Takeshi Aimi (Director, mocopi Business, Sony Corporation),
Asami Hirahara and Leon Koegel (Spookiz Team, Sony Music Labels Inc.).
Sony Music Labels Inc. has implemented a workflow that utilizes the Professional mode of Sony Corporation’s mobile motion capture system, “mocopi®,” for the rapid production of 3D animated content for social media.
We spoke with Asami Hirahara and Leon Koegel from the team behind Spookiz about the background behind the implementation and the results achieved.
Spookiz is a globally beloved animated character content with over 6.2 million subscribers worldwide and more than 3.2 billion total views. In 2025, Sony Music Labels Inc. acquired the IP (intellectual property) rights of Spookiz to further enhance the global reach through leveraging the expertise cultivated in music business. One of these initiatives is to actively operate social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.
“While the IP started off from 3D animation, our goal is to make it an IP
that people can connect and interact with beyond animation”
— Leon Koegel, Sony Music Labels Inc.
However, producing animation with the traditional animation workflow requires significant time and cost, which became a major obstacle to maintain day-to-day operations.
“Even if we tried to use conventional motion capture, we faced issues such as the need to shoot in a studio which requires time and limits flexibility,” Leon recalls. For their social media operation, they needed a setup that would allow them to create content easily, from anywhere, and at a low cost.
The team also considered using AI-generated animation, but they had clear priorities as operators of the IP. Asami explains. “AI is one option, but it requires repeated fine-tuning—and more importantly, we wanted to keep using the content created by the original creators.” These are the key factors in exploring “mocopi”: a solution known for its flexibility and agility.
Motion Capture Whenever Inspiration Strikes
— Making Production More Flexible
Introducing mocopi fundamentally changed how the team produces videos for social media. There is no longer a need to book a motion-capture studio as simply putting on the sensors in everyday clothing turns any location—whether the office or outdoors—into a recording set.
“mocopi is lightweight and easy to attach, and you can watch your own movements
being captured in real time on the PC monitor as you perform.”
― Asami Hirahara, Sony Music Labels Inc.
To capture more detailed motion than with the standard 6-sensor mocopi, the team adopted the Professional mode with 12 sensors. A simple, streamlined workflow—recording the motion data and finalizing it in a video editing software—quickly became established.
Faster Production, Stronger Connections with Fans
With the new workflow in place, their social media output became much more active. By releasing dance videos synced to trending songs in a timely manner, each post on Instagram and TikTok began drawing large numbers of views, along with comments in multiple languages from fans around the world.
Asami says that this steady stream of content is helping bring the project closer to its fans.
Sample dance video posted on social media created using mocopi
Being able to create content using motion capture has allowed them to create a wider variety of videos and post much more frequently—three to four times a week. Leon adds that each characters are also garnering their own fans, giving a new sense of engagement that is unique to social media.
Expanding Forms of Expression Through Technology
Until now, 3DCG tools have been highly specialized and largely reserved for engineers and 3DCG creators with technical expertise. However, with mocopi, even marketing teams can easily animate characters and produce content in-house.
Aimi, director of mocopi business, looks ahead from the technology provider’s perspective. “Our mission is to use technology to minimize the burden of the parts of the process that are essential, yet time-consuming and labor-intensive.” he says.
The Spookiz team is already planning the next phase. Going forward, they aim to go beyond dance videos by creating content that takes advantage of outdoor filming, as well as clips that capture everyday moments in the characters’ lives, further expanding their range of expression.
“Just by putting on the sensors, you can create content to share with people around the world. By fully leveraging mocopi, we hope to bring the charm of Spookiz to even more fans,” says Ms. Hirahara. With the lowered barriers to content creation, Spookiz can further reach audiences around the globe through social media.