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Computer-generated imagery (CGI) has largely replaced physical models in major film productions these days, but the transition didn’t exactly happen overnight. For a time there was an effort to blend the physical and digital, which allowed animators on productions such as Jurassic Park to work with newer technology in a way they were familiar with. [Corridor Crew] took this concept a step further by manipulating digital models with nothing but a webcam.
Early in the production of CGI, animators found a purely digital workflow to be less intuitive than the use of physical elements such as puppets. Feeling the weight and touch of a miniature with joints and limbs made for a more natural animation, so they created the dinosaur input device to map movements of a physical model into a digital recreation.
Puppeteered humanoid input device for the film Species
Unfortunately for the future of dinosaurs made of motion sensors, none of these devices really caught on and the technology is essentially non-existent today. [Corridor Crew] decided to give the concept another chance with the application of newer motion capture research. Using just a camera and a small human miniature allowed for full animations to be made using one’s own hands. The motion capture plugin can be found here if you want to try it for yourself!
