This story is part of our ongoing series on virtual communication in the Covid Age.

The team at Algorithm, as well as the band, were at a loss at what to do about the video production. That’s when Target3D, London’s home of motion capture, came in to save the day by providing them with a Perception Neuron Studio motion capture system. Algorithm then took up the challenge of creating a music video based on people using technology to connect while in isolation.

Here’s How They Did It
After sending the mocap suit to the team in Dublin, one by one, it was sent to each of the band members: Niall (Bressie), Justin, Dec, Aidan, Anthony and Louize. From their respective living rooms, each performed wearing the suit to record their movements. The Algorithm  team exported the data into Cinema4D to retarget and bake the files before the animation and renders were completed in Notch. See more about how they did it from the band themselves in this behind the scenes video.

Target3D notes:
The band played drums, bass, and guitar which was a great display of how the Perception Neuron Studio suit is able to handle heavy, metal equipment. Previous versions of these suits had magnetic protective shielding, but they wouldn’t have been able to handle these electric instruments, so it was great to see the band handle such heavy equipment without seeing the digital skeleton drift in the software.

We wanted people to know that they’re not alone. We can still create beautiful, memorable moments by working together, even remotely. All of the data for the video was recorded in our separate homes and all the animation was made by our team in isolation. A healthy challenge!
The team at Algorithm says: "We wanted people to know that they’re not alone. We can still create beautiful & memorable moments by working together, even remotely. All of the data for the video was recorded in our separate homes and all the animation was made by our team in isolation. A healthy challenge!"

The Pound the Pavement video is a pristine example of virtual communication during isolation. At some stage during the Covid crisis, everyone has felt as if they’re on the inside looking out.

The Result
The team captured performances by the dancer and musicians with animations that were extremely expressive and displayed incredibly realistic movements, all in a lightning quick time frame. Watch the video here.