Double Negative and Xsens Bring Alien Paul To Life

Press Release from Xsens

The Netherlands. The innovative motion capture technology of Xsens helped create the movements of the alien 'Paul' in the movie. In the new comedy "Paul" from NBC Universal, two sci-fi geeks (played by Nick Frost and Simon Pegg) encounter an alien named 'Paul' during their road trip through Nevada. Paul's voice and movements were supplied by Seth Rogen (Knocked Up, Superbad and The Green Hornet), while the Xsens MVN System was used to record his motion. Xsens' technology was recently used for films such as Alice in Wonderland and Iron Man 2.

Xsens camera-less motion capture technology makes it possible to record human movement for use in television, movies, or games. Double Negative, creator of the special effects for 'Paul', used Xsens technology for reference material for its animators. "We took Seth's' digital movement’, recorded with Xsens MVN, and used them to make 'Paul' move like Seth does", says Double Negative.

About XsensXsens is a leading global supplier of 3D motion tracking products based on miniature MEMS inertial sensor technology. Xsens’ research department has created unique intellectual property in the field of multi-sensor data fusion algorithms, combining inertial sensors with aiding technologies such as GPS and RF positioning and biomechanical modeling. The company and its products have received several awards, including five consecutive entries in Deloitte’s ranking of fastest growing technology companies in Europe. Xsens is headquartered in Enschede, The Netherlands and has a subsidiary, Xsens North America Inc. in Los Angeles, California, USA

Extra information:Xsens MVN product information: http://www.xsens.com/en/general/mvnXsens MVN showreel 2011: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIQd0obIIrgWebsite ‘Paul’: http://paul.the-movie-trailer.com/Making of ‘Paul’: http://www.makingof.com/posts/watch/3248/behind-the-scenes-of-paul

Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks