Scripted Performance Markerless body and facial capture import into UE. 

Overview

This case study explores how markerless mocap and UE monocam facial capture allow me to direct performance, build layout, and shape emotional beats entirely on my own — something that once required a warehouse and a team.

The Breakthrough

I began in the ILM era of mocap — giant warehouses, dozens of cameras, entire teams.
Today, I’m capturing body and face performance alone in my garage.
This democratization of mocap is what makes real‑time directing immediate, intimate, and emotionally alive.

Systems I Use

• Narrative Alignment Framework

• Beat‑Polish Clarity Map

• Remote‑First Documentation Ecosystem

Execution

• Captured body performance using markerless mocap

• Captured facial performance using UE monocam

• Retargeted data directly into MetaHuman

• Built layout from my own performance

• Shaped emotional beats through camera, timing, and silhouette

• Iterated in real time

Impact

• Instant iteration

• Emotionally grounded layout

• Reduced revisions

• A fully democratized directing pipeline

What I Learned

Emotion is the fastest way to align a scene — and the most scalable.

Overview

This case study breaks down how I translate 2D illustrations into stylized 3D characters using AI‑assisted workflows, orthographic sheets, and real‑time integration — all feeding directly into my mocap‑driven layout pipeline.

The Breakthrough

Because I can now direct performance myself, I needed a fast way to prototype characters and test them in layout.
This pipeline lets me move from concept → sculpt → performance in a single creative loop.

Systems Used

• Beat‑Polish Clarity Map

• Remote‑First Documentation Ecosystem

Execution

• Artist (me)  B&W character illustration 

• AI‑assisted stylized 3D sculpt

• Fortnite‑style render

• Orthographic sheets (front/side/back)

• T‑pose for rigging

• Integration into MetaHuman + mocap pipeline

Impact

• Rapid character prototyping

• Consistent stylization

• Immediate performance testing

• A unified pipeline from concept → layout

What I Learned

AI accelerates exploration — but emotion still leads.

Overview

This case study highlights the narrative alignment frameworks, beat‑polish clarity maps, and documentation ecosystems I built to help remote teams — and now myself — move with clarity, emotional intention, and predictable iteration.

The Breakthrough

These systems were originally built for teams — but they now empower my solo directing practice.
The same frameworks that aligned remote teams now align my own creative process.

Systems Built

• Narrative Alignment Framework

• Beat‑Polish Clarity Map

• Remote‑First Documentation Ecosystem

• Real‑Time Animation Onboarding Curriculum

• Production Visibility System

Execution

• Designed emotional alignment flows

• Built clarity maps for beats and polish

• Created intuitive documentation structures

• Developed onboarding grammar for real‑time animation

• Implemented dependency‑aware planning

Impact

• Faster iteration

• Clearer communication

• Higher morale

• Stronger emotional alignment

• Predictable delivery

What I Learned

Creative systems are emotional systems — and when they’re humane, teams thrive.