Xsens in The Electric State

Netflix hit The Electric State follows human-robot friendships in an alternate 1990s universe. To bring the Russo Brothers’ vision to life, motion capture was the only way. 

Challenge

The film’s robots were complex in physicality, personality, and proportion, meaning the team at specialist studio, Actor Capture, needed incredibly reliable motion capture data. 

Solution

The Xsens Link system, combined with a talented team of actors, made for robots with eccentric characteristics and a complex range of movement.

Key takeaways

• Flexibility: using templated character rigs and robot designs, Xsens motion capture was applied to different characters instantly. 
• Simple setup: Fast calibrations ensured that actors’ motion capture data was pinpoint accurate, meaning less cleanup time in post.
• Real-time iteration: Xsens’ instant on-screen processing capabilities enabled Actor Capture to make immediate changes in the live environment. 

In the post-apocalyptic world of The Electric State, humans and robots went to war. The aftermath leaves survivors banding together in a retro-futuristic interpretation of friendships between people and technology. With so much emotion riding on the performance of animated characters, mocap studio Actor Capture was brought in to fulfil the Russo Brothers’ brief.

Watch

Electric State Behind the VFX, featuring Xsens mocap:

Multi-location motion capture

The size of the motion capture cast and crew on The Electric State was extensive. Filming took place in multiple locations, including three Atlanta volume stages: Trillith Studios, Shadowbox Studios, and Tyler Perry Studios. Each robot in the show would have its own unique attributes as well, and was played by many actors, so several mocap sessions were required.

“We were using up to four Xsens Link suits at a time,” says James Martin, CEO and Technical Director at Actor Capture. “And if needed, we could scale up to six. Having so many suits enabled us to create large amounts of data simultaneously. It also helped the actors in their performances, because they could interact with each other in real time.”

Combined with a 70-camera optical setup, the Actor Capture team had an enormous volume of data to work with. Real-time visualization of mocap data in Xsens Animate helped break that down, monitoring the actors’ progress instantaneously to ensure everything was translating correctly to CG. It also gave them a crucial advantage when it came to the unique attributes of the characters.

Tailored movements

“We created all shapes and sizes of robots,” continues James. “To help us visualize those differences during production, we created body dimension templates specific to the actors and characters, then applied them directly in the post-processing software.”

Having these pre-built templates was essential for the accuracy of the motion capture actors’ movements. James and the team needed to see if the real-life performance would translate into a robotic one, especially considering their unique proportions. From there, Actor Capture could easily make directorial changes according to their findings. 

The Electric State was also a very dynamic film in terms of production, with consistent creative iterations of the robot designs. One minute, a character traveled on wheels. After a quick change, they moved on spider-like legs. Actor Capture’s character rigs enabled the team to adapt the model, assess whether the footage could still be used, and reshoot where necessary.

Precision stunt work

When it came to the robots’ movements, the Actor Capture team didn’t shy away from stunts. They used judo dummies in Xsens Link suits to create ragdoll physics and emulated robots on wheels by having actors use Segways and other two-wheeled apparatus. Despite the complexity of these movements, the motion capture remained pinpoint accurate.

“Thanks to Xsens, we could do all stunts with a high degree of accuracy, making an easier job for the post-production studios who would work on the CG later down the line,” says James. “We could also increase the motion capture range beyond the typical 300 feet by using network mesh bubbles and 5G signals. That really helped us when it came to some of our more daring stunts.”

On-set expertise

Working alongside James and Actor Capture was Anthony Romero, Senior Product Manager at Movella, who provided support with the technical aspects of the project. Alongside James’ work, Anthony showcased the additional capabilities of the Link suit, helped troubleshoot, and answered any of the wider team’s questions. 

“We’ve used Xsens for a long time, but Anthony has a deep knowledge of the post-production industry, so having him with us on set enhanced our experience,” James concludes. “Actor Capture worked with so many talented motion capture actors, producers, and directors, all of whom made The Electric State robots spring to life.”

Take a look at Xsens inertial motion capture products.