Previs Making Ground In Moviemaking

The art of previsualisation (previs), which is catching on in feature film, TV and commercials is set to speed up productions, save money and put creativity back in the heart of filmmaking.
According to animators at the Previs Department of 20th Century Fox they have used Xsens’ MVN Motion Capture system to significantly speed up their movie productions.
They explained that the previs process creates detailed animation during preproduction, thus replacing traditional storyboarding and animatics. It generates preliminary versions of shots or sequences with 3D animation tools and a virtual environment, enabling film and TV directors to plan technical solutions and decide on the most efficient production methods.
The process of realising the director’s creative vision typically requires a large crew and budget, especially in action-packed films. That said the challenge is then to cut costs while maintaining the deadlines. Productions increasingly rely on the previs process for exploring creative ideas, developing narrative structure, and defining the technical layout.
By first creating a 3D animation proxy of the movie - complete with virtual sets, actors and props - filmmakers can now design and plan their films at much lower cost, while speeding up things in the digital production pipeline
A recent example is the 20th Century Fox release X-Men: First Class. With the script calling for an action scene involving six characters fighting inside a flying plane, the Previs Department used the real time capability of the Xsens MVN Motion Capture Systems to quickly record elaborate fighting motions for all the characters involved, instantly reviewing each take as performances were developed and refined. Camera placement, camera motion, and camera lenses were then worked out virtually, resulting in a shot-by-shot breakdown of the scene.
In this case, the scene did not make it to the final cut of the film - a decision made at much lower than traditional cost, due in large part to the Xsens MVN.
"We were able to develop the scene in just two days. Traditional keyframe animation would have taken much longer and would have involved more artists", said John Griffith, Cinematic Director at 20th Century Fox."
Previs is rapidly gaining ground in the development process of moviemaking today."