HOLLY GRACE DESIGN

TRACKED ILLUSIONS - MOTION CAPTURE PUPPETRY

Tracked Illusions is a new company developing the use of puppetry and performance capture technology.

I was commissioned to create a creature puppet suitable for use with motion capture technology. The puppet needed to be easily dismantled and plain textured in order to capture the clearest image. For this project I was both the designer and the maker. After meetings with the project director to establish the requirements of the puppet, I produced an initial R&D puppet followed by a secondary, more refined, version. The character had two areas that required trigger motions; the first to cause the ears to twist and the other to flap the wings. I designed both of these using dyneema to connect the trigger to the moving element. During the R&D I watched how the puppeteers held the piece, where angles or lengths of handles needed to be adjusted and if any joints were catching. Working from my observations, and feedback from the puppeteers I was able to adjust the initial design to create the second version. In addition to being the designer and maker, I was also the character concept artist, creating drawings to inform the 3D artist as they built the digital image. Since my initial drawings I have had regular contact with the 3D artist to ensure that the character aesthetic is as intended.   this project is still in development. for more information on the rest of the peoject please see the tracked illusions instagram (@trackedillusions).