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, performance and speculative fiction. The studio is closely linked to the practice of speculative filmmaker Cassandra de Klerck, who founded it in 2017 to conduct research and test her visions, developments, and methodologies. Furthermore, she uses the studio as a launchpad for collaborations, shares her expertise with organizations, and offers educational programs.
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 development and the human experience?
Since its inception, the studio has naturally evolved alongside the latest technological innovations. I connect these advancements 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, followed by volumetric video captures, developments in digital human creation, virtual production, and AI. Today, the focus has expanded, adding an extra layer to the studio’s research and experiments: humanized robotics and its creative and societal applications.
Cassandra de Klerck – Speculative Filmmaker, Founder of the Virtual Acting Studio
The studio’s ongoing pioneering journey is supported by partners including:
