performance capture

American  

[per-fawr-muhns kap-cher] / pərˈfɔr məns ˌkæp tʃər /

noun

1. a data collection technique in which the detailed movements and facial expressions of live actors are tracked, recorded, and rendered to create animations, as for computer-generated characters in a motion picture.

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Etymology

Origin of performance capture

First recorded in 2000–05

Example Sentences

The facility will also house camera tracking, performance capture and lighting systems, as well as classrooms and labs with computers equipped with real-time 3D design software and digital asset libraries.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 25, 2025

Troy says the performance capture team at developer MachineGames convinced him to change his mind, but there was one more person he had to win over.

From BBC • Dec. 8, 2024

“I’ve wanted to play a performance capture ape since I was a little kid,” Teague said.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 30, 2024

Its Medusa performance capture system has been used to reconstruct actors' faces without using traditional motion-capture techniques, and this technology has been used in more than 40 films, including Marvel Entertainment's "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."

From Reuters • Aug. 8, 2023

On-camera actors point out that studios already use motion capture or performance capture to replicate artists’ movements or facial expressions.

From New York Times • Apr. 29, 2023