Andy Serkis Breaks Down His Motion Capture Performances | WIRED

[@masterofsoccer1]

Give the man an oscar already !!

[@johnwerner69]

masterofsoccer1 the oscars are a joke anyways

[@makasher100]

He's definitely earned one

[@Erica-bx9qy]

Only if he shares that oscar with all the animators and various vfx artists who polished, improved, and in some cases, redid his performance....

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

He can't get an Oscar because he's not considered an actor, which is why he's shooting down animators and visual effects artists roles in the capture performance to make it seem more like it was all him. Which is only partly true.

[@ashaale3605]

the academy board is waaayyy too retarded...sadly for all legends out there :( poor Leo barely got his -_-

[@DeRockMedia]

I absolutely love Serkis, im glad he doesnt have to wear a suit in Black Panther though, the guy deserves to act without dots all over him.

[@TheXalos]

Can't wait to see him in BP.

[@BigMikeMcBastard]

He was "himself" in Peter Jackson's King Kong movie as well! He played the ship's cook in addition to Kong.

[@DeRockMedia]

he always reminded me of Popeye in that role lol

[@bigstunna2049]

DeRock true

[@thatguyedits1920]

I don't think it's a downgrade to perform as an avatar. I actually think it's something he is very proud of... he's the best at it. But it's good he gets to change it up now and then.

[@dimitreze]

props to him and Peter Jackson that was the only one to believe on this type of peformance at the time everybody was laughing and skeptical about Andy's commitment to Gollum now Andy has a empire and created a new world ☺

[@ZionJang]

Well, George Lucas was technically the first with Jar Jar. Obviously, he wasn't met with critical acclaim and accolades for that performance, but he was definitely the first.

[@dimitreze]

Ahmed Best didn't have track points on him the CGI characters was loosely based on the actors peformance what they did with Gollum still is done today

[@ZionJang]

I've included a link to footage of Best's performance in phantom. Unless I'm mistaken, track points are being utilized. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nWGapGh8hMhljtU

[@JoshRyanimation]

Props to the hundreds of artists that actually made this happen. Serkis was the voice and maybe 30% of Gollum

[@alexgaggio2957]

Agree with Josh. The animators do most of the grunt work and the actors get all the credit. Without us, you'd have another ME: Andromeda on your hands.

[@callie4808]

The king of motion capture!

[@staticproductions6186]

Nah, Nolan North is the king of Motion Capture, Andy Serkis, he is the GOD of motion capture. (Or performance capture)

[@clydemustang2395]

Toby Kebbell is the apprentice

[@papulrocks794]

Most of the work is done by animators. The actor only has to come up with facial expressions.

[@44paces72]

greynox wow are we really going to get offended when people say the phrase motion capture damn what has this world come to this is fucking pathetic

[@dwarfsview]

@@papulrocks794 He actually owns the company that most filmmakers go to listen to his podcast

[@PainterCM]

I've loved every role he's every played. I look forward to all his future endeavors.

[@ccupdatesnewchamps209]

Stormedcrown ever*

[@Helios5778]

Someone get this man an Oscar

[@FabledGentleman]

If he is nominated this year, he will go up against Daniel Day Lewis... :( If Day Lewis is at the top of his game, i really want him to win and be the only actor ever to get 4 Oscars. But i also want Serkis to win, he has been overlooked for far too long now, it's a real shame. They should have halted "Phantom Thread" til next year :(

[@HyveMindsGames]

what an odd way to end the video...

[@TheDylanHoang]

Not the Bees Reviews thought my signal got cut off lol

[@ETbarcelonafan101216]

it made me laugh, it was so random

[@atomixfang]

i was expecting trump at the end of the video

[@nikkoXmercado]

The actor's performance is the actor's performanceBioOoOooOoOuOuouOuOooOoo

[@mikloistheman]

The intern was in charge of cutaways.

[@CraftsDotCupCake]

Some of the best acting performances, are never really trully appreciated by the general public. These actors have a harder job acting like animals/creatures, and an amazing Job in doing so. The Production and Post-production team are equaly as amazing.

[@andyserkis5795]

Hello gorgeous 🌹 Thanks for the beautiful comment, I'm really overwhelmed by your amazing words 🌻🤗🙏🌹

[@YeahManMillionaire]

World's No. 1 underrated actor. The talent of Andy Serkis is beyond anything out there.

[@TREKontheTUBE]

3:19 Just look at the emotion on Andys face... Goddam insane skills.

[@weepingwillows9588]

I thought the same thing! There are a lot of comments in this video bashing him for not acknowledging the animators for creating all the exaggeration of his performance etc, but when you look at the side-by-side of that scene, his real performance was way more evocative than what the animators did with it haha

[@NecoLumi]

Just wait, one day there will be a movie where EVERY character is played by Andy Serkis.

[@planetpompom]

LuminousMongoose I would happily watch it!

[@Poindexter4330]

I like him for his work in motion capture, he really makes the character feel real

[@stanleejovan6058]

To think that this guy will direct Venom 2 Is Incredible

[@AnandRaiSays]

Andy Serkis is such a humble genius, he makes me cry 😫😍

[@asad0810]

It's so sad that when an amazing actor like him goes behind the mask of graphics his talent and performance isn't appreciated in a way it deserves and more of a credit goes towards the people who designed that outer face. This man deserves an award!

[@Billy_D]

Seriously how this man still didn't get an Oscar???

[@alexgaggio2957]

Because he does about 50% of the acting you see on screen.

[@Erica-bx9qy]

His acting in motion capture is polished, improved, and in some cases, entirely redone by animators. Those animators are collaboratively responsible for the creation (and acting choices) that make it into the final film. To give any Serkis an oscar for his portrayal of a character he is not the full author of is a direct slap in the face to all the hundreds of animators who poured their souls into making a believable 3-dimensional character. (Pun intended) ;) hopefully this was helpful in explaining. I think he would be very deserving of an oscar for a performance that wasn't dependent on motion capture!

[@squidge125]

Seeing him in the suits before the CGI just reminds me what an amazing actor this guy is. It's bizarre awards don't have a category for voice/motion capture performance these days.

[@andyserkis5795]

Hello gorgeous 🌹 Thanks for the beautiful comment, I'm really overwhelmed by your amazing words 🌻🤗🙏🌹

[@planetpompom]

He's so incredibly talented, and has quite an attractive and compelling presence. I hope we get to see more of him as his human self in future projects!

[@Erica-bx9qy]

A J agreed! As far away from vfx as he can be so he can earn an oscar in his own right!

[@Zhurak]

As a fellow motion capture actor, I admire this man a lot for what he has accomplished. Andy Serkis is at the top of the food chain in the Mo-cap world!!

[@josecarlosramolete6109]

How about an ultimate match up of motion capture actors? Andy Serkis vs. TJ Storm? King Kong vs. Godzilla

[@Jesslovescoffee29]

War for the Planet of the Apes was absolutely fabulous! The performance capture was photo realistic and so moving. Caesar is one of the most complex characters in film history and he journeys so far from start to finish in this trilogy.

[@andyserkis5795]

Hello gorgeous 🌹 Thanks for the beautiful comment, I'm really overwhelmed by your amazing words 🌻🤗🙏🌹

[@GuanoLad]

Animation is also still necessary, to augment the performance, exaggerate some expressions or do stunts, and fill in gaps and blips the motion capture doesn't pick up. And a lot more besides, like collision, and hair and cloth dynamics.

[@tsuna47]

Yeah, he is actually kind of hated by the workers in the animation and VFX business because he really doesn't acknowledge all the hours of work to adapt (and very often totally redo and improve) his performances to make it actually believable for a CGI generated creature. I'm not diminishing Sirkis' acting skills, but it's a little sad that most of the people (and even Sirkis himself) don't know about the work of all these others great artists, they have been and still are at the very least as important as him to make all these characters unforgettable.

[@mattmos26]

It is quite different. All the makeup in the world cannot alter the underlying performance. With mocap the actual performance is quite often changed or enhanced.

[@quickmayatutorials]

False. There are whole shots in his movies that use none of his performance at all and are completely invented by animators. Typically more than 50% of the facial animation is created by animators.

[@Devin_Art]

id like to see one of his performances before "post production" as he put it. He's a great actor, but his character performances are definitely not a 1-1 translation. His intentional ignorance is appalling. Artists know the truth about his attitude towards animators, I'm a little upset that the general public is fooled by this.

[@jsagy7179]

The man deserves so much respect and praise for pushing the boundary of motion capture technology

[@fightsmart6836]

I loved this series. THE NEW ONE OF COURSE!

[@eveh1458]

Motion capture acting is honestly elite acting, what an incredible talent

[@luissantana5428]

This man is so talented. Is amazing

[@Liberator130]

Andy Serkis isn't just a great motion capture actor - he's a great actor, period. King Kong, Caesar, Captain Haddock, Monkey (from Enslaved), King Bohan, Klaue, and (of course) Gollum, Serkis has portrayed some of the greatest characters of this generation, and deserves every bit of acclaim and love with his dedication to his craft.

[@seanengelgau5496]

This man could carry scenes by himself in a mocap suit. He deserves an oscar.

[@Erica-bx9qy]

Sean Engelgau what of the hundreds of animators who enhance and in some cases replace his captured performances? And the vfx crews?

[@seanengelgau5496]

Erica you are very right!

[@micheal2458]

I had no idea he'd gone on to do so very many of these roles! This was very informative and cool, and his demeanor in general seems very humble and kind. Really great video, thank you Wired. :)

[@sweeneagle16]

Get this man an Oscar already. If he keeps it up, I hope he at least get a lifetime achievement award for his work in these breakthroughs. Side note: I also think motion capture would be perfect for finally doing a Thundercats movie. Still don't understand why they haven't made a movie yet out of that but they did freaking Battleship and Max Steel. Even if it sucks I just want to see it. Netflix could do it.

[@luksura6373]

Rest In Peace Caesar!

[@starwarsprequelsandsequels7582]

I have seen Andy Serkis at the Brussels comic con last week end😍😍😍😍

[@edith1315]

Andy Serkis, nominate this man for an Oscar already!!!

[@andyserkis5795]

Hello gorgeous 🌹 Thanks for the beautiful comment, I'm really overwhelmed by your amazing words 🌻🤗🙏🌹

[@string1414]

Andy Serkis is so talented. He genuinely deserves more attention because this kind of acting is anything but easy. Imo, it's HARDER than traditional acting. Getting into character as an animal and mimicking their behavior and then putting the emotion of character into looks ridiculously hard. Stay awesome Andy :)

[@B1_1_9_7_5]

Apes together strong

[@ashaale3605]

he sooo deserves an Oscar...and some people here say it's not all his credit, but also of those people who make the 'final touch' actually, the performance is all his, managing & capturing emotions, dedication...you can't just take that away nor ignore it yes, we should value crew, special effects team, etc...but he's a performer (of the highest rank, especially as per difficulty)

[@andyserkis5795]

Hello gorgeous 🌹 Thanks for the beautiful comment, I'm really overwhelmed by your amazing words 🌻🤗🙏🌹

[@zaandarbrow]

cant wait to see him do live action in black panther!

[@Goosht]

This video made me respect his role a lot more. Great Job Andy Serkis and great job WIRED.

[@lochtessmonsterxoxo]

He's genuinely a legend. In the future everyone will realize what a groundbreaking, history-making actor he is. it blows my mind.

[@andyserkis5795]

Hello gorgeous 🌹 Thanks for the beautiful comment, I'm really overwhelmed by your amazing words 🌻🤗🙏🌹

[@lochtessmonsterxoxo]

@@andyserkis5795 no problem fake Andy Serkis 🥰

[@crozraven]

Where is his god damn oscar Hollywood?!

[@TheLyricalWrdsmth]

A modern acting pioneer. He and the teams that made this a reality are a true inspiration.

[@sokandueler9578]

The man who played the the first successful film-quality, motion-capture, cgi character is now one of the world’s foremost experts on the production of motion and performance-capture sequences. Poetic.

[@sumatrasumatra9336]

For those claiming for an Oscar to Mr. Serkis: what made Gollum, Kong or Caesar possible wasn't just his performance, but also the work of talented motion editors and animators among many other artists. These characters were possible thanks to hundreds of people Mr. Serkis isn't bothered to mention on this video nor on 99% of his interviews, almost like if motion capture were a matter of capturing his performance and computers magically transforms that into the characters we all know. Motion editors are responsible of check and fix the captured data doesn't have errors, proportions are correct and nothing is broken. Is a highly technical task where artists are also required to have advanced anatomy expertise. It is a department itself. Animators, pushes Serkis's work even further, like a second layer of acting and performance. The character you see on screen is made up by Mr.Serkis and a whole team of animators. If either of these's work was not present, the character wouldn't be believable, as simple as that. I think it would be quite unfair that an individual could win an Oscar for a character where he/she is not entirely responsible of.

[@testatorsilens1976]

Sumatra Animator THANK YOU!!!

[@klawrencekinetics]

www.cartoonbrew.com/awards/award-season-andy-serkis-found-new-ways-disrespect-animators-154385.html

[@WebCentral4kGameCaptures]

100% with you on this statement! The way he is bringing this out to the world is not the honest representation of what actually is done and to be honest, he might be a good actor and had a big role in this process but he should not be able to get an award for this as 100's of people worked on getting that performance on the screen.

[@jillimouse]

thank god there's still some people out there who know what they're talking about .

[@iosonoconan]

Yet he can't be bothered to mention any of them.

[@dilldirk284]

Guy still has not gotten an Oscar… if anyone is deserving it’s him.. he literally is the definition of the perfect actor

[@thelonelydavie]

Everytime I think of motion capture, Andy Serkis always comes first on my mind. This dude is a legend.

[@roybiggums4609]

it's crazy how much talent Andy has. Just imagine having to act like that incredible.

[@syd_jzx100]

Quite possibly one of the best actors that will ever walk this Earth.

[@pacopiedad6182]

Still can't believe this man hasn't won an Oscar. My favourite actor by far

[@outsideredge]

Andy is one of the most versatile people in movies and videogames. I'm glad Black Panther (and to a lesser extent Age of Ultron) gave him the chance to be on screen with his actual face

[@rostyslavpron8188]

The odd thing is he is not just a motion capture actor. In a traditional roles Serkis also preforms outstandingly, yet his talents are still overlooked.

[@phoreman88]

genius. many people dont know that Andy Serkis was on the forefront for innovation and development of motion capture. He has been involved with this technology since it was in its infancy, and was more personally involved with its development than I had assumed. Very interesting

[@beatsbykana]

this is fascinating. they need to do more stuff like this

[@ffflustered9qr]

Him being in Oscar contention for any of his movies is really touchy because Hollywood doesn't know what to do with mo-cap. But i cannot WAIT for him to get the honorary Oscar he deserves.

[@justrandom5012]

Caesar is one of the best Written and played and most credible characters ever and outstanding Performance by Andy and Fantastic Director Matt Reeves :)

[@DanielRieger]

Don't forget the hundreds of hours of work of the modelers who sculpted the apes and the animators taking his performance and applying it to the apes muscles and adapting the whole thing to the 3d models and rigs, plus the vfx artists making all the composition to make it look like they are really there

[@stephanie2107th]

Daniel Rieger totally agree with u

[@chriscorley6478]

"Special Performance - Academy Award" goes to Andy Serkis. 🏆 Done.

[@Oddernod]

No mention of the legion of animators the director collaborates with in order to craft the performances along with Andy.

[@Akaya7777]

Ryan Summers he mentions them several times

[@cassandrarichards4781]

I could listen to Andy Serkis explaining things all day long.

[@andyserkis5795]

Hello gorgeous 🌹 Thanks for the beautiful comment, I'm really overwhelmed by your amazing words 🌻🤗🙏🌹

[@DanIel-fl1vc]

The digital artists need to receive more credit, creating the skeletons and placing those muscles and running all the simulations is no easy task. For one person creating Gollum or the ape could take years but there's probably hundreds of people working on it together.

[@Zock3rB3ast]

So andy serkis did completely act out his role as Caesar.. this makes it even more amazing!

[@JimYJHsiao]

And take all the credits, ignored the effort of hundreds of VFX artists. Simply amazing!

[@Dxco31]

This legend deserve an oscar

[@GabGotti3]

Wow he played all these characters? Nuts

[@ChuckboxDers]

I can dig a humble actor. 10/10, Andy!

[@Rauschuppenviper]

he acts humble, because that's what actors do. yet he's completely disrespectful to all the animators making his "performance" possible www.cartoonbrew.com/awards/award-season-andy-serkis-found-new-ways-disrespect-animators-154385.html

[@Erica-bx9qy]

"Humble" enough to leave entire teams of animators out of the picture for his chance to win an oscar :/

[@rezwanul99]

One of the great actors of our times. Too bad the Oscars doesn't nominate motion capture acting

[@joshdsimmons90]

This was a great video this guy dose not get enough credit

[@3DSgeek]

the VFX artsits and animators get even less credit.

[@fahim_arif]

I'd argue he gets too much credit.

[@monstermastergodzilla6813]

I met Andy Serkis at Dragon Con. He's very nice and awesome!

[@sumdude2999]

CGI artists are the backbone to a lot of movies now of days. Amazing artists

[@AnshulMishra03]

You Sir, are a gift to world cinema.

[@M1985-]

I think what he does, is even harder. What a genius.

[@TwittleAB]

How bout those animators, eh? Eh?! No? Nobody? ... ok.

[@bhcbhc]

Those animators that adjusts, enhances built the creatures and most of the cases reanimate facial movements from scratch deserves some shout out.

[@TwittleAB]

Aw... Thanks, man! =D

[@Einomar]

Andrew B Yeah because animators never get credit for animation.... it's not like the actors in performance capture are underated... I mean just look at Andy has loads of awards right.

[@TwittleAB]

"As well as rendering, the fur, the texture in the eyes, the hair, water, the ability to have snow, rain on fur" He mentioned multiple departments with that statement, and has not once thanked the animators without whom he would have no career. I'm not saying he doesn't deserve credit, but it's a collaborative effort and every member of the team deserves equal credit. At the moment, the public seems to primarily see Serkis and he seems perfectly delighted with it.

[@caramelcoffees]

really the master of his art. deserved an Oscar for dawn or war for the planet of the apes. those movies are amazing and hideously underappreciated

[@TheRevan1231]

cant wait 2 weeks until I meet the legend that is Andy Serkis

[@Claudia-he6sj]

I hated the end of War for the Planet of the Apes but it was still a good movie nonetheless. The ending just got me sad :/ *SPOILER* *are you sure you wanna know* *okay, I warned you* *Caesar died*

[@Claudia-he6sj]

Scorpio lol I am a girl

[@andyserkis5795]

Hello gorgeous 🌹 Thanks for the beautiful comment, I'm really overwhelmed by your amazing words 🌻🤗🙏🌹

[@lolmaorofl]

The real stars of the character is not featured in this video, they are the faceless VFX artist who work thousands of hours to make it real. Give credit where credit is due

[@ashaale3605]

true, we need to value the people behind the magic too...but they DID NOT do the performance! Big difference!

[@ckannan90]

they actually do do the performance. the motion/facial capture does not automatically turn into cgi footage. it is used as a reference for the animation. you can see behind the scenes footage in lotr where there are entire shots that are created purely by the animators. the mocap actor does deserve a ton of credit, but they are by no means the sole performer of the character.

[@butzmn7190]

This is unbelievably interesting. He really does deserve an Oscar already!

[@supersullyswag864]

50% of the comments are about how he “forgot” to mention the animators 50% “give this man a oscar”

[@clawofthefallen]

I'm stunned how this guy allowed for the developers of the technology to move forward so much. Same with James Cameron and the full face capture rig and system.

[@laiksik]

As a long time animator in the VFX industry and someone who has cleaned up performance capture many times, I say shame on Wired for continuing to allow this guy to peddle his work without acknowledging artists it takes to get his performance on the bigscreen. Animators don't usually create the performance anymore( the actors deserve their due). Without them, it wouldn't be the specific performance you see on screen. HOWEVER, the technology isn't there yet to allow a one-to-one. It isn't plug and play. To get a version of that performance on screen, it takes hours of creative decisions that people like Andy Serkis have no input on. Even in this video there are lot of examples where an animator had to tweak and change or re-DO the work completely in order to finish the shot. When a makeup artist puts a mask on an actor, their work ends there. The actor takes the costume and brings it to life in the film. It's the exact opposite in VFX and performance capture. The actor's job end when they stop filming. This guy wants to take credit for the next 6-12 months of overtime and hard work? F -that.

[@thatdudedarwin9770]

Luv him. Why doesnt this channel have 10 mil+?? So many celebs

[@ManusfilmStudios]

The erasure of Ahmed Best's pioneering work as Jar Jar Binks from this "history of motion caputure" is at best revisionist. Jar Jar helped create the workflow, iteration process and litmus test for all CGI characters to this day. On some days the code was being written in real time as Best was moving. To deny Jar Jar's place in film history is to deny the hundreds of VFX technicians, animators, code writers and producers their respect. People like John Knoll, Rob Coleman and scores of others.

[@KlausKokholmPetersen]

the trouble with jar jar is that he went down in history as the most annoying character in film history.

[@redenavari]

Manusfilm Studios to be fair, the video is called 'andy serkis breaks down his motion capture performances', keyword "his", not 'andy serkis breaks down the history of motion capture performances'.

[@Panda.Shogun]

So many notable motion capture and vfx to his name.. I like how he has become so knowledgable in this field👌

[@doula2010]

He is an impressive person. Very talented. His ablity to play Gallum like he did would not be something many actors could do physically,

[@NootNoot.]

Soon, we will all be doing this with our iPhone X... Nah too broke

[@clairareid4551]

He is absolutely an amazing actor no matter what face he wears! Thank you for all you do and all the wonderful movies you helped to bring to life and bring us such magic!

[@xavier8580]

Truly the king of motion capture.

[@skiena]

Wow, I always thought there was an army of digital artists and developers making this stuff all work. I had no idea it was just Andy Serkis bouncing around on a sound stage alone making this whole thing happen. What an ass....

[@thomasfinlay280]

skiena do you get annoyed at actors who dont credit the catering guys or the dude who installed the cables for the cameras?? Hes the actor, his performance makes the personality and the essence, aesthetics mean fuck all. Example; any video game from childhood, looking at it now it looks dreadful but the characters being is what remains memorable.

[@Brownimation]

Dozens of animators interpret, build upon, and refine (and occasionally reanimate) Andy Serkis's performance before it gets to the screen.

[@kickers12c]

The animators are the real performers. Serkis is just a tool.

[@impossible7163]

The director is the real mastermind, actors and animators are just tools.

[@jacknapier9042]

The studio is the real mastermind, the entire crew are just tools.

[@zoetropearts4847]

Money is the real master everyone else is a puppet

[@madrid_seu]

Grεεk Animation math is the real mastermind. Currencies are just a tool

[@zoetropearts4847]

Consumers are the real mastermnd without them there no reason to release a movie

[@ChaoticGeek]

there should be an award for Motion Capture!

[@jorgeandre750]

And yet he hasn't received an Oscar. Smh

[@mickthemerciless9694]

Probably the greatest physical actor ever.

[@N-GinAndTonicTM]

"I made it rain! That was awesome; THAT WAS AWESOME!"

[@leonardodiwa7091]

There should be a Motion Capture Award in the Oscars

[@johnconnor2586]

My Respekt Andy ! You Performance in War of the Planet Apes was Incredible! This Movie is One of the Best movies Hollywood maket

[@zahimsheik8060]

After seeing this i can never look at him the same

[@StimmyTurner]

A revolutionary actor, and the most talented in Hollywood in my opinion.

[@benhurzz]

dude is a great villain, great humble guy

[@estradiolvalerate8925]

*Underrated franchise*

[@austinharp7264]

I’m shocked he hasn’t been in a lot more video games with his experience in mo cap. My favorite actor though. Can’t wait to see how he directs the Venom sequel

[@amccfischer]

One of the most famous actor in the world and barely any people know his name