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Gaming production support
Built for game characters that must perform
Mimic Productions provides character rigging for gaming teams that need believable movement, stable deformation and assets that are ready for real-time production. Our work sits at the point where sculpted design becomes an animatable character, so the rig has to support expression, action and the pace of game development.
We build facial rigging, body rigging and full character systems for humans, animals and mythical creatures. Our work includes facial rigging as one of our greatest strengths, with blend-shape pipelines built from actor expression scans and wrinkle maps used to add depth to smiles, frowns and brow movement. For game teams, that means rigs that can support close-up cinematic moments as well as playable performance, while staying practical for production.
Production challenges
What game teams need from rigging
Rigging decisions affect performance, animation range and how easily a character can be used across the project.
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Real-time constraints
Game characters need rigs that behave well in engines and still hold up in cut-scenes, so topology, deformation and control design have to be considered together.
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Pipeline fit
A rig only helps if it can move cleanly into the studio workflow, whether the target is gameplay, a motion library or a performance-driven narrative sequence.
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Facial range
Close-up dialogue and cinematic work depend on expressive faces, which is why blend-shape planning and wrinkle maps matter as much as the body setup.
What your team gets
Why teams commission us
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Expressive faces
Facial rigging is built for natural expression and subtle emotional detail.
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Engine-aware builds
Rigs are designed with Unreal, Unity and other real-time needs in mind.
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Flexible bodies
Body systems support humans, animals and creatures in demanding poses.
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Production support
Rigging can sit alongside motion capture, animation cleanup and character development.
Capabilities and deliverables
Core rigging capabilities
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- Facial rigging with blend shapes
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- Actor expression scan workflows
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- Wrinkle map creation
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- Body rigging for humans and creatures
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- Full body rigging systems
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- Animation rigging for game engines
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- Real-time character optimisation
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- Motion capture and cleanup support
Production approach
How the rig is planned
For gaming, rigging is less about a single asset and more about whether the character can carry the workload of a full production.
Supply the model, expected range of movement and examples of expressions or poses. Review deformation at demanding positions, then agree controls, naming and the handoff to the animation team before the rig is used across a larger sequence. For games, distinguish playable actions, cinematic sequences and promotional assets, because each is reviewed in a different context.
Explore our Character Rigging services and Gaming production.
Related production services: 3D Animation for Gaming · Motion Capture for Gaming · Character Rigging for XR.
How we work
Typical delivery path
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Brief and target platform
We review the character, intended use and the real-time destination so the rig is designed around gameplay, cinematics or both.
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Facial and body setup
Depending on scope, we build the facial system, body rig or full character solution with performance and deformation in mind.
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Testing and refinement
Controls, expressions and motion range are checked against the animation needs of the project, with adjustments made before handoff.
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Integration support
The finished rig is prepared for the studio pipeline, with motion capture and animation cleanup available where required.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions
Q.1 Do you only rig humanoid characters?
No. We provide body rigging for humans, animals and mythical creatures, as well as character rigging and creature rigging. That makes the service relevant for standard game protagonists, stylised casts and non-human roles, provided the animation requirements are clearly defined at the start.
Q.2 Can the rig be used in real-time engines?
Yes, the gaming source says our character assets are optimised for major game engines such as Unity, Unreal Engine and CryEngine. The important point is to align the rig with the intended engine and performance needs early, so the final setup supports the studio’s workflow rather than fighting it later.
Q.3 How much facial detail can be included?
The source explains that blend-shape facial rigging can range from around 30 entry-level shapes to 300 for film-quality detail. The right number depends on performance goals, budget and how much close-up acting the game needs, so the system can be scaled rather than treated as fixed.
Q.4 Do you provide motion capture as part of the same pipeline?
Yes. The gaming and rigging sources both mention motion capture and animation support alongside rigging. That is useful when a studio wants the character setup, performance capture and cleanup to be coordinated, especially for projects with dialogue, combat animation or cinematic scenes.
Q.5 Is this service suitable for cinematic cut-scenes?
Yes. The gaming source specifically refers to high-quality cut-scenes as well as real-time gameplay. Facial rigging, wrinkle maps and body systems all matter more when the camera moves closer, so the rig has to hold up under both gameplay restrictions and cinematic scrutiny.
Q.6 What do you need to quote character rigging for game production?
Send the model, required poses and facial expressions, and the destination pipeline, together with the deadline and any existing assets. Specify whether the asset is for gameplay, a cinematic or both, and identify the target engine and hardware. The work involved depends on character anatomy, facial expression range, deformation work and engine requirements. Confirm the deliverables and review stages in the proposal so the quote covers the work your team actually needs.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions
For game production, character rigging scope depends on character anatomy, facial expression range, deformation work and engine requirements. Send the model, required poses and facial expressions, and the destination pipeline. Specify whether the asset is for gameplay, a cinematic or both, and identify the target engine and hardware.