Creative Precarity in Motion: Revealing the Hidden Labor Behind Animating Virtual Characters

This paper illuminates the obscured labor and challenges of actors—those vitalizing virtual characters through their embodied performances through motion capture (mocap) technology. Mocap in the entertainment industry has amplifed the presence of virtual entities across various media platforms. Despite the expanding infuence of such technologies, the mocap actors behind them often remain unseen and, at times, undercompensated. Central is the paradox where the realism and vitality of virtual characters contrast sharply with the obscured, and sometimes undervalued, human eforts behind them. We present an empirical study based on semi-structured interviews with fourteen actors, ofering a nuanced understanding of their lived experiences. We highlight the various precarities they face, which include navigating the market, preserving artistic integrity, and facing vulnerabilities as employees. By juxtaposing these fndings with established discourses on invisible labor, we discuss three major invisibility factors. Furthermore, we propose design interventions to empower and rightfully recognize human labor.