Motion Capture

Motion Capture is a state of the art technique used to record actors who are also known as mokaps. The direct purpose is for the actors to provide their movements for video game characters. Motion Capture was first used in Mortal Kombat 4. It then became common for newer sequels.

Process
Actors usually wear dark suits and specialized hats. Electronic beads cover their faces along with other areas of their bodies. Lamps emit orange lights to enable recording. The actors follow a script or set of instructions based on the characters that they are portraying. During the same time, the recorded movements will appear on a nearby screen. Actors will either work together or by themselves. At the very least, one actor will portray everyone. If a regular person enters an area where Motion Capture is taking place, then he or she will not be recorded.

Trivia

 * The character Mokap is an homage to Carlos Pesina who provided his movements for various characters in the Mortal Kombat games.
 * Prior to Mortal Kombat 4, characters were based on the filming of real life people. They would act in front of a blue/green screen. The filming was then inserted into a computer for editing. This process was called Digitization.
 * Motion Capture is used for other projects such as movie design.