Virtual Production Lab: Motion Capture & Unreal Engine for Film Professionals

DATES ANNOUNCED SOON - 5 DAYS - ON-SITE - MALTA

Step into the world of real-time filmmaking with the Virtual Production Lab: Motion Capture & Unreal Engine for Film Professionals, a hands-on 4-day course hosted at Rupture Studios in Malta. Designed for creative teams of directors, writers, actors, producers, and cinematographers, the lab offers beginner-friendly training in motion capture, virtual cameras, and Unreal Engine. Participants will collaborate to create a short scene or teaser, gaining practical experience and a proof of concept for their own IP.

APPLY HERE

Key Learning Outcomes

By the end of this 4-day lab, participants will:

  1. Understand the Foundations of Virtual Production
    Gain a working knowledge of motion capture and Unreal Engine workflows, including how virtual production is reshaping film and TV storytelling.

  2. Collaborate Across Creative Roles in a Real-Time Environment
    Learn how directors, screenwriters, actors, and cinematographers work together in virtual production—adapting scenes for spatial storytelling and real-time iteration.

  3. Capture and Direct a Performance Using Motion Capture
    Experience motion capture as both a performer and director. Understand body awareness, technical blocking, and directing within a digital environment.

  4. Design and Shoot a Scene Using Unreal Engine
    Apply cinematic principles—lighting, camera movement, blocking—within a real-time 3D space using Unreal Engine and virtual cameras.

  5. Prototype an Original Scene or Proof of Concept
    Develop a fully realized short scene or teaser for your own IP—ideal for pitching, testing, or future development.

  6. Build a Creative & Technical Vocabulary for Future Projects
    Leave with practical insights and terminology for communicating with virtual production teams, enabling deeper collaboration in future projects.

  7. Explore Future Pathways into Virtual Production
    Learn about accessible tools, team structures, and cost-effective strategies for integrating virtual production into your professional practice.

Who Should Attend?

Directors
looking to experiment with real-time staging, virtual cameras, and performance-driven worldbuilding.

Screenwriters
interested in adapting narrative structures for immersive environments and exploring spatial storytelling.

Actors
curious about motion capture performance, embodied storytelling, and acting in digitally enhanced productions.

Cinematographers
wanting hands-on experience with virtual camera systems, 3D lighting design, and blending traditional and real-time techniques.

Producers
exploring how virtual production can be integrated into development and budgeting workflows, and how to prototype IP using cost-effective virtual tools.

Fees & Application dates

Early Bird 1750 EUR

Regular 2200 EUR

Late Bird 2500 EUR

Application period TBA.

Selected participants informed TBA.


*prices are exclusive of VAT 25,5%

HFL offers the possibility of payment in parts. If you choose this option, please contact us at payments@helsinkifilmlab.fi

The Course

Step into the future of filmmaking with this hands-on, four-day intensive lab designed to introduce film and TV professionals to the creative possibilities of virtual production.

Held at the state-of-the-art Rupture Studios in Malta, this course provides participants with direct access to industry-standard motion capture technology, Unreal Engine, and virtual camera systems—all within a fully equipped, real-time production studio environment.

The lab is designed for interdisciplinary teams of directors, screenwriters, actors, cinematographers, and producers who are curious about how virtual tools can enhance storytelling, speed up production, and open up new visual languages. Whether you're looking to shoot a teaser, develop a proof of concept, or explore how real-time technology can elevate your next project, this lab offers a rare opportunity to learn by doing.

Participants will work in teams to select a short scene, adapt it for virtual production, and go through the full creative process—from blocking and performance capture to camera work and real-time scene assembly in Unreal Engine.

You’ll be guided every step of the way by experienced mentors and industry experts, with plenty of time for experimentation, feedback, and peer learning.

What You'll Do

  • Explore the creative potential of motion capture performance

  • Direct and rehearse actors in a real-time studio environment

  • Collaborate on scene design using Unreal Engine

  • Learn virtual cinematography and 3D lighting principles

  • Build and shoot a short scene or teaser as a proof of concept

  • Gain practical knowledge of tools, workflows, and team structures used in modern virtual production

  • Receive tailored feedback and guidance from industry professionals

Key Learning Outcomes

  • Understand the fundamentals of motion capture and Unreal Engine for film

  • Experience real-time collaboration across key creative roles

  • Prototype a virtual production workflow from script to screen

  • Leave with tangible output and new creative & technical skills

  • Learn how to apply these tools to your own IP, pitch, or production

Additional Info

  • Early bird pricing starts at €1750

  • Optional add-ons include hotel packages and villa accommodation for an immersive creative retreat

  • Perfectly timed after the Mediterranean Film Festival—a great opportunity to stay on and create!

Before Applying / Requirements

Course language English

Group work Yes

Technical prerequisites None

What to bring Laptop and note taking items

Who can apply?

Even if our courses are designed with a specific target audience in mind, all film, TV, gaming, literary and creative industry professionals are welcome to apply. We believe this is what enhances the cross-industry experience and takes us all further.

ADD-ON

Stay Together, Create Together

The course fee for the Virtual Production Lab does not include accommodation or flights, but participants have the option to book an add-on accommodation package for the full duration of the course.

We offer a 5-night stay in a shared creative villa, available exclusively to lab participants. The villa provides a relaxed, inspiring environment to unwind, collaborate, and connect with fellow filmmakers between studio sessions. It’s the perfect setup for continuing creative conversations over breakfast—or a glass of wine at sunset.

Accommodation add-ons are available on a first-come, first-served basis and include a private room, shared living spaces, daily transportation to and from Rupture Studios, and fruit, coffee, and tea provided each day.

📩 The full package is €850. Limited spots available—let us know if you'd like to reserve a place when you register!

Where real-time meets real storytelling.

Rupture Studios is Malta’s leading virtual production facility, built to empower filmmakers, creatives, and storytellers working at the cutting edge of screen technology. Specialising in motion capture, LED wall production, and Unreal Engine-powered virtual workflows, Rupture Studios provides a full-service creative environment for developing high-quality, real-time content.

Located in the heart of Malta, the studio is designed for both professional productions and hands-on learning. Rupture has played a key role in advancing the region’s capacity for virtual production, collaborating with forward-thinking partners like the Mediterranean Screen Arts Academy and supporting training programs focused on performance capture, immersive storytelling, and the integration of traditional filmmaking with next-generation tools.

With its combination of creative ambition and technical excellence, Rupture Studios offers a future-forward space where bold ideas can be visualised, tested, and brought to life—frame by frame, in real time.

Where? Rupture Studios, Malta

 

Application process

  • We look forward to you sending your application! Please note the different dates for Early Bird, Regular and Late Bird prices.

  • Your application will be carefully evaluated by the HFL team together with the Masterclass holder. We take great care in creating a group of participants from different backgrounds and experience levels that suite the course in the best way possible.

  • Selected participants will be informed, and the invoice for the course fee will be sent. Please note that the fee needs to reach us within 7 working days unless stated otherwise. After this, the spot might be offered to a participant in the waitlist.

  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

✺ Frequently asked questions ✺

  • If a project is needed with your application, it will be clearly indicated on the course page. 

  • The number of participants depends greatly on the course. In general, the more group work there is, the fewer participants are accepted. We pride ourselves with giving the best possible learning experience to all attendees and hire teaching assistants for larger course groups if needed.

  • Courses at Helsinki Film Lab must be applied to, after which we select participants together with the masterclass holder. Courses are either online or onsite in Helsinki or an international destination. This will be clearly indicated in the course information.

  • Helsinki Film Lab courses are held either online or on-site in Helsinki or at different international locations. The course information will include the location, and upon being selected for a course, you will receive detailed information.

  • Helsinki Film Lab courses are always in English unless stated otherwise in the course programme.

  • Helsinki Film Lab does give a 10% discount to participants from the following organisations: EAVE (European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs), Sunklo (Finnish Writers’ Guild) and AVATE Audiovisual Authors and Performers Finland. If your organisation is not listed here, please let us know: moi@helsinkifilmlab.fi We are always looking for ways to be more accessible to creative industry professionals. 

  • Being on the Waitlist for a course means that your application has been successful, but we might not have space. Spots on the course become available if someone does not accept their place or cancels.

  • To apply to a Helsinki Film Lab course, you need to fill in the application form here. If the course you want to apply for is not indicated in the application form, the course does not have dates yet. In this case, please register your interest on the specific course page. We will inform you as soon as the dates have been secured.

  • The different fee rates depend on the date we receive your application.

  • We look forward to hearing from you! Please email us at moi@helsinkifilmlab.fi.

  • Our selection process is very streamlined, and we aim to respond within 14 days.

  • Helsinki Film Lab does not organise accommodation or flights at the moment, but we do offer special rates with our Official Hotel Partner, Hobo Hotel Helsinki. All selected participants will receive a special code they can use.