a20505: What is Performance Animation ? Performance animation is also sometimes known as "digital puppetry". This is probably an easier term to use for people new to the field. Performance animation is basically just a new form of puppetry. In traditional puppetry, a performer controls a puppet to create a performance. Let's discuss the different elements present in puppetry and let's compare the differences and similarities of traditional puppetry and digital puppetry (performance animation). The performer In traditional puppetry you have a performer or several performers who control the puppets. The performer/s may control different parts of the puppet's body and the performer/s may also speak to give the puppet a voice. In performance animation, you also have one or several performers that control a "digital puppet". The performer/s also control the different body parts and give a voice to the "digital puppet" The puppet In traditional puppetry, the puppets themselves could be made of different media. They could be made out of wood, paper, cloth, metal or other types of material. In performance animation, the "puppet" is a computer generated image which is "rendered" or displayed on a computer monitor or tv screen / projector. Think of it as being able to control a cartoon character on a tv screen in real time. The audience In traditional puppetry, the audience is usually a crowd of people sitting in front or around a puppetry stage. In performance animation, the audience could be anywhere the video monitor is located. The audience could be in an auditorium watching a large screen tv, or they could be a crowd in a shopping mall, watching a video projection of the digital puppet on a shop window. Controlling the puppet In traditional puppetry, the puppets are controlled using a variety of techniques. There are puppets that have their limbs connected to sticks used by the puppeteer to move the puppet. There are puppets that are controlled by sticking the arms or hands inside the puppet itself. In performance animation, there are a lot of devices called motion capture equipment that enable the performer to control the puppet. These can be as simple as a joystick or computer keyboard to something as complex as a full body magnetic motion capture unit. Conclusion So you see, performance animation is still a form of puppetry. The tools, media and controls used may be complex and high tech, but the basic elements and principles of puppetry used are still the same. Hey, regardless of whether the puppet is made out of wood or rendered on the screen with a high powered computer, if the performer tells crappy jokes, the audience is still going to walk away ... :)   Copyright © 2002 Alexander R. Calero