LIVE ONLINE · SPECIALIST PROGRAMME · UNREAL ENGINE 5.8
MetaHuman Production
& Performance
Breathe Life Into Your MetaHumans
Build, customise, dress and groom a distinctive MetaHuman, then bring it to life through performance and cinematic delivery.
Founding Cohort · 2–30 November 2026
Mondays · 17:00–20:00 CET · US$995 · 5 live sessions · Maximum 10 participants
VIRTUAL PRODUCTION DOJO
Gold Unreal Authorized Training Center
Specialist live Unreal Engine training delivered through a premium, practice-led VPD learning environment.
AUTHORIZED INSTRUCTOR DELIVERY
Unreal Authorized Instructor-led training
Led by Franco Vilanova, Gold Unreal Engine Authorized Instructor and VPD Specialist Faculty Lead for Unreal Engine Animation & MetaHuman Production.
THE PROGRAMME
From MetaHuman Foundation to Cinematic Delivery
This programme is built around a production outcome, taking you through the steps required to create a deeply customised MetaHuman for contemporary real-time production.
You will work with MetaHuman Creator, character assembly and Blueprint components, Cloth, Outfit and Wardrobe Assets, facial and material customisation in Substance 3D Painter, Groom creation and modification in Blender, accessories, performance and final cinematic presentation.
Create a MetaHuman that is distinctly yours.
The programme culminates in one progressive character project. Clothing, materials, Groom, accessories and performance are developed across the five sessions and brought together in a short cinematic presentation.
10–20
second cinematic performance
Completion evidence includes a functioning customised MetaHuman, non-default wardrobe, intentional material customisation, a created or meaningfully modified Groom, and the final performance.
THE FIVE-SESSION JOURNEY
One Character. Five Connected Production Stages.
Each session develops the same character. Technical decisions made early in the programme carry through wardrobe, materials, Groom, performance and final cinematic delivery.
01
MetaHuman Creator, Character Structure & Assembly
Establish the MetaHuman foundation through face and body parameter customisation, understand the character assembly process, and examine the principal Blueprint components that make up the assembled MetaHuman.
02
MetaHuman Wardrobes, Clothing & Physics
Adapt clothing through Cloth Asset, Outfit Asset and Wardrobe Asset workflows, create the required masks, and apply appropriate cloth or skeletal physics where relevant.
03
MetaHuman Texturing with Substance 3D Painter
Develop facial and material customisation in Substance 3D Painter, then export and integrate correctly prepared textures back into Unreal Engine.
04
MetaHuman Groom Assets with Blender
Create hair guides in Blender, export them for conversion into Unreal Engine Groom Assets, and learn how to modify and integrate existing Grooms with the customised MetaHuman.
05
Accessories, Performance & Cinematic Delivery
Add production accessories such as helmets, earrings, backpacks or weapons, apply facial and body performance, and bring the completed MetaHuman into a short cinematic shot for final presentation.
From MetaHuman Preset to Production Character
The programme is built around one transformation: taking a MetaHuman beyond its starting preset and making deliberate production decisions across identity, wardrobe, materials, Groom, accessories and performance.
The character work below illustrates the kinds of decisions you will learn to make across the five-session workflow. All examples shown were created by lead instructor Franco Vilanova.
01 · DEFINE THE CHARACTER
Create a Distinct Character Identity
Shape face and body parameters, Groom, wardrobe and material treatment into one coherent character rather than relying on the default MetaHuman starting point.
02 · BUILD CHARACTER DETAIL
Build Materials & Character Detail
Use texture, material and surface-detail decisions to push the character beyond its starting preset and create a more specific visual identity.
03 · FINISH FOR THE SHOT
Make the Character Hold Up on Camera
Apply facial and body performance, lighting and cinematic framing to test the finished character where it matters: in motion, under light and in the final shot.
LEAD SPECIALIST FACULTY
Franco Vilanova
Gold Unreal Engine Authorized Instructor
Specialist Faculty Lead · Unreal Engine Animation & MetaHuman Production
Franco is a Senior CG Artist and Gold Unreal Engine Authorized Instructor specialising in MetaHumans, animation, cinematic production and real-time character workflows.
His teaching is grounded in applied production practice, with a focus on technically current workflows that learners can transfer directly into their own real-time character work.
WHO THIS IS FOR
Designed for Practitioners Already Working in Unreal Engine
The programme is intended for participants who can already navigate Unreal Engine independently and want to deepen their MetaHuman customisation, Groom, wardrobe, texturing and performance workflow.
Real-Time & Virtual Production Artists
Practitioners extending character capability inside Unreal Engine.
Filmmakers, Animators & Technical Artists
Creators integrating digital humans into cinematic or visual production workflows.
Character & Digital-Human Practitioners
Artists moving from standard MetaHumans towards more distinctive production characters.
Educators & Studio Teams
Experienced Unreal users evaluating contemporary MetaHuman workflows for teaching or production.
Entry Requirements
Comfortable Unreal Engine navigation, basic knowledge of assets, materials and Blueprints, and familiarity with core 3D concepts. Previous Blender or Substance 3D Painter experience is welcome, but not required.
Complimentary Cohort Office Hour
One complimentary one-hour group office-hour block will be scheduled for each teaching week. The instructor will select the most suitable Thursday or Friday time for that cohort and communicate it to participants at programme start. It is a flexible cohort support benefit rather than a permanently advertised time slot.
PREPARE YOUR WORKSTATION
Technical Readiness
The programme repeatedly uses MetaHuman assembly alongside Blender and Substance workflows. VPD therefore specifies a supported learning configuration for full participation rather than the lowest specification capable of launching Unreal Engine.
VPD SUPPORTED LEARNING CONFIGURATION
64 GB RAM required for full participation
- Windows 10 22H2 64-bit or Windows 11
- Modern multi-core Intel or AMD processor
- 64 GB system RAM
- Dedicated DirectX 12-compatible GPU with at least 8 GB VRAM
- SSD storage with at least 250 GB free
- Current stable graphics drivers
- Reliable broadband internet
- Webcam, microphone, headphones or speakers
32 GB may be sufficient for some Unreal Engine and MetaHuman operations, but is not the VPD-supported configuration for this programme because assembly memory usage can exceed 32 GB.
RECOMMENDED FOR A SMOOTHER WORKFLOW
Production-friendly workstation
- Windows 11
- Modern 8-core CPU or better
- 64 GB or more system RAM
- NVIDIA RTX 3000-series or newer, or a supported equivalent
- 12 GB or more VRAM
- Fast NVMe SSD with 500 GB free where practical
- Two displays where practical
BEFORE THE RELEVANT SESSION
Install and test the supporting tools
- Unreal Engine 5.8 installed and launching successfully before Session 1
- Adobe Substance 3D Painter installed and available before the texturing session
- Blender 5.1.2 or later installed before the Groom session
- Project storage, GPU drivers and required applications tested before they are used in class
SUPPORTING SOFTWARE
Blender and Substance are guided in class
No previous Blender or Substance 3D Painter experience is required. The participant will be introduced to the specific tools and steps needed for the Groom and texturing workflows. Previous experience is welcome, but participants are not expected to know either application in depth.
Participants are responsible for having the required third-party software, including Blender and Adobe Substance 3D Painter, installed before the relevant session, alongside Unreal Engine 5.8. Adobe may offer a time-limited Substance 3D trial at the point of enrolment, but availability and terms are controlled by Adobe and are not guaranteed by VPD.
Using macOS or Linux? Contact VPD before enrolling so the workflow can be checked against your system.
FOUNDING COHORT 01
2–30 November 2026
Five Mondays. One consistent live time across the entire cohort.
17:00–20:00 CET (Norway) · 13:00–16:00 ART (Argentina) · 11:00–14:00 EST (US Eastern) · 08:00–11:00 PST (US Pacific)
Enrolment closes 28 October 2026, or earlier when all 10 places are filled.
SESSION 01
2 NOVEMBER 2026
MetaHuman Creator, Character Structure & Assembly
SESSION 02
9 NOVEMBER 2026
Wardrobe, Cloth & MetaHuman Clothing
SESSION 03
16 NOVEMBER 2026
MetaHuman Texturing with Substance Painter
SESSION 04
23 NOVEMBER 2026
MetaHuman Groom Assets with Blender
SESSION 05
30 NOVEMBER 2026
Accessories, Performance & Cinematic Delivery
FOUNDING COHORT · ENROLMENT OPENS 28 SEPTEMBER
MetaHuman Production & Performance
US$995
US$995 · Maximum 10 participants
Five live specialist sessions plus scheduled group office-hour support and private cohort communication.
Enrolment closes 28 October 2026, or earlier if the cohort fills.
Payment is completed through Wise. Your place is confirmed after VPD verifies cleared payment and sends your enrolment confirmation and onboarding instructions.
BEFORE YOU ENROL
Practical Questions
The essentials prospective participants typically need before committing to a live specialist cohort.
Are recordings included?
The programme is designed as live specialist instruction. Any recording policy will be communicated in the enrolment confirmation and should not be assumed as a substitute for attendance.
What happens if I miss a session?
VPD will provide the relevant cohort materials and reasonable guidance, but the programme does not include private make-up teaching.
Do I need Blender or Substance experience?
No. Previous experience is welcome, but not required. Franco will introduce the specific Blender and Substance 3D Painter tools used in the Groom and texturing workflows. The required applications must be installed and available before the relevant sessions.
What materials and support are included?
Class guidance slides will be shared with enrolled participants to follow along and refer back while working independently. Private cohort communication and scheduled group office-hour support are also included. Individual production consultancy is separate.