Motion Capture (Mocap) Animator

Overview

A remote contract role as a Motion Capture (Mocap) Animator, cleaning, retargeting and refining motion capture data for video game productions, within 6 hours of the Poland time zone.

What you'll do

• Identify, label and track raw point-cloud data from studio shoots, manually fixing marker swaps or mislabeled tracking points.
• Reconstruct missing data points caused by actor occlusions using interpolation, smoothing algorithms or reference footage.
• Remove jitter, spikes and artifacts from raw tracking curves while preserving the subtle nuances and weight of the original performance.
• Solve processed marker data onto 3D character rigs, ensuring the performance translates accurately despite proportional differences between the actor and the 3D model.
• Correct structural clipping, stabilize feet to eliminate floor-sliding, and fix basic posture and interaction anomalies.
• Sync cleaned data with reference video to ensure the digital character retains the actor's emotional intent, timing and weight distribution.
• Meet strict production deadlines to ensure a steady stream of clean data is handed off to the character animation and cinematic layout teams.
• Fix all structural issues introduced during retargeting, including hand/foot sliding, floor penetration, clipping and unnatural joint stretching.
• Apply traditional keyframe animation layers to amplify poses, sharpen timing, fix off-balance center-of-gravity issues, and push the performance to match stylized or cinematic art directions.
• Adjust animation curves to ensure flawless contact and interaction with virtual props, weapons, vehicles and uneven terrain geometry.

What you'll need

• Advanced proficiency in data-cleanup and retargeting software, such as Autodesk MotionBuilder and Vicon Shogun Post.
• Solid understanding of Autodesk Maya and how animation curves function within engines like Unreal Engine or Unity.
• A deep understanding of human anatomy, weight distribution and realistic movement to accurately infer missing data.
• 3–5 years of experience in a cleanup or tracking role within video game production.
• Exceptional patience and attention to detail for handling repetitive, meticulous vector data manipulation.
• Ability to visually reconstruct complex movements when large chunks of camera data are missing.
• Highly organized workflow to efficiently handle large volumes of performance files under tight schedule constraints.
• Advanced proficiency in traditional 3D keyframe animation, with a deep understanding of animation curves, graph editors, Euler angles and gimbal lock resolution.
• Solid command of weight, anticipation, staging, arcs and secondary action to enhance captured data without making it look floaty or robotic.
• Deep understanding of Forward Kinematics (FK) and Inverse Kinematics (IK) systems, and how character rigs behave when handling external constraints.
• Ability to interpret a director's creative notes and translate performance critiques into technical animation adjustments.
• Judgment on when to preserve the organic nuance of the actor's performance and when to overwrite it with keyframes for gameplay responsiveness or cinematic clarity.

Details

• Remote, within 6 hours time zone difference to Poland.
• Contract duration: 9–12 months.
• Start date: as soon as possible.