LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Image Metrics, Inc. provider of facial animation technology and services for the entertainment industry, today revealed its work with creative production studio Motion Theory on an official 2010 NCAA March Madness public service announcement (PSA) that will air throughout the year to encourage NCAA athletes to commit equal effort to both studies and sports. Having previously collaborated with Image Metrics for the Black Eyed Peas' Grammy Award-winning "Boom Boom Pow " music video, Motion Theory enlisted the Company's expertise once more to create a photo-real digital head replacement of famous basketball coach John Wooden from the era in which he won 10 national titles at UCLA and became the first person to ever become a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame as both an athlete and a coach.
To recreate Wooden's likeness, Image Metrics and Motion Theory used archival photos and previous video footage from the 1970s to construct a head model of Coach Wooden from scratch. In just over eight weeks, Image Metrics created approximately 20 seconds of photo real facial animation that allows Wooden to deliver a new inspirational message in the commercial spot. The animation was generated using the Image Metrics-developed Wooden facial model and rig combined with the Company's proprietary performance capture technology. The animation was then lit and composited into the each of the scenes by Motion Theory. Image Metrics animation team then fine-tuned the final animation to exactly match Wooden's signature style and presence on screen.
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