8 Days. 15 Characters.One Complete Feature Film— Motion Captured at Apple Arts Studios

Sep 3

4 min read

*The full AAS team and international production crew — Apple Arts Studios, Hyderabad*

From Rehearsal to Capture — The Full Journey of an International Cinematic Production

At Apple Arts Studios, every production is different. But some productions push the full range of what a motion capture studio can do — and this one did exactly that.

Over 8 days — spanning casting, rehearsal, production planning, full-body capture, facial capture, audio, and Unreal Engine pre-visualization — our team completed the entire motion capture pipeline for an international feature film. Approximately 15 characters. Intense cinematic sequences. A complete production from first rehearsal to final captured frame.

*Panoramic view of the full Apple Arts Studios operation — post area and capture volume running simultaneously*

The Project

This was our second collaboration with this international production team — a feature film with a strong cinematic vision, demanding character performances and complex multi-actor sequences. The script required careful choreography, detailed emotional performance capture and precise technical execution across every shoot day.

The production is currently in post-production. We cannot share further details at this stage — but we cannot wait to show the world what was built inside this studio.

*Apple Arts Studios capture volume — full studio in operation with AAS signage visible*

Casting and Actor Preparation — AAS Handled It All

One of the unique aspects of this production was that Apple Arts Studios managed the full casting and actor preparation process in-house. Our team sourced performers, coordinated rehearsals and prepared every actor for the specific demands of motion capture performance — including body movement, spatial awareness within the capture volume and emotional expression for facial capture.

This is not just a technical studio. This is a full production operation.

*Five performers in full motion capture suits — ready on the capture floor, Apple Arts Studios*

8 Days of Full Production

Days 1–2 — Script Breakdown and Production Planning

Before a single marker went on, the international production team and AAS worked through the full shot list together. Script breakdowns, storyboard reviews, scene-by-scene performance notes and Unreal Engine pre-visualization were used to plan every sequence before the cameras rolled.

*production team and AAS reviewing storyboards and shot list before shoot day*

*Script and shot breakdown session — Director with AAS team*

Days 3–4 — Rehearsals

Performers rehearsed on the capture floor in full mocap suits before any recording began. The mocap supervisor worked through each scene, coaching actors on movement, spatial awareness and emotional performance for the capture system.

*Director briefing actors with script pages during rehearsal — Apple Arts Studios*

*Actor working with wooden set piece during rehearsal — Director reviewing script*

Days 5–8 — Full Capture

Body capture, facial capture and audio were recorded simultaneously across the final four days. With approximately 15 characters across the production — including multi-actor scenes, object interaction and seated dialogue sequences — every day on the floor was a full production day.

*Full production floor — Blackmagic witness camera, clients reviewing live capture at Apple Arts Studios*

*T-pose calibration with clapperboard — beginning of a new scene on capture day*

*Performer in full mocap suit — between takes on the capture floor*

The Technical Pipeline

Full-Body Motion Capture

Optical body capture using our full camera infrastructure — performers marked and tracked across a range of cinematic scenes including standing sequences, seated dialogue, object interaction and multi-character blocking.

*Three-panel: actors relaxing between takes, HMC facial rig fitting, Vicon suit performers on the capture floor*

Facial Capture

iPhone-based HMC facial rigs were used for detailed facial performance capture — capturing every expression, eye movement and micro-performance from each actor. AAS technical team managed full HMC fitting, calibration and monitoring throughout.

Multi-Character and Scene Capture

Complex scenes with multiple characters — including seated dialogue, interaction sequences and ensemble performances — required precise floor planning, marker management and real-time monitoring.

*Director directing two suited performers in a seated scene — intense cinematic sequence capture*

*Six performers in full mocap suits waiting between takes — Apple Arts Studios*

Unreal Engine Pre-Visualization

Real-time Unreal Engine pre-visualization was running throughout the shoot — allowing the director and international supervisors to review performances in the virtual environment as they were captured. This live previs feedback loop is one of the most powerful tools in modern performance capture production.

*Post and review room — multiple monitors showing live body capture, facial feeds and Unreal Engine previs*

What the Studio Looked Like

The images from this production tell the full story of what happens inside Apple Arts Studios on a live international production:

● Clients supervisors and producers on the floor, reviewing live capture data

● AAS technical team managing HMC facial rigs, suit fitting and calibration

● Performers between takes — in full mocap suits, ready for the next sequence

● The post and review area running simultaneously — monitors showing live body capture and Unreal previs

● Script and storyboard review sessions at the production table

● The full capture volume — camera truss visible overhead, the entire studio in operation

*Director, mocap supervisor with AAS team and performers — Apple Arts Studios production*

*AAS technical team and international supervisor reviewing capture data at monitor*

A Second Collaboration

This was the second project we have completed with this international production team. When clients return, it means the first experience met the standard. We look forward to the third.

*producers reviewing footage together — focused post-shoot review session*

*during data review — Apple Arts Studios post-shoot session*

The Team

Every department at Apple Arts Studios contributed to this production — from the technical capture team managing the floor, to the post-processing team working through the data, to the production management team coordinating 8 days of international client schedules, casting logistics and shoot planning.

A production of this scale runs on a team. Our 27-person specialist team made it happen.

Apple Arts Studios — Built for Productions Like This

Apple Arts Studios is India's largest motion capture studio, based in Hyderabad. With 15+ years of experience, a 127-camera OptiTrack and Vicon infrastructure, Technoprops Stereo HMC facial systems, a full Unreal Engine virtual production pipeline and a 27-person specialist team — we deliver international-standard motion capture for film, games, VFX, animation, virtual production and AI dataset production.

Our credits include international feature films, Hollywood productions, AAA game titles and major Indian productions spanning 18+ countries.

Motion Capture	Performance Capture	Facial Capture	Finger & Hand Capture
Mocap Post-Processing	Retargeting	Unreal Engine Previs	AI Dataset Production

hello@appleartsstudios.com | www.appleartsstudios.com