Motion Performance Specialist

About the Role

We are looking for a talented Motion Performance Specialist to design, capture, enhance, and implement lifelike human movement and emotional expression for digital characters, AI-driven avatars, digital humans, and virtual identities. This role requires bridging performance art with cutting-edge technology to create believable, expressive digital figures.

Key Responsibilities

• Conceptualize physical movement and performance approaches tailored for digital and AI characters.
• Assess and analyze human movement components such as body mechanics, gestures, facial expressions, posture, rhythm, and behaviors to deliver authentic digital portrayals.
• Translate character psychology, emotions, and story context into physical gestures and movements.
• Organize and lead rehearsal sessions for motion capture and virtual production processes.
• Collaborate directly with performers and actors to elicit genuine, character-specific performances.
• Manage motion capture sessions covering various physical performances including full-body, facial, hand, and finger movements.
• Work closely with motion capture teams to ensure accurate and quality recording of performances.
• Identify and resolve issues related to tracking errors, occlusion, timing, or expression clarity within captured data.
• Partner with animators and technical staff to polish, edit, retarget, and refine motion capture data.
• Develop unique movement signatures and physical identities for individual digital characters.
• Create and maintain movement libraries and performance references to support reuse across projects.
• Support AI character development by establishing behavioral and physical movement patterns.
• Collaborate with AI and technical teams to leverage motion data for enhancing AI-driven character interactions.
• Use real-time platforms like Unreal Engine and Unity to test and evaluate character movements in digital settings.
• Synchronize performances with virtual cinematography elements such as cameras, lighting, and real-time production workflows.
• Engage in facial and voice performance integration when applicable to multimodal character development.
• Explore and experiment with AI-supported animation techniques, procedural generation, markerless motion capture, and other emergent technologies.
• Critically assess digital character performances on grounds of physical realism, emotional depth, consistency, and narrative alignment.
• Document methodologies, capture specifications, and character performance standards.
• Work closely with narrative and creative teams to ensure movement supports storytelling and character identity.
• Contribute to pioneering new performance frameworks for next-generation digital humans and interactive AI personas.

Qualifications and Experience

• A bachelor's or master's degree in Performing Arts, Theatre, Dance, Acting, Animation, Film, Motion Design, Digital Media, Game Development, Virtual Production, or related disciplines; equivalent professional experience is also welcome.
• 3 to 5 years of professional experience in performance, motion capture, animation, virtual production, or digital character creation.
• In-depth knowledge of human movement, body mechanics, acting techniques, gesture, posture, storytelling through physicality, and emotional communication.
• Proven experience collaborating with actors, dancers, performers, motion capture artists, and digital character teams.
• Hands-on experience with motion capture and performance capture systems and workflows, including full-body, facial, and hand capture technologies.
• Capability to convert psychological, emotional, and narrative concepts into physical performances.
• Skill in crafting distinct movement styles and physical character identities.
• Familiarity with animation workflows such as retargeting, editing, rigging, and performance cleanup.
• Proficient in using tools like Unreal Engine, Unity, Maya, Blender, MotionBuilder, or similar software.
• Understanding of real-time character systems, virtual production pipelines, digital humans, and AI-based characters.
• Strong collaboration skills with cross-functional teams including animators, technical artists, AI specialists, and directors.
• Excellent observational, improvisational, problem-solving, and experimentation skills.
• Ability to critique performances from both artistic and technical viewpoints.
• Experience with emerging technologies such as markerless motion capture, AI-assisted and procedural animation, and real-time performance systems is advantageous.
• Strong communication capabilities and fluency in English; additional languages are beneficial.
• Portfolio or showreel demonstrating related project work in motion, performance, animation, or virtual production; ideally including 3 relevant samples.

What We Provide

• Chance to influence and define the physical and emotional expressions of advanced digital and AI characters.
• A highly interdisciplinary and innovative working environment merging performance art, AI, digital animation, and immersive storytelling.
• Access to latest tools and technologies such as motion capture, real-time animation, and AI-driven character development.
• Opportunities to invent new movement languages, develop performance systems, and curate reusable motion databases.
• Collaborative settings with a wide range of creative professionals including directors, performers, animators, and AI experts.
• Scope to explore novel approaches to digital performance and human-AI interaction.
• Professional growth through involvement in cutting-edge international projects.

Additional Application Instructions

Candidates are requested to submit a CV (max two pages), a one-page cover letter outlining relevant experience, links or portfolio showcasing at least three projects related to the relevant skills, and two references with contact details.

Shortlisted applicants may be invited for interviews and asked to present or propose performance approaches for digital characters.

Equity and Inclusion

Applications are welcomed from individuals with diverse backgrounds and interdisciplinary expertise spanning acting, dance, movement, animation, virtual production, AI, digital art, and immersive media.