion, this was really a benefit of using man-made drawing, with some detail

4
observation on the animation principles application. There are more technically high-
achievement animation dealing with this 3D medium produced in Malaysia, but they
all been made with the support from oversea productions, and most of them deal with
the growing market in Malaysia after some analysis in this country, notably Upin &
Ipin (2007) shorts during Ramadhan fast-breaking minute special on TV9.
Problem Statement
The problem is that most of the books deal with only defining appeal from the
perspective of conventional animation method, which collectively mean using animator
to animate frame by frame of the cartoon. ‘Appeal’ can be described as having an
external quality developed through good character design attributes with a skilful set of
a group of people doing drawings of it to make its personality obvious (Thomas &
Johnston, 1995; Webster, 2005; Williams, 2009). Numerous animation studio
practitioner have studies appeal in traditional animation (Beane, 2012; Solomon, 1989;
Thomas & Johnston, 1995). Despite all of our knowledge of appeal in animation,
researchers point out that there are much we do not know about the solution to the
appeal in the perspective of motion capture in entertainment except for the ‘uncanny
valley’ and how realistic its motion is that it makes the animation less appealing (Aldred,
2011; Bregler, 2007; Park, 1999). However, in the perspective of different animation
method, which is the motion capture, the actor is the character. Contemporary
researchers are urging us to research through three key areas of this problem, the
animation shortcoming, insurmountability of the ‘uncanny valley’ and appeal (Aldred,
2011; Bregler, 2007; MacGillivray, 2007). Therefore, by doing some research into
separating the perspective of looking into appeal in conventional animation to the

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motion capture animation, it could become one of the successful methods of making an
appealing character with charisma like a real human.
Purpose of the Study / Research Question / Research Objective
The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to study the existence of
appeal in two technically acclaimed but financially failed motion capture animation
from publicly or subsidiary held animation and visual effects studios in Hollywood and
Japan in 2016. The proposed study seeks to understand the appeal in motion capture
animation before, during and after practicing a simple production for the animation
project. To this end, the following three research questions are formulated and those
are how motion capture animation are not having its appeal included in the animation?
Animating using markerless motion capture: how appealing does it become? What can
motion capture benefit on the appeal: an investigation into the animation principles and
practice of a simple production?
From these research questions, the research objectives are to study the problem
of ‘uncanny valley’ in the movement of motion capture animation, to examine and
characterize the success of using the markerless technique in animation production and
to investigate the benefit of using motion capture in animation.
Significance of the Study
The study will provide findings on appeal in motion capture. The animation will
demonstrate and contribute to the preliminary and final analysis of the phenomenon of
appeal in the world of 3D motion capture animation. Thus, the significance of this study
are providing characteristics of the different method of filmmaking, investing to the
evidence that motion capture animation can also have the appeal like the other

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conventional animation and delivering a potential improvement into the art and system
of motion capture animation.
Scope and Limitation of the Study
The study has the following scope and those are that it highlights the appeal as the effect
of all the other animation principles collectively contribute, defines the blurry lines
between the conventional animation’s appeal to the motion capture animation and
provides a personal experience in undergoing simple animation production of a motion
capture animation.
The limitations of the study are the limited time accommodation that reduced a
deeper study of the surrounding phenomenon, the results of the study only represent a
small group of the phenomenon and not a holistic representation of the appeal in the
broader scope of motion capture animation.
Summary of Chapter
In this introductory chapter the researcher forms an overview towards the research
problem and question.
Chapter 1 discusses the literature review of previous case studies which include
the theme of appeal, human anatomy and aesthetics.
In Chapter 2, the research will proceed with a detailed description on
phenomenological study that collects data from the source of the film, the technical
behind it and the surrounding experience of the audience about its appeal.
Chapter 3 discusses, analyse and provide meaning to the phenomenon. The
chapter also showcases reviews from other participants who experienced the similar

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phenomenon. At the end of the chapter, the researcher would conclude the discussion
with answers to the research questions.
Finally, in Conclusion, the researcher would provide conclusion from all the
chapters, giving it a final exhaustive description.
Conclusion
Overall, the problem has arisen from the perception of appeal that traditionally based
on 2D and conventional 3D animation. The issue is vulnerable to many interpretations
as the subject of the study is promoting the analysis from the experience of people about
the animation product. The study would also provide a statement of effectivity in the
technical point of view from using the method of motion capture in animation. The last
issue is derived from the personal experience context which is from the first point of
view undergoing the process of making the animation using motion capture technique,
specifically on the markerless technique.

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CHAPTER ONE
CONTINUUM IN PERSPECTIVE
Introduction
Chapter 1 highlighted the importance of the study. The significance of this study is
providing characteristics of the different method of filmmaking, investing to the
evidence that motion capture animation can also have the appeal like the other
conventional animation and delivering a potential improvement into the art and system
of motion capture animation. This chapter reviews the related literature from some
research on the similar theme of appeal, motion capture-related and a slight overview
on the design of the character which could contribute to the appeal in the 3D animation.
Appeal
Appeal describes the personality of the animated character similar to charisma that the
real actor poses. The most important part of this research is to find a new perspective
in viewing appeal from the conventional animation to the motion capture. However, to
understand the meaning of appeal from the animation principles requires some textual
analysis of the principle from the original conventional perspective. To begin with, the
issue of appeal have been classified into three categories and those are the inner quality,
the outer quality and the projection of personality. By sum of this categories, the appeal
can be seen from a broader perspective as a result of experience from sets of drawing.
Discussion of the appeal as an animation principle range from the traditional 2D
animation to even computerised era of conventional 3D animation. Discussion of the
appeal derived from the other eleven animation principles that sum up to become the
final personified character in the animation. The recipe in this regard is from Frank

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Thomas and Ollie Johnston’s book Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life. In this book,
Thomas and Johnston discuss the underlying principles of the drawing that is very
subtle yet very significant to make a spectacular motion. Thomas and Johnston define
the appeal in the following way:
An animator had to choose the best action for the spot in the picture,
refine it to the simplest statement, do it the best he could, make the
drawing work for everything he was trying to say, keep the
personality in the movement, use enough anatomy to be convincing,
and do it all in an entertaining way
(p. 37)
We should note that Thomas and Johnston’s approach to appeal is traditional and period
oriented as in the 1990’s where the motion capture system is not very popular even with
Disney’s rotoscoping for the Snow White had been considered cheating by some people
during that time. Thomas and Johnston provide a very particular explanation on the
animation principles, as they were both employed in Disney. Correctively, they point
out that the appeal is a term often misinterpreted as being cuddly, small and soft animals
but have a different meaning to Disney’s animator that is the attractiveness, likability
and good communication of the drawings to the spectator (Thomas & Johnston, 1995).
But the rest of other principles they writes about (squash and stretch, anticipation,
staging, straight ahead action and pose to pose, follow through and overlapping action,
slow in and slow out, arcs, secondary action, timing, exaggeration, and solid drawing)
are particularly literal to understand, possibly more towards the technical aspect of
drawings practiced in Disney.
In the case of the animations the researcher are writing about, both are made by
the use of motion capture that employs the markers on facial, hands and full body area,
and of which the technique of optical passive was used on both animations, and where
the appeal of the character has some relation to the real human actor’s acting, other than

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the possibility of making an adjustment after the recording in 3D software which
includes replacing or deleting keyframe from the timeline, or just plain data to the final
character’s motion like what had been done in The Polar Express (2004) where due to
limited time the studio desperately have to proceed with the non-retouched recorded
data from the actors to the final animation. But we should perceive that as an ambitious
project by Hollywood, as part of the technological marvel in the animation industry,
that always progressing towards a bigger advancement in the creative industry. One
question we may ask in this thesis is whether the Hollywood approach is practical to
other production that might have a very limited resources on doing this method. In a
similar pattern, we may ask if in Malaysia doing motion capture animation would
become a success to appeal to the audience for a solid time. In Chapter 4, the researcher
discusses the phenomenon of appeal, which is set with personal support of simple
animation production, a process to guide an in-depth journey to understand the
perspective of appeal in motion capture animation.
In similar disposition, much of another propagating discussion of the appeal in
animation tends to see it in terms of drawings and exaggeration if in 3D. Charles
Solomon in his book The History of Animation: Enchanted Drawings, suggests that
appeal is the construction of all the other principles that is the least important
principle ,if not necessarily, the important one as it is a very result of the other collective
outcome from the rest of the principles if followed strictly. Solomon adds that the
principles of squash and stretch is obviously the most important principle to construct
an appealing character as witnessed by Ollie Johnston who animated Pinocchio that in
order to make the character look more appealing, the character needs more squash and
stretch in his movement other than the way it used to move before like wooden puppet
(Solomon, 1989). He believes that the appeal of the animation is based on the good

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timing and exaggeration that produce a certain unique motion of the character’s acting.
Examples cited by Solomon are almost the same cited by Thomas and Johnston, the
movement of the character is as a whole and subtle infusion of uniqueness in the motion
of each drawing that includes all the other parts of the character that is reflecting and
expressing the character’s attitude, movement, acting and eventually personality.
However, the researcher anticipate that the appeal is the form of all infusion of
other parts’ movement within the series of action. The appeal in animation does not
necessarily have to be drawings in its representation, but can also be represented from
the 3D perspective; what is important in this animation is that the appeal significantly
comes from the simple understandable characteristic in animation character. The nature
of the principles is very much controlled by the objective of the action and the simplest
way to express the movement inside the screen frame. While Solomon believes that
appeal in animation is a must by being simple and uncomplicated as that what makes
Disney’s Mickey Mouse so appealing as it roots to the humane side such as
commitments to love, generosity, loyalty, and generally kind towards other (Solomon,
1989). He adds, “the combination of a lethargic personality and rather gentle gags was
hardly the sort of humor that would appeal strongly to an audience, especially in the
late 1930’s, when most cartoon characters were growing increasingly aggressive” (p.
110).
The other phrase discussed by Solomon, significant to the motion capture
animation, is the ‘personality projection’. Solomon discussion of the ‘personality
projection’ is quite similar to a later book by Chris Webster, who defines the acting as
simply the highest form of movement because it contains the psychological reason for
each movement and provides the audience with an experience of the inner feelings of
the character (Webster, 2005). Webster focuses to the cognitive of the character as

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appearing on living human, suggesting that acting for the animation has been very
subtle in its drawing of the character, concentrating on particular psychology, the way
the character supposed to think rather than just unnecessarily moving with squash and
stretch and interact to its surrounding settings. He adds:
… for example, if your character is a teacup, such as Chip in Disney’s
Beauty and the Beast (1991), squash and stretch will help to give
personality. However, if the object is simply a prop it may lose
credibility if squash and stretch is applied too liberally – or even at
all.
(p. 24)
While personality is drawn by the assumption of the pattern of thinking of the character
and outer stimuli from the surroundings, the many reasons for the success of the
animation are based on its well-preparation. At this point, Webster notes that “no
amount of elaborate animation or skilful drawing will give the characters lasting appeal;
this can only be achieved through well-tough-out design, which includes psychological
design as well as physical design” (p. 109).
In animation in the previous traditional period era, the animators were trained
hard to compensate with the trading of knowledge of the principles from their studio,
noted that the studios tend to be private about their formula and method for the
animation in order to compete with other studios. In addition to the period, animation
tends to be drawn and simplistic has become the approach of the studio to make their
cartoon appealing physically and emotionally. Webster mentions that sadness, joy,
excitement and frustration are among the common emotions that we can relate and
recognize and is characterized in the animation though that character is not a detail we
can still recognize the emotion. Generally, the animation’s appeal tended to be focusing
on the acting even if it does not necessary need to look natural, but because the way the
audience would journey to their inner feeling after watching it (Webster, 2005). In other

13
meaning, the statement signifies the exaggeration in the drawings that supports the
common expression of emotions from the character.
The definition of appeal in animation discussed in this section adapts to such
model of the personality projection in motion capture animation, the closest being the
use of psychological approach to the character which is drawn by the real human actor
in case of motion capture, one of which the actor has to understand the goal and
motivation of the action he or she supposed to do. Countless of the Hollywood and
Japan animation were made using the motion capture system, not necessarily focusing
on the cinematic but also the gaming industry that also adopt the same approach for
their animation character. Hironobu Sakaguchi was the writer and director of Final
Fantasy: The Spirit Within and the animated was made after his earlier two video game
directorial involvement. Although Beowulf’s (2007) director Robert Zemeckis was not
involved in gaming any industry, he was creatively advance in filmmaking with many
of his films were recognized by critics and won awards for their technical and artistic
achievement. The Hollywood and Japan animation studios invested a lot in
technicalities, from the moment research had grown on the motion capture system. Both
of the animations exhibit the similar appeal derived from the system of which translate
the personality of the actor to the digital character, and that includes stages of
development onward each time.
Andy Beane similarly shares the definition of appeal stated in his book 3D
Animation Essentials. He defines the appeal from three different perspectives such as a
principle that the personality makes the audience connected with, a developed form of
character’s visual design and spontaneity of drawings, but not to be mistaken of
allowing mistakes happen uncontrollably (Beane, 2012). Appeal often can be separated
into three elements of psychology, visual design and persona. Beane draws a significant

14
issue of appeal as something to root for throughout the story as an example of appeal
in animation based on charm and charisma because if the character does not produce
sympathy the audience could not experience the existence of emotion in the character.
Beane suggests that most appeals collect all the principles to indicate a connection to
the audience, and through personalities of the character which performs a well-
developed motivation but simple enough to understand (Beane, 2012).
While Solomon, Webster and Beane provide versions of the appeal in animation
in term of inner and outer quality and personal projection as a traditional method, there
is another scholar who aims to provide a slightly different thought of the principle,
notably Richard Williams who wrote the book The Animator’s Survival Kit. Richard
Williams implies that the appeal only from only two sides of outer quality and
personality projection with the addition to utilization of the computer. Williams
emphasises on the technicality, as well as the experience after the result as he is being
specific on his experience on the job as an animator for many of the traditional
animation during his time. Starting from his collaboration as animation director for
feature film Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Williams refers the film success as a
contribution from the emerging era of video and computer:
Certainly the success of Who Framed Roger Rabbit contributed
substantially to the renaissance of animation, and having the video to
test everything as we went along was crucial to us. We had a lot of
talented but inexperienced young people, and with a handful of lead
animators we were able to say, ‘Take that drawing out, change that
one, and put more drawings in here’ etc. This enabled us to keep
improving everything as we raced along, so we were able to
collectively hit the target
(p. 69)
For Williams, the appeal is based on the physicality and materiality usually in drawing
form and refers to the importance of being able to follow the animation principles. The
existence of personality in animation character is perhaps as a result from the

15
identification from the audience to the character (Williams, 2001). In his judgement,
the audience characterization is formed after series of motion is presented, and the
aspect of living the mind of the character is supposed to be part of identification from
the audience to the existing persona that is relatable to them. According to Williams,
personality can be identified easily by if animator could provide separate persona for
each character for the audience to root for (Williams, 2001). Williams believes that
connectivity is a pivotal aspect of visual contribute to appeal, and can be made using
personality. The limitations of Williams’ perception are that rather like the other writers,
his focus tends towards the material of the animation though it would later exhibit
experience of what has been made through the motion of the character’s acting,
breathing life throughout the sense of moving drawings.
Aesthetical Approach
Human beings perceive beauty differently. Many perspectives towards the surrounding
are either evolutionary, anatomical or psychological constrained to influences of culture,
history and individual differences (Jacobsen, 2010). Humans respond differently to
aesthetics. Art and science merge to offer an understanding of aesthetics as discussed
by Jacobsen. In 1876 following Gustav Theodor Fechner, a German philosopher,
physicist and experimental psychologist thought about arguing the so-called ‘aesthetic
from below’. Jacobsen explains:
It often establishes transformational relations between objective
observations from a third person perspective, on the one hand, and
participants’ report based on individual, inherently subjective
experience, on the other
(p. 184)

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Jacobsen points out that aesthetics in modern 21st
-century psychology is still related to
the same previous conflict in the experiment control. This involves the generalisation
of the findings that differ from one study to another.
In his article, Jacobsen discusses aesthetics from various perspectives. The
psychological aspects were drawn from Fechner’s study. The human identification
judges the presence of aesthetics via a system of information processes. Jacobsen states:
It has been reported that aesthetic experience and judgements are
affected by the symmetry or asymmetry of an object (Fechner, 1876;
Berlyne, 1971; Jacobsen & Höfel, 2002), complexity or simplicity
(Berlyne, 1970, 1971), novelty or familiarity (Berlyne, 1970, 1971),
proportion or composition (Höge, 1995; Locher, 2003), semantic
content as opposed to formal qualities of design (Martindale, 1988),
prototypicality of an object (Hekkert & van Wieringen, 1990;
Hekkert et al. 2003) and the significance or mere exposure of a
stimulus.
(p. 185)
In his discussion of the neurocognitive psychology of aesthetics or
neuroaesthetic, Jacobsen reflects on aesthetic from the human perspective by
constructing a stimulus so it would be possible to manipulate the test subjects’
judgements and control the result. The use of stimulus was prone to be out of symmetry
and complexity due to a different kind of materials. However, he adapts other factors
that contribute to the result in a highly controlled situation.
The aesthetic approaches have different kinds of persuasion in the visual look
especially the one that includes the series of time such as animation. Whilst the study
highlights the human perception of aesthetics, it argues the necessity of the visual is
having aesthetic characteristics. Since aesthetics promotes human emotions, this can be
incorporated in the visual design. Moreover, style is a significant element that
distinguishes between eras such as the Renaissance and Modern eras.

17
Specifically, Renaissance was the era of rebirth among many cultural elements
such as art and science. In a 2010 article written by Martin Kemp, he reviewed the
anatomical illustration within Renaissance Humanism followed by Henry Gray’s
influence on the world of anatomy. He suggests that analysing art may include the study
on the style of the subject. His study highlights the presence of style analysis as less
frequently taken prime criteria whilst analysing scientific activity (Kemp, 2010). Kemp
adds:
In the specific field of scientific illustration, it has been seen as having
some limited degree of relevance … the style is at best regarded as a
rather irrelevant comment to the business of communication
information and at worst as a positive liability
(p. 192)
In-depth discussions on the style as highlighted by Kemp in his writing were selective
to a broader sense rather than critically discussed. He adds by introducing other
supporting studies on aesthetics by several authors. Towards the aesthetical study,
Elsner points out the relations between art and history (Elsner, 2003). The crucial issue
is how does the “style art history” can remain both evident and relevant? Provided that
animation also infuses aesthetical values, I would utilise that knowledge to support the
artistic design of the animation. Techniques such as designing during the preproduction
phase is vital. It becomes a source for making a visually clear substance, which include
the shape, contour, colour, detail on the texture and the properly made animation. As
for the aural stimulation, more of it could influence perceptions since it supports the
need to engage with the visual.
Anatomical Design
Minghua and Ping identified the element of style that reflects the cultural value of the
country in which the animation originated. They stated the connection between the

18
audience’s feelings to the quality of the image designed based on the vividness of the
entire animation. They analysed the expression techniques from various types of
methods such as the real-time performance capture, three-dimensional animation and
two-dimensional animation that virtually demonstrate the movement of the image or
character. That includes the infusion of elements such as exaggeration and
personification to bring life to the lifeless organism and generate reality from the
illusion. Minghua and Ping generalised the methods of image design into three types
that are exaggeration and transformation, combination, and personification. Another
artistic style of image design includes the modelling style of image design which they
relate to one of Hayao Miyazaki’s film, Howl’s Moving Castle (2004). This film has a
new infusion design of the castle that left the audience with an unforgettable impression.
The second artistic style of image design is the motion expression of the image design
that emphasises the need of humour and drama to be expressive and exaggerated. It
magnifies the psychological feelings and excitement of the audience.
They also relate the motion expression to a Dreamworks’ film Kung Fu Panda,
which in term of its rhythm and pacing are easily followed by the audience while
watching. The main character provides the element of motion and liveliness and at the
same time looks visually aesthetic. Ming and Ping also analysed the third artistic style
of image design and relate that to Disney’s classic animation such as Snow White and
the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Cinderella (1950) and Sleeping Beauty (1959). All these three
animations are based on the term of the assumption that Ming and Ping state
“assumption of the image of an animation role not only adds more aesthetic
characteristics to the creation of animation art but also brings unexpected artistic effect
and visual and audio enjoyment to the audience” (p. 42). Despite the artistic value,
Ming and Ping also discuss the cultural relationship to the image design of certain

19
country animation. For example, the Japanese may design their animation image to the
extent of its function to satisfy audience’s illusion of things that are impossible (Ming
& Ping, 2010). However, the rules from Ming and Ping compare and identify the vital
aspect of design that should be considered a guideline while designing the image and
character. That depends to the animation and ways to localise the look for the Malaysian
audience as a subjective approach to cultural acceptance.
On the other hand, Lemen’s writing provides the objective rules on ways to start
making a character from scratch. Besides Ming and Ping’s suggestions on the image
design to bring life to the animation, Lemen stands focuses more on drawing the figure
correctly. Lemen’s approach is based on the illustration that makes the concept more
valuable to follow. Typically, the illustrations are not so different from moving pictures
or animation. However, precise drawing is not so effective in a mass produce-level than
fast drawing in animation. In two-dimensional animation, following the rules in the
anatomical drawing may not be as effective as in three-dimensional designs. It may
provide the freedom on the aesthetic. Moreover, three-dimensional animation can
utilise the sides, front, behind and quarter drawing of the character as the virtual mould
in the 3D software such as Maya. This speciality makes the work of designing the image
in better unison from scene to scene as compared to 2D animation. In 3D animation,
movements of the character must be made carefully as the polygons are not physically
non-permeable. From Lemen’s instruction, body movements are described to follow
the circumduction; the pivot point in which virtual bones are supposed to be rigged.
The illustration could define the arc of movements in the storyboard before the
animating process.
Lemen advices on the use of the memory to have a better and clearer idea on
the subject design. He states the importance of the basic form as the basis to adapt the

20
human anatomy to that of an animal, by looking to the shapes beneath the skin and fur.
These resemble part of the process that most CG character is made, i.e. from the
skeleton to the basic shape, muscles, skin texture, and hair. The deepest element is the
skeleton or bones. Eventually, Lemen provides the digital steps to make a good digital
illustration which is good for texturing learning in the 3D model.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this chapter distinguishes the perspectives of looking the appeal from
traditional animation method. The appeal primarily shapes the problem of the study
which in the limited discussion, motion capture is less known to depict the appeal in
animation. The aesthetical approach defines the use of symmetrical design to suggest
pleasant and beauty of the character, which is also related to the anatomical design.
While the anatomical design suggests the use of the actual structure of the character,
which in this project is the human anatomical design. The review of the literature is
collectively supporting the instrumentation of this thesis to study this phenomenon.
This study would later continue with the qualitative phenomenological study on
Chapter 4, but before that on Chapter 3, the thesis would first introduce the fundamental
theoretical framework of the study and clarify the process of analysing the experience
of the appeal in motion capture animation.

21
CHAPTER TWO
GAME IN PHENOMENON
Introduction
This thesis examines the presence of appeal in two technically acclaimed but financially
failed motion capture animation from publicly or subsidiary held animation and visual
effects studios in Hollywood and Japan in 2016.
The purposes of this chapter are to describe the research methodology of this
study, explain the sample selection, describe the procedure used in designing the
instrument and collecting the data, and provide an explanation of the procedures used
to analyse the data.
Research Methodology
This study approach for an experienced-based data to consider understanding the effects
of the certain phenomenon. In this study, the appeal from motion capture animation has
become the subject of interest. The term ‘appeal’ in animation is commonly applied to
conventional animation as it addresses the principle of drawings and shaping the
animation character into a particular form. The appeal, in general, can be interpreted as
to bring a sympathetic response from the external stimulation.
The phenomenological study is used to obtain the essence of experience from a
person, understanding the intentional connection between that and the situation poses,
encompassing steps of phenomenological reduction, description and search for essence
(Finlay, 2009). However, this study will choose to conduct only one specific type of
phenomenology, namely the generative historicist phenomenological study to learn the

22
meaning that derives from the experience that also collectively been constructed in the
mind process from being in the situation.
Generative historicist phenomenological study typically person’s experience,
describing it to the respect of problem of the study. It focusses on the configuration of
experiences and the result of meaning that came from that. It also provides a temporal
dimension that profound the occurred situation. The procedure develops a style of
descriptive science in its result but maintains the fact that the person is related to the
theme of the study. The participant would be in their own set of experience, internally
and externally, focusing on the objective of the study, such as their experience of the
motion capture animation’s appeal. The research encompasses personal data attributes
from the researcher himself that would enable more depth of the subject. The addition
of this sampling is to propagate a detailed analysis of the situation provided by the
research questions in Chapter 1.
The approach would also consider illustrating the visual of the undergoing
process from the very own animation production. Steinbock (2003) states that “the task
of a generative phenomenology is precise to inquire after how historical and inter-
subjective structures themselves become meaningful at all, how these structures are and
can be generated” (p. 300). In addition, the step would appear to interpret the nature
structure in a general sense, also, inquire phenomenon to be viewed subjectively.
Formally, it is the prospect of a unit such as a film review, observation and first-
hand experience that were valued in the process to compare the data from various
perspectives. That provides a theory that connects two kinds of definition of the appeal
in motion capture animation that would balance the meaning. In addition, the external
participant indicates the secondary data, whereas internal participant indicates the

23
close-end observation to the assigned process of animating using motion capture before
and after the product become final.
The participants were selected in the sense that within the depth of experience
that are heterogeneous in the situation, the provided subject of studied animation
namely Final Fantasy: The Spirit Within and Beowulf are conditionally regulated given
that it is a similar product distributed worldwide. The result from generative historicist
phenomenology is preliminary from the participants experienced directly or indirectly
that would be applied in data processing as the possible solutions were analysed in
detail until it would reach the best exhaustive conclusion of the meaning of appeal in
motion capture animation. Therefore, different participants would be utilized as the
analysis goes deeper into the subject of experiences to conclude the research.
Sampling
This research is based primarily on finding the meaning of the appeal in motion capture
animation. Finding for the participant for the animation would require the researcher to
web surfing on the internet in order to locate the document of reviews and analysis of
the two animations. Inconclusively the external participant would be of any profile as
long they review and do some analysis on the animation, except for the internal
participant’s profile that is conclusive from the writer of the research. The researcher
would engage with a simple animation production that would be held on August 2015
and onwards independently. Undergoing for the motion capture recording session
would be during early morning inside the researcher’s apartment, which fall under the
first-hand experience due to a more personal and cooperative data collection. This early
shooting would, in general, provide the researcher more focus on the acting from the
understanding of the narrative and interaction to another character of which only single

24
person recording is made for each recording take. Before the researcher returns to the
analysis part, there would be enough experience to comply with the data requirements.
If possible, with appropriate condition the researcher would go a bit deeper into
the facial capture system and strives for a better sense of the motion capture. The idea
of using facial capture is to gain an understanding of the system’s appealing result in
expressing the emotional connection between the audience and the character. To
explain, the necessity of experiencing the facial capture would help to resemble the
pattern of animation production from both studied animations. That points out the need
to exhibit matching experience from the given reviews or analysis of the external
participant.
To maintain the fluidity of the production process, the researcher would undergo
a review on few alternative software and hardware package for the motion capture
system that would adjust the result to the similar technicalities from both animations.
This would be a part of the cost related situation which the researcher must find the best
alternative for the system, but would provide the same result as the animation made
using motion capture.
Instrumentation
This study would address two phases for discussing appeal in motion capture animation.
The first phase would be textual analysis on the subject animation that would provide
the essence of experience from watching the animation. The textual analysis would
affect the data of being perceptive to the situation. The text documents would be
retrieved from the online database.
The previous production of the studied animation used to engage with a high-
cost motion capture system, notably the optical passive and optical active technique.

25
The researcher would utilize a different approach by using the markerless technique to
analyse the motion. iPiSoft Recorder and Mocap Studio are a practical software to
record and analyse motions effectively using Kinect’s RGB-D (colour and depth data)
to track the selected joint movement. The procedure would require a raw RGB-D
recorded video data with slightly lower resolution, but undergoing enough calculation
for the output data. The idea of using Kinect RGB-D video data may tend to result in a
blurry image with only two resolution options applicable in the iPiSoft Recorder setup,
namely 640x480 and 320x240. However, that would also depend on the distortion from
Kinect, that is to avoid certain distortion iPiSoft personally recommend Sony PS Eye.
The phenomenological study would entirely instruct the findings of the meaning
of the appeal. Their root of the procedures was associated with internal and external
participants’ experience that would communicate through the research as guidance. The
researcher would also expresses the experience from conducting the animation
production with the discipline from the perspective of researching.
Data Collection
Videos would be collected as primary data direct from Kinect to the computer database,
and for secondary data, written documents from various reviews would be included.
The recording should star from as early as August 2015 which includes a personal
technical assistance for computer processing power, specifically on NVIDIA Graphics
Processing Unit (GPU). Graphics power component is pivotal in the motion analysis
process in iPiSoft Mocap Studio and with only the researcher’s Intel GPU power could
delay many steps of data collection onwards. The text documents from the general
demographic who had watched the animation are classified as data for comparison,
whereas the experiences obtained from making the animation would be treated as

26
common data. For this reason, the researcher would carefully select the reviews that
would contain technical and artistic reviews from their own perspective on the appeal
of motion capture animation, ranging from the good and the bad side of the subject.
Method of Analysis
The phenomenological study involves essence of experience valuation studies, a
methodology to understate the depth of experience from various participants.
Participants that were affected by the focus situation or phenomenon are collected in
the study. Meanwhile, a participant that had not been interfered with and stimulated by
the research subject are put into a rejected group. Upon the proses of extracting the
essence of meaning from the textual analysis, another similar approach would be
expressed in data collection. In the stated approach, the first-hand experience would
represent the detailed data of which the outcome is related. It represents the variant of
depth from different perspectives of the study subject. The textual material would
determine the first layer of experience and the practice material determines the second
layer of experience.
Conclusion
This chapter describes the research methodology adopted in this study, explains the
sample selection, describes the procedure used in designing the instrument and
collecting the data, and provides an explanation of the statistical procedures used to
analyse the data. The main concern in this study is the sampling due to the validity of
the data to be considered with. It is only through the practice of the animation
production that the researcher could determine the influence of the science and art of
the motion capture animation. The resources from the participants may appear to be

27
years early, but the dynamic of interpretation on the studied animation would still
relevant.
Since there is no designated fund for this research, the researcher would
consider handling all the animation production expenses with family. Most of the
process were based indoor such as the researcher’s apartment. The researcher hopes for
a better research management onwards throughout the process of accomplishing a first-
hand experience in the process of making a motion capture animation.

28
CHAPTER THREE
APPEALING SYNTHESIS
Introduction
Chapter 3 introduced the fundamental theoretical framework of the study and clarified
the process of analyzing the experience of the appeal in motion capture animation. This
chapter discusses the research problem, questions, results from the procedures, the
significant of the results, meaning of the statement, themes of meaning, and exhaustive
description of the appeal in motion capture animation. At the end of this chapter, the
researcher would collectively answer all three questions from the research questions in
Chapter 1, and establishes the meaning of appeal in motion capture animation like the
rest of the conventional animation had demonstrated.
The problem of the research is that most of the books deal with only defining
appeal from the perspective of conventional animation method, which collectively
mean using animator to animate frame by frame of the cartoon. To this end, the research
questions are how motion capture animation are not having its appeal included in the
animation, animating using markerless motion capture: how appealing does it become,
and what can motion capture benefit on the appeal: an investigation into the animation
principles and practice of a simple production.
Research Procedures
In the following discussion, I will explain how the study fabricates a philosophical
assumptions, the data collection, analysis and outcomes.

29
Figure 1: Simplified Version to Demonstrate ‘Uncanny Valley’ (Source: Masahiro
Mori, 1970)
Figure 2: Exaggeration in Animation (Source: Dante Rinaldi, 2014)
The appeal in animation is a result from well-developed drawings or 3D shapes
that successfully express the animation character’s personality, and provides a
connection for the audience to be sympathized with the character. In the researcher’s
assumption, the appeal in motion capture is valued in term of its range of imitation
towards the real human personality like in the real-life film. Additionally, the term is
‘uncanny valley’, coined by a Japanese robotic professor Masahiro Mori in relation to
the previous concept of uncanny by Ernst Jentsch and Sigmund Freud. In the context
of the ‘uncanny valley’, the audience witnesses a certain motion assembly that look
artificial, as according to the range provided for the uncanny motion, the emotional

30
connection that helps the audience to root for the character will be detached (See Figure
1). The human visual sensory normally would accept the motion of a healthy person,
and perhaps a different range of motion is suited by the different range of physical
design. The range of motion acceptably appealing to the audience as healthy is perhaps
definite, but the state of emotional connection between that and the physical look
significantly differ. Previously on Chapter 2 the thesis reviews the term appeal from the
perspective of conventional animation. In conventional animation, it can be argued that
the likeness of the animation character is not close enough to realistic anatomical
interpretation, where each action contributes to a more exaggerated motion with a
turning point that leads into the appealing character’s performance (See Figure 2). The
key in the appeal in most conventional animation is to play safe by avoiding realistic
character design, in which the audience would be embedded with less knowledge of
how the character would move in the real situation.
On both cases of animations they have gathered personality attributes into the
character that helped the audience to connect with. For example, in Beauty and The
Beast, the personification of the houseware and kitchenware, which dramatizes the
emotions of a living community, establishes each one of the characters as unique and
specific. At this point, the reviews will go into textual analysis looking for a personality-
related issue from the external participant, using an online database to do so. Indeed,
most of the reviews are personal, which focuses back to the research scope of finding
the meaning from experience. As for the data collection, each review has been put into
a synthesis matrix, which normally applies to literature review (See Table 1). The
matrix begins by stating on the issue spoken in the reviews, proceeding to the content
for quotations, before continuing to the analysis of the writings.

31
Table 1: Synthesis Matrix of Critics Review on Final Fantasy: The Spirit Within
Clark,
M(ike), 2001
San
Francisco
Chronicle
Graham, B(ob), 2001 USA
Today
McCarthy, T(odd), 2001
Variety
Fox, K(en), n.d.
TV Guide
Magazine
Appeal
in
design
-
1) “In “Final Fantasy: The
Spirit Within,” it almost
looked as though an eerie
similitude of an actor,
completely computer
generated, was going to
take over. Now we know
that’s not going to happen
any time soon. It’s still
knocking at the door,
however. Aki Ross is
catching up. Aki is the
photo-realistic hero of this
CGI wonder. She’s got
skin tone. She’s got three-
dimensional planes in her
face. She’s got skin tone.
She’s got three
dimensional planes in her
face. She’s got freckles.
Subtle expressions play
across her face. Her eyes
glisten with intelligence.”
(para. 4)
2) Nevertheless the visual
does not comprehend to
the human likeness and
tends to look like human
robot (para. 12)
1) The technological
showcase from the film
subject to the issue of
replacing real actor to the
digital one is just a matter
of when and not how
considering the film
technical achievement in
the dramatic aspect (para.
6)
2) Every aspect of the
character is well-
developed and probably
have an impact on the
audience as simulated by
Captain Gray Edwards
(para. 10)
1) Act as
showcase to the
animation
technology
namely
hyperReal, for
the part where it
could generally
be a total suite for
the animation
production.
2) “The
filmmakers have
managed to
simulate eyes,
skin texture and
human speech to
an unnerving
degree - but
hyperReal’s
accuracy only
makes its obvious
shortcomings all
the more
unsettling” (para.
1)
Personality
projection
- -
1) The casts acting is
perhaps no less than that
demonstrated in sci-fi
films (para. 1)
2) Dr. Aki Ross is
obviously the main
character to root with that
“cool, composed, dark-
haired beauty who
resembles a blend of
Jennifer Love Hewitt and
Bridget Fonda” (para. 5)
3) “But it must also be
acknowledge that Aki has
far more palpable impact
than a normal cartoon
character, both because of
her demure, seemingly
unconscious sexiness and
-

32
her unusual degree of
intelligence, spirituality
and focus” (para. 7)
Narrative
1) Besides
the ground-
breaking
computer-
generated
animation at
the time, it is
observably
dull towards
narrative
presentation
(para. 1)
-
1) The opening prologue is
slightly confusing but
helped by the added
realism in the visual (para.
5)
2) In overall a gripping
narrative with action that
grabs audience attention
but relatively calm and
polite to one sense (para.
4)
1) Sluggish and
overly
complicated plot
(para. 1)
The researcher, therefore, begin his analysis of the reviews for Final Fantasy:
The Spirit Within. Originated by various reviews by critics from an online database,
each review provides a detailed account of various elements in the animation. The
animation was technically acclaimed as it was showcasing the animation technology
called hyperReal, and according to the critic writing for the TV Guide Magazine, any
visual was on the purpose of showcasing the technology (Fox, n.d.). The review outlines
the visual basis of the anatomical design that the studios are depicting for the audience
with the same theme of realism from its predecessor in the game. The surrounding
environment in the animation helps to notate the appeal of the real environment,
structures the similar appeal towards the animation. Final Fantasy: The Spirit Within
concentrates on the pushing the boundaries of the appeal in utilizing 3D medium to gain
the accurate look of the whole subject in the animation. Ming-Na Wen who voices
acting the protagonist of Aki Ross portrays a substantial impact through her
performance. McCarthy who wrote a review on the animation describes Aki Ross in
Variety with a statement that “Aki has far more palpable impact than a normal cartoon
character, both because of her demure, seemingly unconscious sexiness and her unusual
degree of intelligence, spirituality and focus” (para. 7). As McCarthy suggests, while

33
the animation is a slight failure attempt to represent realism, it is effective with
connecting the audience for such a characterized character depicting a sense of human
persona. Besides the groundbreaking computer-generated animation at the time, it is
observably dull towards narrative presentation (Clark, 2001). Clark in his writing in
San Francisco Chronicle expresses his disappointment for the animation, despite its
observably advanced technological level. Nevertheless, Graham (2001) adds a union to
the review regarding its photo-realism:
In “Final Fantasy: The Spirit Within,” it almost looked as though an
eerie similitude of an actor, completely computer generated, was going
to take over. Now we know that’s not going to happen any time soon.
It’s still knocking at the door, however. Aki Ross is catching up. Aki is
the photo-realistic hero of this CGI wonder. She’s got skin tone. She’s
got three-dimensional planes in her face. She’s got freckles. Subtle
expressions play across her face. Her eyes glisten with intelligence
(para. 4)
At some point, McCarthy also considers the similar review on the character as
appealing as someone to root with. It is presumably a merge between Jennifer Love
Hewitt and Bridget Fonda that made Aki Ross a relatable character (McCarthy, 2001).
Table 2: Synthesis Matrix of Critics Review on Beowulf
Ansen, D(avid), 2007
Newsweek
Dargis, M(anohla), 2007 The New York
Times
Corliss, R(ichard),
2007 Time
Appeal
in
design
1) Beowulf advanced
in the way that the
characters’ eyes
appears to be less
dead than in
Zemeckis previous
motion capture
animated film The
Polar Express (para.
3)
1) Beowulf already set the appeal from the
start suing big stars put together with rich,
environmental and mythical magnificence
(para. 2)
2) The animation nevertheless forces the
power of 3D technology to complicate the
movie’s look, though technically the
technology is never very essential to bring
the interest from the audience (para. 5)
3) “To be honest, I don’t yet see the point of
performance capture particularly given how
ugly it renders realistic-looking human
forms. Although the human faces and
especially the eyes in “Beowulf” look
somewhat less creepy than they did in “The
1) Beowulf may
marked certain
behavioral emotion,
but basically just a
movie far from its
original story (para.
3)
2) Artistically and
technically produced
utilizing 3D as the
next advancement in
cinematic experience
(para. 6)

34
Polar Express”, Mr. Zemeckis’ first
experiment with performance capture, they
still have neither the spark of true life nor
that of an artist’s unfettered imagination.”
(para. 6)
4) The nonhuman character was far more
appealing in the context that it supposed to
look scary but appears not scary (para. 7)
Personality
projection
-
1) Sometimes Beowulf appeals to its
characters’ personality throughout their
journey of the era that somehow
inconveniently making fun out of the
situation (para. 3)
1) The protagonist is
a flawed hero
promising
audience’s sympathy
to the story (para.
10)
Narrative
-
1) The story, nevertheless, changed a lot
from its original poem, resulting nothing
much on the historical context than just
sword clanging action (para. 9)
-
This paragraph, therefore, begins to analyze the reviews of Beowulf from
collected data in the matrix (See Table 2). The animation was technically subjected to
the motion capture from Final Fantasy: The Spirit Within, and according to the critics,
intrinsically, Beowulf’s adaptation on screen is less towards the historical context,
nevertheless, the story changed a lot from its original poem resulting nothing much on
the historical context than just sword-clanging action (Dargis, 2007). The adaptation
was an act that signifies the advancement of 3D technology, and through this approach,
Beowulf encouraged the experimentation, specifically for the cinematography.
Zemeckis tends to harness this knowledge of filmmaking because the problem in the
real-life film is that the cinematography is definite. The approach used by Zemeckis
nevertheless finally pays off to his animation in which his attention is towards the
manipulation of shots and angle. The style of his directing is probably for the animation
look alive in the cinematography, and Zemeckis is very fond to this range of access.
However, Dargis sees Zemeckis’ approach is nothing less than a boring approach. He
explains that:

35
To be honest, I don’t yet see the point of performance capture
particularly given how ugly it renders realistic-looking human forms.
Although the human faces and especially the eyes in “Beowulf” look
somewhat less creepy than they did in “The Polar Express”, Mr.
Zemeckis’ first experiment with performance capture, they still have
neither the spark of true life nor that of an artist’s unfettered
imagination
(para. 6)
The many parts of the animation connect with the personality of the character to deliver
the story. Even for the nonhuman characters, they were far more appealing in the
context that it supposed to look scary but appears oppositely (Dargis, 2007). With
motion capture utilization the animation still brings the sense of sympathy towards the
character by making it appears as flawed (Corliss, 2007). Sometimes Beowulf not only
embraces the character emotion make it more appealing but also the situation fittingly
making not just sad and thrill to the story, but also fun towards its own characters like
the nudity inside the animation.
As for the data collection from the practice of animation production, using the
markerless technique in motion capture, the data is collected in the form of photos
captured from finished product of the animation, standardized towards experiencing the
appeal directly from observation.
The researcher, therefore, begin his analysis on the motion capture procedures
based on the outcome of the photos from the animation project Domain (2016). Inspired
by both of the studied animations, Final Fantasy: The Spirit Within and Beowulf, the
animation project presents a similar depiction of the various visual element, personality,
and narrative. The animation was successfully produced as it was considered to be one
of the element of the research in motion capture animation. The animation project
depicts its characters as a simple yet has a personality more to the humane side that
once adopted in the story would help the audience to connect with. The changing route
in filmmaking is displayed by the existence of motion capture, continue with the

36
emerging markerless technique for the system. It is by far the most practical and cost-
friendly to the research as well to the animation production. The researcher who played
all the characters in the animation project had to produce strong gestures to convey
every act. The sub-element in each shot is basically from its actor’s acting, supported
by the dialogue and cultural setting. In the opening of the animation project, the
researcher declares the setting, focus, and limitation of the animation. As a part of the
plan, the appeal is determined by the characters’ personality. It was a step taken into
this project to build an intriguing personality for the characters while obtaining the data
from the motion capture (See Figure 3-4).
Figure 3: Excerpt from Domain
Figure 4: Excerpt from Domain
Significant Statement
The participants who are in this research is either a film critic or practitioner in the focus
field. Throughout the research, each segment of data collected demonstrates layers of

37
perspective towards the meaning of appeal in the notion of motion capture animation.
The data collection is significant as the basic template to synthesize the essence of the
meaning of the subject. Analysis done in the previous topic would proceed to seek
subjective agreement about the meaning of the appeal, and on the return to a simpler
conclusion that is still dependent to the layers of data collected.
Meaning of Statement
Among the outcome meaning of appeal in motion capture animation, this part is
considered transitional before adopting the meaning from previous studies to the current
one. The outcome from the analysis suggests that it helps with the animation staging
directly showcase the flexibility in cinematography. It is perhaps, means similarly to
the previous point of view of appeal which is to attract the interest from the audience
by being relatable, even for villain character to be appealing and can be sympathized
throughout his or her personality
Themes of Meaning
The themes for the studied phenomenon are synthesized to the technical advancement,
flexibility in artistic development and ‘uncanny valley’. These are followed by the
important theme of limitation in the technology that restricts some experience to be
encountered. Prominently, the appeal is how the human perceives the world
surrounding, and also the world inside the screen.
Technical advancement can be identified in motion capture as a part of the new
tools in filmmaking. It is varied towards its animation process and outcome, which is
motivated by the motion analysis from the real living subject, namely human and
animal. In the provided case, motion capture appeals to the filmmakers because it

38
supplies many flexibilities in the cinematography. It gives access to the ability to
manipulate not only the visual but also the personality accordingly. In this
comprehension, motion capture flexibilities had enhanced the animation world too with
its perceptive system. Under several time-restricted condition, motion capture could
really minimize the time to animate the character, regarding the design of the character,
it could really add more personality than manually keyframe the animation of the
character.
To this point, motion capture inherits the flexibility in cinematography and
artistically applying numerous expressions to be infused into that animation. The
artistic value can be considered from the look and appearance of the character and its
settings, which in 3D environment the direction of the animation can be pushed towards
any stage of the production to compensate the right aesthetical values.
Apart from that, animating realistic characters have never been easy, consider
that the physical design and its motion is very close related. As simplified by Masahiro
Mori on that aspect, in his writing, there are several type of animations that depict
positive feedback and some other brings negative feedback. Puppet is one of them and
the condition of its physical and movement (personality) collectively produce a result
whether it will look creepy or appealingly funny.
Exhaustive Description of Phenomenon
Up to this point in the studied animation and practice of production, appeal has defined
meaning for both conventional and unconventional animation, despite the meaning of
it is still progressing to the current nuance, a deliberated mean of appeal is collectively
a relatable design with realistic personality expressed simple enough to be understood
with its highly characterized environment and staging.

39
Conclusion
In conclusion, motion capture animation are not having its appeal included in the
animation because of the phenomenon of ‘uncanny valley’ that contributes to the
assigned character design to move in a certain way that is not properly suited to the
visual design. The use of markerless motion capture, in general, does make the
character moves accordingly to the human actor but remains inaccurate. A personality
versus physical design may take place in motion capture animation due to the ‘uncanny
valley’. The element of appeal is explored, as, amongst the motion and visual design,
has yet no discovered way to render the personality realistically as posed by a human.
Lastly, staging is one of the animation principles that profound the look of all
motion pictures and animations. Motion capture holds up the benefit for
cinematography in the virtual environment and effective in capturing the moment from
action unobstructed like Zemeckis usually do in his animation. To this end, all the
research questions have been answered. In the following concluding chapter
(Conclusion), the researcher will synthesize the conclusion from all chapters and
presented them in a similar manner to the research outcome.

40
CONCLUSION
Introduction
This chapter reviews back on the previous chapters’ content, recapitulate the issue
surrounding the phenomenon, which includes answers for the research questions with
some discussions are presented in a synthesized manner.
Recapitulation
This thesis explores in detail technique of motion capture in films, most made by
Hollywood production companies and visual effects studios from the countries that was
participating in the behind the scene of the film process. The thesis has concentrated on
appeal in the motion captured animation but includes extensive discussion from an
investigation from personal experience of producing the motion captured animation.
The thesis concentrates on appeal, one of the animation principles for traditional 2D
animation, and with the issue of the realism in the movement of motion captured
animation, the effectiveness of using the markerless technique in animation production,
and with the benefit of using motion capture in animation. One reason for the selection
of these topics is that this method are quite a common usage in current CGI film made
in Hollywood, which is the main focus of the study, and which is a region where many
successful blockbuster CGI films were made, at least from this 21st
- century.
In addressing the topic of the CGI film, a number of concerns have figured
significantly. A primary concern raised by the thesis is the question of the appeal in the
character animated using the motion capture data. This has led into a discussion of how
motion capture animation is not having its appeal included in the animation, but also,
animating using markerless motion capture: how well is it done, and what can motion

41
capture benefit on the appeal: an investigation into the animation principles and practice
of a simple production. The discussion of CGI films about the character’s appeal is
mainly explored in relation to films about which object practice honors and which tools
through story, aesthetic and materiality the film production got inspired from in order
to create an animation from copycatting the real human motion. The fourth chapter of
the thesis is concerned with the problem in the appeal of the animated character,
particularly in its realism of motion, personality from the real human actor and
effectiveness in animation production generally. Although the first part of Chapter 4
explores on the reviews rather than interviews, the second part of it deals with the topic
of animation production. The division of the thesis, in such, was as to spend part of the
thesis on the representation of the actual experience, and with the researcher’s own
interest to ensure that animation is seen as a part of a systematic process. The thesis
also includes a discussion of the different forms that cinematography can take, and how
this is often determined by the kinds of tools and methods that are available from
different eras.
In this conclusion, I will briefly summarise the fundamental findings of the
thesis but at the same time appropriately structure the findings in relation to another
kind of research with a broader range of the sample.
Regularly motion capture animation is used in order to minimize time in
animating the character. It is a systematic process either in the making of, sometimes
towards the end of the product, despite that motion capture and other conventional
animation methods share the similar definition of appeal. Besides flexibility towards
the cinematography, motion capture appeals in its staging to avoid obstruction from
hindering the character’s movement. In an ongoing research by Ezwan Mokhtar he
peculiarly performs an animating method in marionette style. The technique enacts the

42
character as a real puppet, continuously moving in real-time. However, the absolute
believability is still an ongoing debate in his research in which he must produce a timely
precise animation in order to give it a meaningful motion.
Of importance in this thesis are the questions of appeal from its perspective as
never been presented in animation books, had been discussed in Chapter 4 of this thesis.
Both studied animations analysed here exhibit a high technical achievement and
provides an exceptional experimentation on the system. On a number of occasion in
this thesis the researcher have suggested that appeal in the perspective of motion capture
animation is collectively from its high-level of visual quality, flexibility during
production and personality projection from the motion data. The fact that this is a
primary issue in the current world of animation where it tends to merge with
filmmaking, particularly to the experience that the audience can get from watching the
combination of both elements.

43
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