Faceware Technologies, the leading innovator and most experienced provider of markerless 3D facial motion capture solutions, today announced that it has partnered with pioneering localization service 
provider, Binari Sonori, to launch a new video-based localization service. The service uses Faceware’s professional headcam systems to capture video of a voice actor’s performance at the same time that the audio is being captured, providing both actors and animators with time-saving video reference for localization. The service launches today.
Animating the facial movements, and in particular, the lip movements, of digital characters speaking multiple languages can be a very laborious task. If the English audio track is not synced correctly between languages, it requires many time-consuming and costly adjustments. By introducing video-based motion capture into the initial stages of the process, Binari Sonori is now able to provide perfect facial performance and audio reference to international actors. This, in turn, guarantees that facial animation and localized performances sync perfectly in any language.
How the service works:
1) English-speaking actors use Faceware’s headcam to record their facial performances while their voices are recorded in Binari Sonori’s U.S. studio.
2) The facial performance video is then used as reference for actors recording localized audio in different countries.
3) The developer then completes animation using Faceware’s video-based facial motion software. The facial movement that is created by the software is based on the video performance, ensuring that both the game developer and audio-localization facility are syncing to the same facial movements.
4) The localized audio tracks are then applied to the animation.
An in-depth video about the service can be found here.
“I’m really excited about this new service,” said Andrea Ballista, account manager and co-founder of Binari Sonori. “It gives us a simple yet elegant solution that allows actors around the world to mirror their performances, saves artists time in the animation process, and helps game studios drive up the quality of localization without adding any time to the process.”
“We’ve been talking to Binari Sonori for many months, and have tested the service internally,” said Pete Busch, vice president of business development for Faceware Technologies. “It’s now ready to roll out globally, and we can’t wait to see the results on actual productions.”
