iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 29/09/2026

Great day yesterday sharing mocap best-practices with the latest Abertay University MSc in Technical Art & Visual Effects cohort.

Wildy flailing my arms as a explain mocap direction.

3130

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 26/09/2026

Great experience advising some incredibly talented highschoolers, students and recent graduates this morning. Returned some optimism for the future of the games industry.

Poster for Into Games, reading:

I'M ATTENDING
GET INTO GAMES
DUNDEE
WATER'S EDGE, DUNDEE
SATURDAY 26th SEPT, 11AM-4PM

051

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 26/09/2026

More detailed shots. From this CEDEC 2026 talk "Making Diana" by Capcom lead facial animator Serina Ohara & lead character artist Kenji Irie www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0K7...

Diana hair strand relaxation in Maya Xgen Interactive Grooming

Diana's hair strands converted to cards in Maya

0101

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 26/09/2026

Pragmata - Diana facial capture, rig and hair system.

38920

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 25/09/2026

Scottish Games Day 2026 highlight was the GTA Origins panel. So many heroes up there.

Dave Jones, founder of the legendary DMA Design

Former DMA Design staff (from left: Dave Jones, Colin Anderson, Keith Hamilton, Mike Dailly, Patrick Kerr & Gary Penn) recount the development of the original Grand Theft Auto

Revolution Software co-founder Charles Cecil gives a history lesson on the UK’s (and specifically Dundee’s) influence on global game development scene.

Opportunities for Developers panel (From left: Kristian Roberts, Corrie Green, Kathrin Radtke, Reese Wright & Juney Dijkstra)

292

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 21/09/2026

The above videos came on UMD from the Japanese DMC3 artbook, Note of Naught. Here are a couple more mocap cuts and live-action prreviz sequences.

090

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 21/09/2026

Devil May Cry 3 (2005) motion capture behind-the-scenes and live-action previz. Capcom were really ahead of the game in terms of stunt choreography even then.

37729

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 11/09/2026

Checkout line magazines are different in the UK

Two magazines in a rack:

Understanding ADHD

Senior's Guide to ChatGPT

0110

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 10/09/2026

What a combo. Never knew this existed, and funny because I literally left Scotland for Canada to make Mass Effect while most others in my then studio went on to make Crackdown. Both 9/10!

Crackdown and Mass Effect Double Pack for Xbox 360

1160

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 02/09/2026

The Famicom cart is gorgeous. Had it on NES as a kid so had to get this version. Played it so much with the Konami code that at some point we didn’t need the cheat and could finish on one life.

Life Force: Salamander Famicom card in transparent blue.

010

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 01/09/2026

It influenced our clocktower bell collapse sequence in Uncharted 4...

622750

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 01/09/2026

Been a great week for music 🎵

Screen above the Edinburgh playhouse reading:

SIGUR RÓS

Performing with
THE SCOTTISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

31 AUGUST
EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE

030

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 01/09/2026

Onimusha: Way of the Sword mocap was creatively used for swordsmen and creatures. That multi-arm setup is similar to how we shot the Rat King on TLOU2.

110034

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 30/08/2026

The Prodigy last night at Edinburgh Summer Sessions. Amazing show and great support from Carl Cox and more.

Mirrored portraits of Carl Cox behind him on stage

171

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 28/08/2026

Assassin's Creed Altair being retargeted to Snake in Softimage, (the costume was an unlockable). It was before my time there, but Ubisoft colleagues told me Kojima and entourage visited the team during the development of AC, perhaps resulting in this crossover.

0181

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 28/08/2026

More images of the mask system and other facial controls in Softimage.

MGS4 Old Snake in Softimage with audio waveform and face mask

MGS4 Old Snake in Softimage with facial sliders

1255

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 28/08/2026

Facial mask system used to transfer facial animation easily between characters. In a pre-blendshape-driving-joints era it was very ahead of its time.

1172

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 28/08/2026

Metal Gear Solid 4 (2008) cutscene mocap shoots

1489

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 27/08/2026

Dr Frank-N-Furter at Frankenstein Bar yesterday.

061

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 23/08/2026

Deus Ex: Human Revolution released 15 years ago today. Here's a collection of pre-vis from the successful green-light pitch.

1348

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 22/08/2026

“Sony Patents To Let Al Agents Handle Grinding In Games And Leave The Fun Parts For Players” Systems Designer: Why are we even making this if we know players want to skip it?

James Franco “First time?” meme from the perspective of a cinematic animator.

3214

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 21/08/2026

I kinda feel these things should be agreed once and only before purchase. Not every time a game you already purchased auto updates. Declining prevents further use.

Marathon user agreement declined after first time playing in a while. Text reads:

USER AGREEMENT DECLINED
Access to the game is dependent upon agreement to the full terms of service.
You will be returned to the title screen to restart this process.
If you do not wish to continue, please close the game.

290

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 20/08/2026

Found some mocap from Beyond Good & Evil 2. This is from 8 years ago.

511416

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 16/08/2026

Boom Chakalaka. My local butcher is South African and put me onto this great stuff.

Loo Chakalaka Hot & Spicy relish in a can

Chakalaka-covered BBQ sausages on morning rolls, with feta salad as god intended

150

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 15/08/2026

My wife brought the goods back from Montreal 🥯

A dozen Fairmount Bagels. Better than St Viateur.

1100

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 12/08/2026

Classic 90s DMA Design business card found at my folks’ place - from when I was invited up for my pixel animations as a high school kid. I met up with Oz again decades later when on Deus Ex in Montreal as he worked at the studio next door.

4160

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 10/08/2026

Bran Castle - Bram Stoker’s inspiration for Dracula’s castle (though Vlad the Impaler never set foot there IRL) 🧛

Bran Castle front elevation, seen from the bottom of the grass hill.

Bran castle inner courtyard viewed from the upper levels

0699

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 06/08/2026

Awesome new arrival from @paddysbooks.bsky.social - The Guyver is a hugely underrated series IMO.

Guyver: The BioBoosted Armor - Illustration Chronicle artbook

1113

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 02/08/2026

Some 🐻 chilling in the Transylvanian Alps.

0204

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 22/07/2026

Nice - never seen that. Was drawn to this alley in Bucharest last week.

150

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 02/07/2026

Had never watched the Angelina Jolie Tomb Raider movies before this week (due to reputation) and they’re… good actually? Enjoyably campy fan service when too many game movies stray too far from source. Just great early-2000s period pieces alongside her seminal Hackers.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider promotional poster with Angelina Jolie vamping

6424

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 01/07/2026

Great evening with @liamwong.com seeing the Deakins. Inspirational couple.

Sir Roger Deakins with James Ellis Deakins on stage at the Edinburgh Assembly Rooms promoting their “Reflections: On Cinematography” memoirs.

1201

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 25/06/2026

Cannot forgive Nintendo for misspelling Fox MacLeod

160

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 21/06/2026

New whisky accoutrements and a Lagavulin 16 before a day building a new raised bed - doesn’t get more Fathers’ Day than this.

Lagavulin 16 in a crystal decanter, surrounded by whisky glasses and a water pipette

Flowers and herbs in a raised bed, being water-sprayed in the sunshine.

080

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 16/06/2026

Morden’s finger was the only casualty

Mass Effect 2 Morden statue with broken finger

090

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 27/05/2026

"A copy of Grant Theft Auto, where he could play a criminal" is actually really funny www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FUB...

A screenshot from a real ITV News report on Peter Murrel's embezzlement of SNP funds, showing a copy of GTA and two Dyson hairdryers alongside his hairless head. The game is priced £42.99 and the hairdryers £699.98

030

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 26/05/2026

Went to the Highland Games at the weekend there - incase you needed any kilt reference

0234

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 21/05/2026

Apple's Persona team continuing to do amazing work with face capture and animation. New paper released ahead of WWDC26 apple.github.io/ml-headsup/

060

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 15/05/2026

The most important of the Abertay grad show awards

A presenter announces the student winner of the Rare Award for Animation and Technical Art at Abertay University in Dundee

160

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 10/05/2026

Can't believe it's been 10 years since the release of Uncharted 4! Here's an excerpt from my 2017 Animation Exchange talk on creating the chase sequence.

511821

Jonathan Cooper @jonathan.gameanim.com · 06/05/2026

Wow, can't believe Koizumi gave us all his FACS data like that for free...

0220