Social impact documentary company Tell Studio has launched an industry-standard motion capture studio to meet local need, support regional innovation and upskill Northern creatives.
The new studio, Goblin Academy, is the result of a successful £50,000 bid to Innovate UK’s Creative Catalyst 2024 fund, a programme designed to support innovative projects within high-potential businesses in the creative sector.
Owen Seabrook, Tell Studio creative director and Goblin Academy founder said: “We proposed a high-end grassroots-focused mocap facility aimed at training newcomers to the industry and discovering new creative applications with motion capture, as well as servicing demand for Northern game development and VFX teams. We’re incredibly grateful to have won the grant and excited to begin showing the region what’s possible with motion capture.”
The facility is powered by cameras and software from Vicon, the global leader of motion capture systems. The technology, which is now up and running in Goblin Academy’s base in Aire Street Workshops, has been used on various major film and gaming IPs, such as Star Wars and the Assassin’s Creed franchise.
Goblin Academy’s first goal is to develop introductory workshops which will be available in January, but it is already planning creative explorations of the equipment with both brands and projects, such as Bradford-based inclusive dance nonprofit Project Resurgence.
“I believe that motion capture is the future of dance training. This technology provides the ability to review a dancer’s movements in 360 degrees, allowing us as teachers to help students hone and develop their skills with far greater accuracy,” said Martin Howland, Project Resurgence cofounder.
Goblin Academy is launching in an ‘alpha stage’ until February 2025, during which time they are developing their service range with support from Innovate UK. In that time they welcome enquiries from interested parties, performers and production teams.
