A federal jury in California has ordered The Walt Disney Co. to pay nearly $600,000 to a special effects company that sued the studio for using its motion capture technology in its 2017 live-action remake of “Beauty and the Beast.”

The jury determined that Disney used software from Reardon LLC’s MOVA Contour software to render the face of the beast without permission. More than $250,000 was awarded in actual damages but the jury also recommended that Disney award Reardon more than $345,000 in profits, according to Reuters. 

The verdict comes more than six years after Reardon, which was founded by former Apple scientist Steve Perlman, initiated legal action against Disney. The company accused a former employee of stealing Contour’s IP and using it at Digital Domain. 3.0, which contracted with Disney to use the facial-capture software. 

Disney countered Contour’s accusations, saying that Rearden did not own the software's copyright during the production of "Beauty and the Beast."

A Disney spokesperson told Reuters the company was "gratified that the jury properly rejected Rearden’s request for $38 million in profits" from the movie.

Rearden has similar lawsuits against Paramount and Disney's 20th Century Fox—litigation on those cases has been on hiatus while the "Beauty and the Beast" case worked its way through the courts.

SAN DIEGO, Calif.—In a move that could make virtual reality and virtual production techniques available to a much wider group of creators, Sony Electronics Inc. has launched a mobile motion capture system "mocopi" in the U.S. market.

The new “mocopi” system, with its six small and lightweight sensors and a dedicated smartphone app available for iOS and Android, is designed to offer full-body motion tracking without the dedicated studios often used for motion capture. 

It allows creators to capture their motion data or video of their avatars in motion with the mobile app or send motion data to compatible third-party software in real time. Utilizing Sony’s unique algorithms, the system provides accurate motion measurement with only a small number of sensors and a compatible smartphone, which enables users to create content or dive into VR from locations previously deemed impossible. 

This will make motion capture techniques available to VTubers and creators in film and animation in ways that was not previously possible, Sony said. 

In addition, ”mocopi” Software Development Kit (SDK) is available for major 3D development software such as Unity, MotionBuilder and Unreal Engine, which lets creators use “mocopi” in their workflows to pursue their creative visions. It allows developers to explore the use of full-body motion data obtained with “mocopi” for various use cases including Metaverse and fitness applications.

The system features: 

• Compact and lightweight sensors that are easy to wear. Each sensor measures at 1.26 inches in diameter and 0.46 inches in thickness and weighs only 8 grams. Users pair the six sensors to a compatible smartphone with “mocopi” smartphone app via Bluetooth, then simply attach the sensors to their head, hip, ankles and wrists to create movies with their avatars in motion or record-motion data.
• Sony’s proprietary algorithm enables accurate motion capture with only six sensors. The sensors can be easily worn with Velcro bands and a clip included in the package. They also work completely wirelessly with built-in rechargeable batteries, meaning there is no need to find power source or fight with cables hanging around.
• With “mocopi” and a compatible smartphone, users can easily create motion data even from outdoor locations or send motion data to compatible services such as VRChat.
• Create avatar videos and export motion data using just a smartphone (iOS and Android). With the dedicated “mocopi” app, users can create movies with their avatar in motion with their compatible smartphone, using the data obtained from the sensors attached to their body. In addition to pre-installed avatars, users can import custom avatars. Recorded avatar movies can be exported as mp4 files or motion data from the mobile app.
• “mocopi” SDK is available for major 3D development software such as Unity, MotionBuilder and Unreal Engine. With the SDK, creators will be able to receive motion data captured with “mocopi” directly to the compatible software on computers and instantly review the motion data on the software or stream the live video to social platforms. This opens up diverse potential use cases in professional film, animation and game production, to improve the quality and efficiency of creators’ works.

A detailed instruction video is available here. 

The system is available for pre-order for approximately $449.00 here and the product will ship on July 14. 

LAS VEGAS—Visualization technology provider Planar and sister company OptiTrack, a developer of advanced 3D tracking systems, have outlined a diverse portfolio of new and improved advanced broadcast technologies that they will be featuring at the 2023 NAB Show.

“Planar and OptiTrack are continuously bringing the most innovative and cutting-edge display and mocap technologies to NAB and this year is no different,” said Planar executive vice president Adam Schmidt. “This year, we have an array of new and improved products designed specifically for on-camera and in-camera environments - the most advanced offering for the market to date, backed by decades of on-camera broadcast industry leadership.” 

At NAB 2023, Planar will be showcasing the Planar CarbonLight CLI VX Series, featuring an improved scan ratio, eliminating display-to-camera artifacts from being captured during a camera panning motion. Planar will also present the NAB debut of the Planar Venue Pro VX Series, as well as the award-winning and longstanding choice of broadcasters Planar TVF Series and the premium fine pitch MicroLED Planar DirectLight Ultra Series.

OptiTrack will demonstrate their extensive line of motion capture cameras, optical motion tracking software and object tracking capabilities at NAB 2023, including CinePuck, a tracking tool designed specifically for virtual production, mixed reality and broadcast studios. 

Featured products include: 

• Planar CarbonLight CLI VX Series: Cutting-edge LED displays that feature unrivaled image quality and versatility to revolutionize the production of realistic on-camera and in-camera content. Featuring an improved scan ratio, the series provides greater flexibility in how video walls adapt to different cameras and effects. The lightweight LED display is available in 1.9 and 2.6 millimeter pixel pitches and includes models with Brompton and Colorlight controllers. The series supports hanging, wall-mounted, free-standing and curved installations to beautifully integrate with broadcast, VP and XR studios. It features improved thermal management and uniformity, precise yet flexible color management and a wide color gamut for greater color compatibility. With an LED refresh rate of 3840 Hz and frame rates ranging from 24 – 144 Hz, customers benefit from smooth motion and compatibility with a variety of camera settings. 
• Planar CarbonLight CLF VX Series: LED flooring with a 2.6 millimeter pixel pitch that can be used to create a high resolution, continuous canvas, virtually expanding physical environments. The square (500x500 millimeters), thin LED flooring displays feature carbon fiber frames with layered wear-proof masking to support up to 1,102 pounds per display, facilitating heavy loads.
• Planar Venue Pro VX Series: Indoor fine pixel pitch LED video wall displays that deliver exceptional in-camera visual performance for VP and XR studios, as well as on-camera visual performance for broadcasters. The series combines high-performing scan and refresh rates with high brightness and narrow pixel pitches, making it well-suited for LED volumes in markets as diverse as film and video production, corporate, broadcast, rental and staging, as well as live events. Designed to support hanging, stacked or wall-mounted installations, support for HDR-ready content, a wide color gamut, including up to DCI-P3 color space and compatibility with a wide range of cameras, the series delivers the unmatched visual performance and deployment versatility needed to develop lifelike recorded, streamed or broadcast video content. 
• Planar TVF Series: An award-winning family of fine pitch LED video wall displays delivering superior on-camera performance with a wide range of refresh rates to ensure that it can be used with a variety of broadcast needs. The series offers models with fine pixel pitches from 0.9 - 2.5 millimeters and features a front service, cableless, stackable design that gives new meaning to multi-functionality and reduces the complexity of installation and vertical alignment, making it a longstanding favorite for broadcast customers. 
• Planar DirectLight Ultra Series: Premium fine pitch MicroLED video wall displays presenting several display technology advancements that, in combination, deliver big performance. Available in 0.6, 0.7, 0.9 and 1.2 millimeter pixel pitches, the series features models with MicroLEDs, off-board power supply, proprietary alignment technology and built-in processing to deliver always-on, high resolution display experiences for unmatched visual performance for close viewing distances and the most refined applications. The Planar EverCare Lifetime Limited Warranty is also included, offering customers complete confidence in their LED video wall purchase while reducing lifetime cost-of-ownership.
• OptiTrack Motion Capture: Chosen for its precision, accuracy, ease of use, reliability and polished integration with on-set tools, OptiTrack’s high speed and wide field-of-view motion tracking cameras, active tracking components, passive tracking markers and advanced motion capture software remain the choice for the world’s premier volumes.
• CinePuck: The purpose-built, active marker tracking tool for studios, CinePuck mounts directly to cinema or broadcast cameras, enabling studios to know the camera’s movement and continuous field of view with leading-edge tracking accuracy and precision. CinePuck data integrates with the on-screen environment to adjust virtual background imagery from the perspective of the cinema or broadcast camera, minimizing parallax error. It can be seamlessly integrated into any production workflows, including crowed rigging configurations.

Planar and OptiTrack’s extensive selection of LED display and camera tracking solutions designed to support today’s diverse production needs will be on display at Booth #W2633.  For more information, visit www.planar.com or www.optitrack.com.

OXFORD, U.K.—Motion capture tech provider Vicon has launched Valkyrie, its new flagship camera range, with four models designed to deliver world’s highest quality performance in motion capture systems. 

Designed to work in harmony with Vicon’s powerful software solutions for the life sciences, visual effects, location-based virtual reality and engineering sectors, Vicon is billing Valkyrie as a best-of-breed ecosystem for motion capture users. 

The range includes a 26-megapixel (MP) model and a high-speed capture mode at up to 2,000 Frames Per Second (FPS).  

Vicon also reported that Valkyrie-enabled systems will power motion capture projects with robust data without the need for further processing or ‘clean up’. The enhanced self-healing and calibration will ensure Vicon’s customers can focus on their work rather than the technology.

Valkyrie will allow filmmakers and game designers to create ever more realistic and immersive experiences. 

 The full Valkyrie range includes:  

• VK26 – the flagship model capable of covering the largest volumes with incredible detail with its 26MP and native 150FPS, ideal for highly-demanding applications such as Virtual Production and in-camera VFX
• VK16 – offering the highest frame rate per megapixel, at 16MP with a native 300FPS, designed to support complex biomechanical modelling and engineering use cases 
• VK8 – offering both the highest native frame rate of 500FPS and the best cost per megapixel at 8MP, which can capture the fastest moving athletes and objects (footballs, baseballs etc)
• VK-X – supports the most convincing and responsive VR experiences and applications that utilize active markers

 For more information visit www.vicon.com/valkyrie .

ATLANTA—Motion capture and performance capture/virtual production studio The Imaginarium Studios and visualization studio The Third Floor have announced that they are working together to provide new visualization and motion capture services from Atlanta's international filmmaking hub Trilith Studios. 

The collaboration builds on the fact that the two companies have worked together on a number of high profile projects, including the recent box office hit “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” directed by The Imaginarium Studio's Founder Andy Serkis.

"It's a huge honor to work alongside the performance capture team at The Imaginarium Studios," said Lauren Moore, chief of staff, The Third Floor, Inc. "Our companies have worked jointly through the years – harking back to projects such as `Avengers: Age of Ultron,’ to bring motion capture and visualization synergies that help clients advance their creativity and technical production. This alliance further enhances the long-standing visualization and virtual production services and team presence we have day to day at Trilith, which we recently also expanded with our new Trilith-based Atlanta Tech Hub."

Imaginarium Studio's CEO Matthew Brown added that "working in tandem with our friends at The Third Floor will create a seamless experience for our clients. Expanding our footprint to North America will serve to strengthen what we at The Imaginarium Studios offer, and open the door to even more opportunities for productions using our services worldwide. This announcement is a giant leap for The Imaginarium Studios, and for motion capture."

NEW YORK—The second major of the year for golf, the PGA Championship, will feature some new technology from CBS Sports to bring enhanced coverage to viewers. Motion capture and aerial tracing technology will now be added to the broadcast alongside improved technology elements used during previous tournaments.

First introduced during the coverage of the Masters Tournament in April, CBS has partnered with SIMI for motion capture technology to explore human body analytics during a golf swing. During the PGA Championship, eight high-end industrial cameras will be set up on the 11th tee box to capture golfer’s swings and full body analytics, from hip and shoulder rotation to arm and knee contortion angles.

Being used for the first time during any golf broadcast, according to CBS, is the aerial tracing technology. Using live video captured from a blimp and Toptracer technology, CBS will provide complete shot trajectory from tee to green via aerial views from the blimp.

A number of other technologies present in past CBS broadcasts of golf tournaments are also set for this year’s PGA Championship. In addition to aerial tracing, CBS will feature other Toptracer technology, including Toptracer RF for shot tracing from the fairway on any hole and ARL Virtual Eye.

CBS is bringing back its use of 4D technology, this year on the 15th hole tee box and doubling the amount from last year’s coverage to 90 cameras for 180-degrees of video display. On the greens, CBS will provide Hawk-Eye Green Technology, including Putt Predictor and Undulation Grid.

Additional technology set to assist the broadcast includes SmartCart, SwingVision, aerial drone coverage, full course wind metering and, on the final three holes, 4K HDR.

The 101st PGA Championship is taking place at Bethpage State Park, Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y. Across the course, CBS will have nearly 200 cameras, 175 microphones and 41 miles of multi-strand fiber.

The PGA Championship will be held May 16-19.