MOTIONBUILDER^TM the Answer in Robb Roy’s "What If"

The art of shooting music videos has definitely evolved since video killed the radio star in the 1980s. Today’s music videos are more like short and punchy motion picture accompaniments to the hottest music on the charts. In many cases, the video becomes as much a part of the song’s experience as the music and lyrics. And in very rare cases, the music video stands as a piece of art in its own right.

This is the case with Kevin Carrico’s video for Detroit-based rock band Robb Roy’s song ‘What If’. Drawing on a wealth of experience and a wide-ranging skillset as a director, producer, and writer, Carrico was able to infuse the already emotional, moody song with a whole new level of meaning thanks to his nuanced, visceral treatment. Part noir film, part Expressionist homage, Carrico’s interpretation of ‘What If’ helps drive the song’s message home, straight to the heart of the viewer.

It couldn’t have been done without a healthy dose of techno-wizardry. Having been a proponent of digital filmography when most directors still turned their noses at it, Carrico had for a long time recognized the benefits inherent in working with digital formats versus the increasingly expensive medium of physical film.

Over the course of a year, Carrico worked with various members of the band Robb Roy to distill the essence of the music into a series of striking film sequences. The sign of good visual effects work is that you don’t realize it’s there – and this is very true of Carrico’s work in ‘What If’. To bring ‘What If’ to life, Carrico (working with effects house Skylight Digital Images’ lead modeler and animator, Jon Synnestvedt) used a suite of software packages including Newtek’s Lightwave, Adobe After Effects, and the Corel Graphics Suite.

But the real star of the show was Kaydara’s MOTIONBUILDER™ motion-capture and animation tool. Using MOTIONBUILDER’s unique FBX file format, Carrico was able to import 3D content from Lightwave and use MOTIONBUILDER to integrate motion-capture driven character animation that was key to telling ‘What If’s engaging story. Amsterdam based MOTEK used MOTIONBUILDER to manipulate and clean the motion data they collected for the video, and then exported Lightwave-friendly FBX files from MOTIONBUILDER right into Carrico’s pre-built scenes. The end result: footage that is brought to life for the viewer and delivers maximum emotional impact.

Since cost is a factor in any project, Carrico was happy to realize a major savings thanks to MOTIONBUILDER. Rather than having to rely on expensive blue-screen work for certain key segments of the video, the motion-capture driven animation, made possible by MOTIONBUILDER, was able to do the same work for only 1/5 the cost. Add to this that Carrico’s pipeline was completely digital (he shot footage using HD and other digital formats), and you see how the future of film is not film at all, but digital.

When asked why he chose MOTIONBUILDER as his tool of choice, Carrico pointed to Kaydara’s reputation in the industry, the excellent support they provide for their software, MOTIONBUILDER’s ease of use, and, finally, its seamless integration into Lightwave. As music videos continue to evolve and filmmakers like Carrico continue to push the envelope, MOTIONBUILER will continue to provide industry-leading features and capabilities that allow artists to create whatever they can envision in their minds.