Quantic Dream used a setup of 28 cameras for
Heavy Rain; their new studio has 65 and the actors wear 90 markers on their bodies and faces. Unlike full motion scan technology (like that used in
L.A. Noire), this method doesn’t capture a video of the performance, but rather creates a highly detailed map of the face and body. The team uses a body scanning technology to create identical digital “clones” of the actors that, when combined with the mesh created from the performance capture, creates a perfect virtual replica of the actor.
Cage explained that this new method allows for a much truer performance and adds a level of complexity and fidelity that is almost entirely lost when face and body are captured separately. See above video for why this is true. “Kara” was born out of a desire to understand the potential of this new technology and what it could allow Quantic Dream to deliver with its next project, not just in terms of the tech involved, but in terms of how the team approached everything from casting, to actor prep, to direction.