The actor moves on a special stage and 3-D cameras watch the actor from a number of different angles. Computer software is then able to track all of the markers and, with the help of a technician, bind them together into a stick figure that accurately duplicates the motion of the actor. The stick figure is the bones and joints that then control and animate a 3-D model. This video shows the transformation of motion capture data to a realistic soldier . A variety of different poses and activities are captured to provide variety, as shown in this video of four soldiers .
Painting is used extensively by any visual effects team.
In the example shown in the previous section, the composited layers included the rotoscoped piece of the original shot, the water, the painting of the town, the boats on the water, the cannon fire from the boats, the people in the town, the smoke over the town and a new explosion. The compositing artist incorporates all of the elements in the right order so they overlay each other properly to create the final shot. A visual effects team is responsible for all of the effects shots in a single film. One of the first tasks for the team is the research and development process. With the help of the supervisors and artists on the team as well as the film's director, the producer's job is to look at all of the shots, understand what the director wants to change in each one and then estimate the amount of time that all of the tasks will take.