Motion Capture

Motion Capture is an animation technique where a computer tracks live actors movements. Then, animators used that as a base to animated upon. This causes the movements to be really fluid and smooth. A really good example of this is the lightsaber battle between Ahsoka Tano and Darth Maul in the most recent Clone Wars episode. Ray Park and Lauren Mary Kim did the motion Capture and it looks great. Just a cool animation technique that has been gaining popularity in the last few years.

Here's the fight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbLdLlUBLcA