Motion capture technologies are undergoing a huge wave of innovation thanks to AI, and Runway is one of the leading companies in this field. With Act-Two, Runway is now introducing its new flagship model: a motion capture solution that not only sets new standards in terms of quality, but also combines head, face, body, and hand tracking—all from a single video.
What is Act-Two?
Act-Two is Runway’s latest AI model, designed specifically for high-precision motion capture and generation. At its core is the ability to track head, face, body, and hand movements simultaneously with unprecedented accuracy. All the tool needs is a “driving performance video” (i.e., a video of the desired movement) and any 3D character or reference figure as a target. The AI then takes care of the rest and automatically transfers the performance to the target model.
Technical innovations and special features
Previous motion capture systems often required complex hardware, special suits, or marker technologies. Act-Two breaks with this paradigm:
- No markers, no suits: The software extracts movements directly from standard videos.
- Full body & face tracking: In addition to the body, head movements, facial expressions, and even hand gestures are recognized and transferred.
- AI-supported quality improvement: The new model generation delivers significantly more realistic and natural movements – including subtle facial expressions and finger interactions.
Workflow & application: How does Act-Two work?
The workflow is kept as simple as possible:
- Input: A video of any performance (e.g., a dance scene, gestures, or facial expressions).
- Reference character: A 3D character to which the movement is to be transferred.
- Output: The AI generates an animated sequence in which the reference character mimics the movements of the original exactly – including subtle facial expressions and hand gestures.
For indie filmmakers, game designers, and content creators in particular, this means that cinematic animations are now possible without an expensive studio setup.
Who is Act-Two interesting for?
- Filmmakers and VFX artists: For quick previs or high-quality animations.
- Game developers: For lifelike in-game characters without a costly mocap studio.
- Creative professionals and content creators: For social media, music videos, or virtual productions.
- 3D artists: For quick animation of characters or prototypes.
Conclusion: A big step forward for AI-powered animation
With Act-Two, Runway is launching a tool that radically simplifies access to high-quality motion capture – and achieves a new level of quality in the process. The ability to extract complex movements from simple videos and transfer them to any character opens up completely new possibilities for creatives. Anyone working in 3D, animation, or video production should definitely take a closer look at Act-Two.
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