Mo-Cap Actress
(Female, Age 27) from Astoria, NY
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 27 who works as a Mo-Cap Actress in Astoria, NY. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Mo-Cap Actress |
|---|---|
| Salary | $40,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | 50 |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | Astoria, NY |
| Years Experience | 4 months |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
We do test commercials for Ad agencies. There are about 30 employees (editors, producers, 3-D animators, assistants, etc). For the test commercials everything that is 3-D is first mo-caped (recorded through motion capture).
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
I put on a special motion capture suit everyday and perform all the female roles in all the spots we do. This means I get the boards and/or pre-viz and then memorize everything. After that I perform it as if we were shooting it on an actual camera. I also do a lot of the voice overs as well.
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
breakfast is catered; lunch is ordered from seamlessweb.com for up to $15; flex-spending account; transit check; life insurance; health insurance 100% covered
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
well
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
Yes I work with many different people. For the most part I love it. The only downside is there are many people who must approve each action so sometimes we have to re-shoot the same spot 3-4 different times (sometimes 1-2 hour sessions) because something was not communicated earlier.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
office -there is a small room that is the motion capture studio where I spend most of the day. I dislike that there are no windows (it’s dark and depressing). I like that we have a fully stocked fridge with drinks and some nuts and candy. I also like the people. Almost everyone is pleasant to work with.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 2
Benefits: 3
Hours: 4
Co-Workers: 6
Supervisors: 5
Job Title: 7
Level of Responsibility: 8
The Actual Work: 1
A day in the life of…
Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:
| 5am to 6am | |
| 6am to 7am | |
| 7am to 8am | not at work |
| 8am to 9am | not at work |
| 9am to 10am | Ate breakfast with the company |
| 10am to 11am | Filled out this online questionare. |
| 11am to 12pm | Attached face markers for motion capture (the markers track the movement of my facial muscles). |
| 12pm to 1pm | Lunch |
| 1pm to 2pm | Shot video/motion capture facial movements for in-house project. |
| 2pm to 3pm | Looked at edit of in-house project and came up with a new voice for the main character. |
| 3pm to 4pm | Research on the internet of Jennifer Tilly for voical inspiration for a character in the in-house project. |
| 4pm to 5pm | Recorded motion capture for the facial movements of another in-house character. |
| 5pm to 6pm | Finished recording motion capture for face. Played on computer |
| 6pm to 7pm | Watched clips that we recorded earlier in the day. Took off all face markers and played on the computer. |
| 7pm to 8pm | Not at work |
| 8pm to 9pm | Not at work |
| 9pm to 10pm | Not at work |
| 10pm to 11pm | Not at work |
| 11pm to 12am | Not at work |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
Backstage newspaper
What was the application process?
submitted headshot and resume; then had an audition; had 2 call backs
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
Yes with the head of the company. They interviewed many other people but at different times; it was an individual interview.
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
What my plans for my career were. If I was available full-time (i.e. willing to leave my other job). When I could start. If I was comfortable in a fast-paced environment.
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes. The day I began the explained a lot about the technical details of motion capture.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
No.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes. I went through 4 years of college concentrating in Theater Performance and have taken numerous other acting/movement classes since.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
N/A
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Build my their acting resume and getting physical/dance training. Then submit their resume to companies similar to mine.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
acting skills are a neccessity as that is the bulk of the job. social skills are also important when dealing with the clients specifically. flexability and/or an agility with their body to get more range in motion- this comes in handy while actually filming. Ability to think quickly and memorize fast since sometimes the scripts change moments before. Ability to work well with others as there are teams who direct at times. Ability to take direction because they may want 3 different reads of the same script. Control of voice and physical body as you are asked for many different things.
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
No.
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Ask questions and be clear about what you are doing before shooting. Be willing to give up any preconcieved notions you have about the material you are handed.
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Yes. Just in the past 4 months I’ve been able to add many name brand projects to my resume and work with very big Ad agencies. After this job I feel I’ll be in a better position to get “actual” commercials and get my face out there.
What are your current career goals?
Work in movies and/or television.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
It’s fun and fulfilling. This job is good because it allows for stability when the acting profession doesn’t usually allow for that.
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | Receptionist | 1 yr | 32000 | Answer phones, run front desk, greet clients, handle packages |
| Prior Job 2 | manager | 8 months | hourly job | seat customers, ensure customer satisfaction, manage 2-3 wait staff, ensure everything ran smoothly |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:3
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
3.4 | MaryMount Manhattan College | BA in Theatre Performance |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
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