Motion Capture Behind Gamescom Winner Hela

The success of Windup Games is an exciting milestone for the games industry in northern Sweden. It also marks a proud achievement for the project Intersective Game, which enabled Windup Games to capture some of the characters movements, using motion capture technology. 

From concept to capture
In May, Windup Games reached out to Skellefteå’s project team — and within weeks, the motion capture recordings were underway.

The scope was to capture specific character movements, reducing the need for time-consuming hand animation. Motion capture not only saved valuable production time but also added to Hela’s characters — key elements behind the awards it received in Cologne.

– Thanks to our project Intersective Game, we were able to work quickly and ensure that Windup Games had access to our motion capture, delivering the results they needed, says Pernilla Lindmark, Business Developer at Skellefteå Science City.

After an initial planning meeting, the recording date was set. Windup Games spent a single day in the studio, preceded by a few hours of preparation and followed by a session in which the mocap technician cleaned and processed the recorded data before delivery. This efficient workflow allowed Windup Games to complete the mocap-based parts of the game in a short timeframe.

– Our mocap is available for any type of project — not just games. With support from our mocap technician, we help our users plan, execute, and get exactly the data they need, which means no prior motion capture experience is required, says Pernilla Lindmark.