Interview Monika Smolicz : From Mocap to Gameplay
- Vanessa
- May 12
- 9 min read
This month on Animotion, we’re diving into an essential pillar of gameplay: stops.
Those transitions where a character interrupts their run, changes direction, loses momentum, or comes to a complete halt. Short, but decisive, they shape the feeling of control, the readability of movement, and that crucial responsiveness that makes all the difference once the controller is in the player’s hands.
To explore this topic, I wanted to speak with someone who works at the perfect intersection between motion capture and gameplay animation.
Monika began her career on the mocap side before becoming a gameplay animator in the AAA industry, an unusual path that gives her a very sharp understanding of movement dynamics, transitions, and the subtle art of making a character stop in a way that feels believable, readable, and satisfying to play.
In this interview, she shares her experience, her perspective on the craft, and her approach to those pivotal moments where everything happens in just a few frames, always with one goal in mind: delivering clear, fluid, and responsive control to the player.
To begin, could you tell us: How did you land your first job in the industry?
I got my first job in the game industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the time, I was finishing my second year at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, where I studied New Media Art.
My studies were not specifically focused on game development, but rather on contemporary art. I had classes in painting, analog and digital photography, linocut printing, and 3D courses where I was introduced to Maya for the first time. I still remember that one of our assignments was modeling a bee. We also had access to a small motion capture studio, where we could learn about the technology and experiment with it ourselves.
Those last two subjects interested me the most and inspired me to try my luck in the gaming industry. Since summer break was approaching, I decided to look for an internship.
A few months earlier, I had started preparing my first portfolio. I did not really know what should be included in it or what exact role I wanted to pursue. I remember it mainly contained 3D models I had created with the help of YouTube tutorials, along with small simulations and short videos. In my CV, I mentioned my initial experience with motion capture technology and a basic knowledge of Maya and Blender.
I remember sending out more than 20 applications to both large companies and small indie studios, and only one company replied.
It was a studio focused on motion capture sessions and outsourcing.
They offered me a three-month internship and promised to teach me everything from scratch. I ended up staying there for another four and a half years.
I had a great time working there, and I’m very grateful for that chapter of my professional life.
Many young animators find it hard to take their first steps in the industry. What were your main challenges at the beginning, and what helped you progress the most at that time?
In my case, the main challenge was not finding a job itself, but changing positions within the company I mentioned earlier. I was working there as a junior motion capture specialist, running mocap sessions and cleaning data. We also had a team of animators responsible for post-production and creating final animations for clients, including work for games, commercials, and short film productions.
Motion capture and animation are departments that complement each other and work very closely together, so I had many opportunities to observe the animators’ work.
I had always wanted to do something more creative, and I felt that was missing in my role at the time. Creating animations was so tempting!
The hardest part was simply getting started because, like many aspiring animators, I had no idea where to begin.
Once again, YouTube tutorials and Udemy courses helped a lot.
It was also a huge advantage that I worked alongside other animators and could ask them for advice.
Shortly after that, I decided to take private animation lessons from a colleague who taught me after work hours.
Once I learned the basics of keyframe animation, I started working with mocap animation in MotionBuilder.
"What helped me the most during that time was feedback and guidance from other animators, as well as those private lessons.
Without that support, changing positions would certainly not have been as easy. I think it is very important to talk to people who already work in the industry and not be afraid to ask for help.
There are many groups and forums for animators, and LinkedIn also offers a lot of opportunities to build professional connections.
I believe that is especially important at the beginning of your career."
You started as a mocap specialist before becoming a gameplay animator, that's quite an unusual path. How has this entry through motion capture influenced the way you read and approach animation?
I believe my motion capture experience has helped me a lot, and it still helps me in my work with animation today. I mainly work with mocap data, while keyframe animation is something I do much less frequently.
When it comes to humanoid characters, working with motion capture data is often much faster and more efficient.
It is a widely used practice in the game industry, especially in larger companies that have their own mocap studios.
Animators often direct their own sessions and work with actors to capture data, which they later refine into final animations.
Working with mocap from the other side of the process helped me better understand both its possibilities and its limitations, not only from a technical perspective, but also in terms of what I can and should not expect from actors during sessions.
Mocap data is a powerful tool that supports our work and speeds it up significantly, but it is not the final product.
For example, I would not expect an actor to perform a triple backflip, but I know I can ask for the essence of the movement I want, such as the anticipation before a jump or the landing afterward, and then use that as blocking for the final animation.
It is also easier for me to judge whether I will be satisfied with an animation once it is time to work on it, simply because I have already seen so many examples over the years.
"Having had the chance to take part in a large number of mocap sessions, and to observe actors and directors at work, now makes it much easier for me to direct my own sessions and communicate my ideas clearly to performers (at least most of the time but not always hahah)."
In combat, readability and reactivity are essential. How do you work on these aspects to ensure a good feeling in-game ?
Since I work mainly with motion capture data, my process often begins during the session with the actor.
We focus on making the sequence of movements clear and readable for the player, with a well-defined anticipation phase followed by a smooth and convincing attack.
The length of the recovery usually depends on the strength of the attack.
It should not feel too long, but after a heavy strike it is important to give the player enough time to react and make decisions.
I always try to record several variations of the same animation so that later I can choose the version that works best in-game.
During the cleanup and polish stage, I often emphasize the anticipation moment and speed up the actual strike to make the action feel sharper and more responsive.
"It is also very important to test animations directly in the engine, because the real feeling of combat can only be judged in gameplay context.
Sometimes an animation may look great on its own, but once implemented in the game it may need further adjustments to timing, pacing, or readability.
It is always an iterative process, and it often takes several iterations before an attack truly starts to work well in the game."
What criteria do you use to evaluate the quality of a stop in gameplay, in terms of timing, readability and feel?
In gameplay animation, I usually prioritize responsiveness.
A stop animation should feel quick and reactive, so that it matches the overall pace of the gameplay.
If stopping feels delayed or too heavy, the controls can immediately feel less satisfying for the player.
To achieve this, it is very helpful to prepare several stop variations.
For example, stopping on the left foot or on the right foot, depending on the exact moment the animation is triggered during the locomotion cycle.
This makes transitions feel much more natural and believable.
It is also useful to have stop animations combined with turns, so the NPC can end up facing the correct direction instead of stopping with their back to the player or in an awkward pose.
This improves both readability and the overall gameplay presentation.
When creating stop animations, I usually include two or three steps before the full stop.
This helps the animation blend more smoothly from locomotion and allows the character to lose momentum in a more convincing way.
It creates a stronger sense of weight while still keeping the movement responsive.
"In general, the more stop locomotion variations you have, with different feet, directions, speeds, and distances, the better the final result will be.
This becomes especially valuable when working with systems such as motion matching, where a larger and more varied animation set can significantly improve the quality and smoothness of transitions."
You worked as a freelancer on very varied projects ( Silent Hill 2 Remake, Dying Light, Gundam ) before joining CD Projekt Red. What did this diversity teach you about approaching gameplay animation?
While working in an outsourcing studio and later as a freelancer, I had the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects, from small indie titles to AAA games.
That experience taught me that every game has different priorities, whether it is realism, speed, tension, clarity, or a strong sense of weight, and it is very important to understand those priorities from the start. It also taught me that the animation approach can change significantly depending on the camera perspective.
For example, first-person animations created specifically for the camera are very different from third-person animations.
In first-person, some elements can be hidden outside the camera view while others can be exaggerated or emphasized to create a stronger feeling for the player.
In third-person, the full body performance is always visible, so the animation needs to work as a complete package from every angle, with strong silhouettes, believable body mechanics, and clear readability.
Pipelines can also vary a lot depending on the studio and the type of game you are working on. The same applies to tools and workflows.
"In my opinion, one of the most valuable skills is being able to adapt your working style quickly and stay flexible when entering a new production environment.
Good communication with the rest of the team is also essential, especially with other animators who can provide valuable feedback, and with designers who help clarify gameplay goals and intentions.
That kind of collaboration often has a big impact on the final quality of the animation and can also save a great deal of production time."
Personally, I feel most comfortable working on realistic games, so those are usually the kinds of projects I try to choose.
To finish, could you share a piece of advice, a technique, or an approach you would specifically recommend to game‑animation artists? Something you wish you had known earlier in your career, or an important lesson you’ve learned.
One piece of advice I would give to gameplay animators is to not be afraid of feedback.
You can learn an incredible amount from other people, and it can significantly speed up your professional growth.
Sometimes, after spending many hours working on the same animation, you stop noticing certain issues that may be immediately obvious to someone with a fresh perspective or more experience.
Receiving and giving feedback is a very important part of every artist’s development, and good communication within the team can often improve both the quality of the work and the overall production process.
Another thing I wish I had understood earlier is how important it is to test animations in the engine as soon as possible.
An animation can look great in Maya or MotionBuilder, but gameplay feeling, timing, responsiveness, and readability can change completely once it is implemented in the game.
Because of that, I think it is better to validate functionality early instead of spending too much time polishing an animation that may later need major
adjustments or may simply not work well in gameplay.
Iterating quickly and testing often can save a huge amount of time and lead to much better final results.
A huge thank you to Monika for taking the time to share her journey and her perspective with such clarity and generosity.
Her experience at the crossroads of motion capture and gameplay animation brings a rare, grounded understanding of movement, one that shines through in the way she talks about timing, responsiveness, and the invisible craft behind a good stop.
It’s always inspiring to meet artists who approach animation with both technical precision and genuine curiosity, and Monika’s path reflects exactly that.
Her openness, her attention to detail, and her thoughtful way of breaking down complex ideas make this conversation a real pleasure to share.
And it’s important to remember that there is no predefined path to becoming a gameplay animator. Careers take many different shapes, everyone progresses at their own pace, and this interview is yet another reminder of that. It’s never too late to get started or to shift toward this specialty.
You can follow her work and career here:
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