The team behind the official Barbie YouTube channel created a full music video for Ken titled Ride the Wave, which has now surpassed more than ten million views. The production involved a mix of choreography, motion capture, animation, and creative direction, bringing Ken to life with a high-energy performance that feels both stylized and believable.
Director Turner Munch collaborated with choreographer and motion capture artist Eileen Harman, whose performance served as the foundation for Ken’s movement. Animators used the captured performance as reference for timing, posing, personality, and rhythm. Even with limited behind-the-scenes footage, the production team managed to document moments of the choreography sessions, motion capture work, and early staging. The goal was to translate a live performer’s energy into an animated character who could move like a real dancer while still feeling true to the Barbie universe.
The team used a combination of MANUS data gloves, Xsens full-body capture, and Oculus tools to record precise hand motion, expressive upper-body movement, and high-accuracy tracking for choreography. The motion capture sessions allowed Eileen Harman to deliver a performance with clean articulation, strong musicality, and the kind of personality that Ken is known for. Animators integrated this data with CG techniques developed by Rin Bhorntus and CGCG, under the supervision of Janel Heighton. This hybrid workflow let the team achieve smooth, readable movement while maintaining the polished aesthetic associated with Barbie productions.
From music to choreography to production, the video came together through contributions from many departments. Kate Smeal and Safari Riot provided the song. Producers Jessica Campbell, Sophie Webb, Mabelin Calcano, Cassandra Han, Avery Martinez, and Melissa Manuel coordinated the production. Creative direction came from Alexandra Houck and the team at Mattel. Art direction by Brandon Pike helped unify the visuals. Animation reference from Pauler Lam supported the final character performance. Each team member contributed a specific layer of detail that shaped the final music video and helped it reach such a significant global audience.
With more than ten million views and enthusiastic responses from the audience, Ride the Wave shows how motion capture and animation can amplify character-driven storytelling. The success of the video highlights the power of combining performer-driven movement with high-quality digital production and the talent of the many people who brought Ken’s performance to life.
