CGI

It was bound to happen. Ever since I saw S1m0ne ((S1m0ne)), that Al Pacino movie about a computer-generated actress, way back in 2002 (or thereabouts), I was thinking why nobody had done it yet. The day has come, and there is really no surprise as to where – Japan.

Prior to the revelation of her real identity, fans believed Aimi Eguchi to be a “normal” 16-year-old from Saitama Prefecture (which is located North of Tokyo). However, Aimi Eguchi is nothing but a dream – a dream made possible by computers and inspired by the six other members of the girl band she belongs to – AKB 48. According to a report by the Telegraph, “Eguchi Aimi has been created using the hair and body of AKB48 band member Yuko Oshima, while her facial shape is taken from Takahashi Minami. She has Maeda Atsuko’s eyes, Watanabe Mayu’s eyebrows, Itano Tomomi’s nose and Shinoda Mariko’s mouth.” ((Source))

The idea of creating Aimi Eguchi came from Ezaki Glico, a confectionary company – obviously as a marketing ploy. I am not sure if the band’s management and the confectioner were meaning to disclose Eguchi’s real identity (they couldn’t possibly NOT have meant to, right?), but the management did go to great lengths to make people believe that the singer was real. Then again, they also left clues that, to the observant and to the real fan, would reveal that there was more than met the eye to the singer.

It’s not quite like S1m0ne, but the similarities are there. It just goes to show what technology can do! Here’s a video on the creation/making of Aimi Eguchi.

http://youtu.be/aIpYpRobez4

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Tarzan 3D, the latest production from Constantin Films, has attracted stiff criticism ahead of its US release over the quality of the motion capture animation it uses. According to Firstshowing.net, the animation techniques used in the movie are less than impressive, suggesting the visuals were similar to “an old video game.” With the film already playing in cinemas across Europe, this type of criticism could spell problems ahead of the film’s make-or-break launch in the United States.

The trailer shows Tarzan swinging through trees, interacting with his ecosystem, and ultimately trying to secure his love interest in Jane. But according to the critics, the scenes lack realism and a fluidity of movement. The jerky, pointed visuals, they say, show a standard of animation that is not quite on a par with the big budget animated movies of today. While motion capture technology was used in the making of the film, it has been suggested that the standard of the motion capture animation has been less than is to be expected. [Read more…] about Tarzan 3D ‘Poorly Motion-Capture Animated’