Image-Metrics Facial Animation
For the past year I have become involved with Image Metrics, an animation company that has worked on many video games and Hollywood films. We have been working on something really huge that has never been done before: They are re-creating me digitally by converting the measurements of my face into animation. So basically I am the new face of animation! It's remarkable how they are able to do it. I sat in a light stage for a few hours while they shone about 15 different flashes of light on my face from different angles and I held different facial expressions.
They are releasing the first sample of work at the Siggraph 2008 convention in August which I will be attending. Below is a link to some simple animation from their site. If you press play you can see what sort of work I do for them.
About Image Metrics
”Image Metrics aims to be the first studio to produce a completely convincing Computer Generated (CG) character based on a human being, at High Definition resolution,” says company owner David Barton. “We wanted to work with Emily for this project because of her obvious acting talent, and her engrossing personality. Image Metrics’ animation technology is the world's leading process for capturing human facial movements, meaning whatever Emily does in her performance Image Metrics can replicate that on the CG ‘Emily’ model. The final film will be shown at SIGGRAPH 2008, at the LA Convention Center. This project has already created excitement around the CG industry and ‘Emily’ (both real and CG) will be the talk of the Visual Effects world.”
