Motion Capture

The theory of motion capture is quite simple: an actor puts on a full body suit with reflective markers on all limbs. Several cameras in the room track these markers and relay their coordinates to a computer, yielding a perfecly accurate digital representation of the actors movement. This representation – a “bone rig” – is then dressed up in 3D-application software like 3D Studio Max, Motion Builder to make the actor look like whatever we want. This is a huge time saver and yields significantly more realistic motions than animation done by hand.

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GAME’s motion capture studio covers 35m² and is theoretically capable of tracking any number of actors and props simultaneously! Here’s some photos from when Andreas Wahlman (our in-house mocap expert) first tried out multi-capping in our studio. First year students Ragnar, Jonas and Stina volunteered to assist with the swinging of swords, throwing punches and pushing each other off high cliffs.

Alumni Days Christmas Party 2009

It’s that magical time of the year again; when we take a week out of our ordinary programming to invite our industry friends and former students to the island. This year we arranged three full days for our guests to hang out and hold awesome workshops and lectures with our current budding game developers.

As you’ve come to expect from us we end the event (and indeed – the semester) with a big (christmas) bang: a mocap studio filled with games and happy GAMErs, invited VIPs and DJ Doctor Dryg.

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GAME Alumni:
Mikael Hedberg – Frictional Games
Tobias Lundmark – Starbreeze Studios
Peter Stråhle – formerly with GRIN.
Johan Svahn – One Man Productions
Andreas Wieslander – Production Manager at Burning Man Studios
Annika Fogelgren – Founder and production manager at Cherrytech Studios

Industry Invites:
Nils Stadling – Microsoft Sweden
Carsten Orthband – Pixeltamer
Emma Mellander – Nordic Game
Charlotte Ryberg – Disco Volante
Martin Ekdal – Donya Labs
Koshjar Hamedi – Donya Labs

Programming workshop with Akihiko Shirai

Oh yes. The creator of WiiMedia and professor of interaction technology – Akihiko Shirai – quickly whipped our programmers into shape with Processing and let them loose with the Wiimotes.

He divided them into small teams of three to four students (each given a specific role) and – in just three short days – we saw them produce a pancake-frying simulation, darts, horse racing, space shooters, a classic artillery game and more.

The “winning” team (by votes among all participants) created a dueling game of spellcasting in a classic western setting, and were awarded Prof. Shirai’s personal blue Wiimote.

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Alumni Days 2009 Program

The annual Alumni Days are upon us yet again! This year features three full days of guest lectures and workshops by our industry active former students – ending the week with a huge party over at the Motion Capture Studio. Be there or be square!

Wednesday

13:00 – 17:00 (3rd year GAME Students)
Mikael Hedberg – Frictional Games
Location: E30
Workshop: Storywriting

13:00 – 17:00 (All Students Welcome! – but space is limited on sign-up basis)
Jonas Eriksson och Johan Presto – Pitchin
Charlotte Ryberg – Disco Volante
Sign-up: with Maria Larsson at BAC
Location: GIP
Workshop: Att Kommersialisera Kunskap

Thursday

10:30 – 12:00 (All Students)
Tobias Lundmark – Starbreeze Studios
Location: Borgen Movie Theater
Quality Assurance: Riddick – Assault on Dark Athena

LUNCH

13:00 – 14:00 (All Students Except 3rd Year GAME Students)
Johan Svahn – One Man Productions
Lecture: How to Start Your Own Studio

13:00 – 17:00 – (3rd year GAME students)
Mikael Hedberg – Frictional Games
Workshop: continues.

14:00 (All Students Except 3rd Year GAME Students)
Workshop: “Konsten att gå rätt – hur du använder kroppen, blicken och rösten för att nå dina mål.”

Friday

10:30 – 12:00 (All Students)
Mikael Hedberg – Frictional Games
Lecture: Story Writing

LUNCH

13:00 – 14:30 ( All Students)
Martin Ekdal & Koshjar Hamedi – Donya Labs
Demonstration: 3D Optimization

14:30 – 15:30 (All Students)
Nils Stadling – Microsoft Sweden
Lecture: Introduction of Microsoft Partnership

15:30 – 16:00 (All Students)
Emma Mellander – Nordic Game
Lecture: Nordic Game Presentation

16:00 (All Students)
Don Geyer – Wrap-up and Party Tickets Distributed

19:00 (All Students)
Alumni Mingle & Party! – With DJ Doktor DRYG
Location: Motion Capture Studio

CGA Workshop with Steven M. Ilous

The entire GAME-floor has been teeming with frantic, creative energy as producer and animator extraordinaire Steven M. Ilous led our first year Computer Graphics & Animation-students through a week long workshop.

The group of 30 or so students were divided into smaller teams of 6 and asked to produce – during five days – a short commercial or film either 15 or 30 seconds long. Steven led them through a gradual and iterative process, from the single line concept, to story board, to shooting new material, composing, mixing animation with existing footage and lastly rendering the entire effort.

It’s been an awesome journey – from zeros to heroes, in five days flat!

Update: some teams have posted their videos on youtube, checkit;

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