Exploring the Future of Believable Characters
strategy, creation, Education
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About the Studio
Grounded in a decade of research and experimentation, The Virtual Acting Studio explores how technological innovation reshapes character development, performance and the human experience.
Founded by filmmaker Cassandra de Klerck, the studio focuses on the development of believable characters spanning a spectrum of human, technological, and hybrid forms, specializing in their profound psychological impact on audiences across diverse media and industries.
How to Collaborate
strategy
The studio advises on the strategic deployment of characters—from human and technological to hybrid forms—and analyses their profound psychological impact on the audience. Explore more.
Creation
The studio crafts believable characters from initial concept and behavioural design through to script, casting and final performance. Explore more.
Education
Through the studio, Cassandra shares insights and challenges audiences to confront the opportunities, boundaries and ethical dilemmas at the intersection of human and synthetic behaviour. Explore more.
Vision
Not a replacement for human performance, but an additional layer to it.
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 this 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?
To navigate this intersection of technology and humanity, I rely on a foundation that started at a young age. Spending my early years acting in theater, writing scripts, and making films, I was always exploring how characters connect with us on a deeper level. This natural curiosity led me to the academic world, where I specialized in the psychological processes behind character identification—bridging the gap between creative intuition and scientific insight. Read more…
My technological journey took root in 2015, when I started experimenting with VR. Driven by its potential for psychological impact, I entered the tech world and felt instantly at home with the startup mindset and its endless opportunities. This fascination for innovation inspired me to combine cutting-edge tech with my love for storytelling and character creation—laying the foundation for the studio.
While I began by exploring how actors perform within virtual worlds, the focus has evolved. Today, virtual behavior itself has become performative—actively reshaping our understanding of character, presence, and meaning.
This is an endlessly fascinating space filled with immense opportunities, unanswered questions, and an ongoing ethical debate. I invite you to explore it with me
Cassandra de Klerck – Filmmaker, Founder of the Virtual Acting Studio
The studio’s ongoing pioneering journey is supported by partners including:
