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Project Details
Project Details
Release: 2020
Client: Ben Ditto (The 1975)
Services: 3D Scanning, Digital Double, Motion Capture, Animation
Project: The 1975 - The Birthday Party Music Video
Project Scope: Music Video
Creative Partner: Ben Ditto, Jon Emmony
The 1975 - "The Birthday Party" Digital Double and Motion Capture
Mimic Productions partnered with The 1975 on their conceptually rich music video for "The Birthday Party," providing essential Motion Capture and 3D Scanning services. We were crucial in transforming the band members into digital avatars, delivering the technical foundation for the video's exploration of internet culture and digital wellness within a fantastical animated setting. Our work focused on the precise creation of the Digital Doubles for the Mindshower retreat sequence.
Overview
The music video for "The Birthday Party" by The 1975, directed by Ben Ditto, required the band to be fully integrated as digital avatars into a surreal, meme-filled animated world. Mimic Productions collaborated directly on the creation of these digital entities. We employed 3D scanning and motion capture technology to transform The 1975 lead singer Matty Healy and his band members into their stylized digital forms for the fictional Mindshower retreat.
Our core role was delivering the technical assets and performance data that enabled the band's digital transformation. By utilizing precision motion capture and detailed 3D scanning, Mimic Productions ensured the digital avatars were based on the authentic likeness and movements of the artists/performers, providing a robust foundation for the final animation and storytelling.
Project Experience
The video for "The Birthday Party" achieved its distinct look by converting the band into unique digital avatars, a feat made possible by Mimic Productions' Digital Double creation services. Our accurate 3D scanning provided the essential data necessary to base the stylized animated characters on the physical likeness of The 1975 band members.
Natural performance was vital for the storytelling in "The Birthday Party," particularly as the band navigates a digital detox at the Mindshower retreat. Mimic Productions’ precision Motion Capture service was used to capture the subtle, authentic movements of the band members, directly driving the animation of their digital avatars.
This project stands as an example of how performance capture can be used to comment on complex contemporary themes, with the Digital Doubles of The 1975 becoming central characters in a film about technology's impact on mental health and social connection. Mimic Productions ensured the technical execution supported the director’s ambitious creative vision.
Mimic’s Contribution
3D Scanning:
Mimic Productions performed 3D scanning on The 1975 band members. This process generated the high-resolution source data required to create the base geometry for their digital avatars, ensuring the Digital Doubles maintained the recognizable features of the artists/performers.
Motion Capture:
We executed the Motion Capture for the band, capturing their body and facial performances. This performance data was then used to drive the animation of their digital avatars in the Mindshower sequence of "The Birthday Party," ensuring the movement was authentic and expressive.
Digital Double:
Creation Our team was involved in the creation of the Digital Double assets from the scan data. These assets were the final, ready-to-animate models of The 1975 band members, allowing them to star in the unique animated world of the music video.
Project Highlights
Credits
Client:
Ben Ditto (The 1975)
Mimic Role
Creative Partner:
Ben Ditto, Jon Emmony
Technology Partners
3D Scanning
Digital Double
Motion Capture
Animation
N/A
Platform
Music Video
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