R & D LAB
for hybrid character creation and human interaction
About
the studio
The Virtual Acting Studio explores, creates and experiments at the intersection of technology, science, character creation and human interaction. The studio is intrinsically linked to the practice of speculative filmmaker Cassandra de Klerck, who established it in 2017 to research and test her creative vision and methodologies. She uses this R&D hub to drive collaborative research, share knowledge through narrative strategies and deliver educational programmes.
Research
creation
Education
A pioneering practice
an onGoing journey
In 2017, I founded The Virtual Acting Studio during the development of my experimental VR film, Strange Head. It was my cinematic vision that drew me into the world of tech innovation, and an early encounter with AI sparked a central question that still drives the studio today: What does ongoing technological advancement mean for character creation and the human experience?
Since its inception, the studio has naturally evolved alongside these latest innovations, connecting technological shifts with storytelling and character creation, while investigating their impact on human interaction. The journey began with acting in virtual worlds by combining VR and motion capture, before evolving through volumetric video captures, digital human creation, virtual production and AI. Today, this focus extends into humanized robotics, exploring its creative and societal applications.
The projects within the Virtual Acting Studio are dedicated to research, experimentation and critical thinking. Born out of pure curiosity and passion, they explore future human-technology interaction within fictional worlds as a mirror for our real world, while providing conceptual and creative inspiration for my speculative film concepts.
Cassandra de Klerck – Speculative Filmmaker, Founder of the Virtual Acting Studio
Open to Collaboration
The Virtual Acting Studio partners with tech labs, cultural institutions and forward-thinking organisations. Driven by a decade of independent expertise, the studio focuses on three core areas: collaborative research through R&D partnerships, creation through concept development, world-building and artistic direction for commissions and education through talks and guest lectures. Get in touch to discuss potential projects or opportunities.
The studio’s ongoing pioneering journey is supported by partners including:
