Starlit City

A grant-winning independent Music Video project combining virtually embodied performance with a synchronous real-world live performance.

(Pictures and video will be updated early January after mocap sessions.)

Skills: Virtual Production, Motion Capture, Character Modeling, Audio Production, Set Design, Video Editing

Made with Unreal Engine, Marvelous Designer, Blender, After Effects, Rokoko Smartsuit, VIVE Tracker 3.0, DaVinci Resolve, Ableton Live

Virtual production workflow: Work-in-progress

  • Rigging

    Modified the character rig for the “Yoominel: Virtual Avatar” character. It was re-purposed to fit with the VRoid (VRM) model format to be made compatible with Unreal Engine’s MToon shader plug-in called VRM4UE.

  • Audio Production

    Backing instrumentation was composed and mixed in Ableton using various VSTs before the performance capture.

  • 3D Model Fixes

    Made improvements to the Blender model created for the “Yoominel: Virtual Avatar” project by re-modeling hair, editing facial features, and creating customized shape keys with a detachable cyber mask.

  • Outfit Modeling

    The character’s outfit was created in Marvelous Designer to simulate better physics in Unreal Engine. The outfit was matched as closely as possible as the real-world performer’s outfit.

  • Virtual Scene Creation

    A demo light show scene was created in Blender to test camera movements and angles. A cyberpunk environment was then created in Unreal Engine to act as the virtual stage. (Unreal Engine image updated here early January 2026.)

Embrace the light

This 1-minute music video is an independent project which was started in September 2025 with the aim of combining both a virtually embodied avatar and real musician’s live performance into one seamless video. While virtual performances are not new, I wanted to incorporate more of the real-world performance alongside the virtual avatar and explore the new possibilities in choreography that open up when it’s possible to switch between the virtual and real performer.

The project features an original music composition I made and showcases the same live performance in both the real-world and Unreal Engine environment using a self-developed 3D virtual model. The avatar was modeled and rigged in Blender, while clothes were created in Marvelous Designer.

The live performance will be captured while wearing a Rokoko Smartsuit under the real-world garments to make the outfits match as closely as possible in both environments. The real and virtual performances will then be combined into a seamless viewing experience. Motion capture tests will begin in mid December and continue into January 2026.

This project was awarded the Northeastern University Art+Design 2025 Grant. The final music video combining both virtual and real performances will be linked upon completion in April 2026.

Next

Yoominel: Virtual Model