How to mo-cap a horse: Making hay from these techniques

Before we had cars, motorbikes, or planes, horses stood as our primary means of transport. Re-creating their distinctive gait for animation in films, TV, and video games has traditionally been a tricky task, with many failed experiments along the way. Motion capture services makes the process much easier. But how does one mo-cap a horse?

As experts, Animatrik was approached to record true-to-life horse movements for a highly-anticipated video game currently in development. The goal was to capture a suitable range of horses, in all shapes and sizes, providing realistic, varied breeds which could later be added into the game engine. An indoor riding arena was scouted in Maple Ridge, Vancouver that had minimal light interference. One stable, four horses, and 44 cameras later … Animatrik breaks down exactly how to mo-cap a horse.