Cologne, Germany – Image Metrics, Inc., provider of facial animation technology for the entertainment industry, announced a partnership with Centroid, a United Kingdom motion capture and character animation services company, to provide an integrated animation solution to the film, television, and video games industries.
The first member of Image Metrics' new Preferred Partner Program, Centroid will integrate Image Metrics' facial animation technology into its performance capture services used for video game and film production worldwide. Image Metrics will offer Centroid operational support for capture, asset management, animation data analysis, animation production, and optional art direction. Together, the companies will work to innovate capture techniques, workflow, and asset management, as well as real-time pre-visualization, to create a complete performance capture solution. The Image Metrics Preferred Partner Program is designed to create a set of complementary solutions to make the entire capture and animation process easier.
"Image Metrics selected Centroid as the first participant in our Preferred Partner Program because of their impressive body of work in games, television, and movies," said Image Metrics executive VP, Brian Waddle. "Whether customers shoot at Centroid's Pinewood Studio in the U.K. or one of their mobile capture studios that can be deployed worldwide, Centroid's facilities combine impressive toolsets and expert staff. The entire Centroid team characterizes the same kind of passion for animation and client service as we do at Image Metrics, making this partnership a great fit for both companies."
With a team of thirty industry professionals, a comprehensive list of facilities and services from production pre-visualization to finished post-production animation along with a strict secure data environment, Centroid delivers motion capture and 3D pipeline solutions throughout Europe. Centroid's recent projects include motion capture for award winning commercials such as Evian's "Skating Babies" and the Orangina series, video games such as All Points Bulletin, Brink, Guitar Hero 5 and DJ Hero, as well as film franchises such as "Iron Man 2," "2012," "Wolfman," "Prince of Persia", and "Robin Hood."
"Through our new partnership, Image Metrics will become the default facial animation solution at Centroid," said Phil Stilgoe, Centroid operations director. "As Image Metrics offers the most realistic, effective, and efficient facial animation solution available today, we're excited to work together with them to offer an integrated UK-based performance capture solution for clients around the world."