The VR animation software Mindshow is relaunching as an enterprise tool for professional productions.
Mindshow is a virtual animation studio, allowing the user to set up scenes and puppeteer virtual characters using their VR head, hand, and body tracking hardware. Mindshow was one of the earliest creation tools in the modern rebirth of VR, previewed back in 2016 and released on Steam in 2017, before its delisting in 2020.
Originally aimed at individual creators, Mindshow was adopted by some professional studios, who essentially used it as a prototyping tool for animations. Using VR headsets with Mindshow is relatively low cost, and its animations are viewable in real-time or easily recorded, while traditional motion capture pipelines are expensive and typically take hours, days, or weeks of post-processing work.
Mindshow says it has a "proven track record" with major brands, including Mattel, ESPN, Netflix, Pepsi, and Original Pictures, that it plans to build on to become a key part of professional studio productions.
This move to professional use may be related to its 2020 delisting, and its upcoming enterprise relaunch.
With the upcoming relaunch, Mindshow is also announcing the appointment of former Hulu executive David Baron as Chief Operating Officer. Baron was a founding executive at Hulu, and formerly an executive at Fox Digital Media, Paramount, and Microsoft.
Mindshow says the relaunched platform will enable "asset ingest and character animation tools accessible across the entire production pipeline—from storyboarding to final pass", with the following key features:
? Advanced Voice Integration: Proprietary lip-sync technology converts pre-recorded audio into stylized animated facial performances and character movements.
? Virtual Studio Cameras: Directors capture unlimited angles with multiple cameras with industry-standard lens settings, enabling iterations for instant control and review.
? Seamless Motion Capture (mocap): Generates real-time character expression leveraging industry-standard mocap suits to rapidly evolving camera tracking solutions like Meta Quest.
? Asset Integration Pipeline: Existing character libraries are easily converted into 3D models rigged for performance, maximizing the value of brand assets
"Every step of animation requires a specialized tool—from assets to previsualization to rendering and review. This technical fragmentation bottlenecks creativity, costing production teams time and money," said Sharon Bordas, CEO of Mindshow. “Mindshow is purpose-built to integrate a growing ecosystem of virtual production capabilities as rapidly as cutting-edge content tools and technology hit the market, making studio-quality animation immediate and intuitive through a single platform.”
