Centroid Motion Capture

Centroid Motion Capture is a performance capture and virtual production studio established in 1996. Working across video games, feature films, television and advertising, it records actor performances and develops motion data for digital characters, creatures and doubles. Its early film work included Lost in Space in 1998, followed by projects spanning cinematic storytelling and interactive character movement.

The studio provides full optical performance capture, combining body, facial and finger capture with optical and dual-camera head-mounted systems. Its production capabilities include simultaneous tracking of multiple performers, live virtual camera tracking and real-time previews of performances within digital environments. Mobile capture systems extend this work beyond dedicated stages to on-location and outdoor shoots.

From preparation to animation delivery

Centroid supports projects from pre-production planning through finished animation data. Preparation can include casting coordination, stunt and creature performer planning, bespoke props, virtual asset setup, digital plate integration and shoot scheduling. During production, the team supplies performance capture, virtual camera tracking and reference video, helping connect recorded performances with the requirements of a game's or film's digital assets.

Post-production services cover optical marker cleaning, skeleton and rigid body solving, multi-view facial solving and retargeting to game or visual effects rigs. These processes turn captured movement into animation data suited to the receiving production pipeline. The company's work serves game cinematics, cutscenes, locomotion and combat systems, alongside visual effects plates and character performances for screen productions. Its reported applications also extend to sports science, biomechanics and fine arts.

Centroid's UK production presence includes a purpose-built flagship facility in Uxbridge and a central London performance capture stage. These facilities followed earlier operations at Shepperton and Pinewood. Its international development has included a Serbian subsidiary focused on tracking, solving, data cleanup and research and development. A former Mumbai venture operated from 2018 until March 2021, when Centroid ended services there.