Connell Pavey, co-programme leader for the University of Salford's new course in motion capture technology tells TVBEurope how his passion for creativity led to becoming a teacher
By Contributor
Published: October 4, 2024 Updated: October 7, 2024
Connell Pavey, co-programme leader for the University of Salford's new course in motion capture technology tells TVBEurope how his passion for creativity led to becoming a teacher
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin> Connell Pavey, co-programme leader for the University of Salford's new course in motion capture technology tells TVBEurope how his passion for creativity led to becoming a teacher
https://www.tvbeurope.com/business/people/meet-the-motion-capture-technology-co-programme-leader title=Share via Email class=share-email>
Talk us through an average day in your role My role at the University of Salford is quite dynamic, which is something I truly enjoy. I am currently part of a two-person team that manages the Motion Capture space within the School of Arts, Media, and Creative Technology. This space is used by students across various disciplines performance, animation, dance, and games design. Ranging from undergraduate to postgraduate levels, including MA, MSc, and PhD students.
Connell Pavey, co-programme leader, motion capture technology at the University of Salford Our day-to-day work revolves around responding to the evolving needs of our students. We guide them through the intricacies of motion capture, helping them not only understand the technology but also apply it in ways that enhance their creative projects. Whether it's through capturing movement for animation or performance-based projects, we ensure they gain practical experience and leave with a deep understanding of how to leverage this technology.
When we're not directly supporting students, we focus on innovating and improving the ways our motion capture space can serve them better. We actively gather feedback and use it to develop new techniques and applications for the technology. Recently, we've collaborated with other university colleagues on a project that integrates motion capture with medical simulation. We ran a pilot project for a virtual patient system, where a simulated patient is controlled in real-time via motion capture and an iPhone for face tracking which allowed medical students to interact with the virtual patient, diagnosing ailments as part of their practical training.
How did you get started in the media industry? My journey into the media industry began during my time at university. I attended a masterclass led by the head of an independent film company, and I seized the opportunity to reach out afterward, which led to me working on their projects. The company specialised in low-budget horror feature films and heavy metal music videos, an ideal fit for me at the time!
Armed with nothing more than a basic SLR camera, some builders' lights, and a whole lot of enthusiasm, we set out to create. It was a small, tight-knit team, so I had the chance to explore various aspects of production, from cinematography to visual effects. One memorable experience was playing a creature in one of our films, spending a sweltering summer night running around in a heavy overcoat and rebreather as a demonic miner.
Although the days were long and the pay was minimal, the experience of working in eerie, unusual locations with total creative freedom was priceless. It was a fast-paced, high-energy environment where we could experiment and push boundaries, and I loved every moment of it!
What training did you have before entering the industry?
Before pursuing my degree, I worked in IT as a technician from the age of 18. I had always loved film and visual effects, but I tried to take a more pragmatic approach to my career by focusing on technology, a field where I excelled. While I enjoyed the technical aspects of IT, I quickly found it lacked the creativity I craved, and I began feeling unfulfilled.
Seeking another path, I initially enrolled in a course to teach English to speakers of other languages, alongside learning Japanese. My thought process was that having a second language would open up opportunities for travel, and teaching would allow me to work anywhere in the world. I thoroughly enjoyed learning Japanese, and teaching became a passion of mine. Watching students come to life when they grasped new concepts was incredibly rewarding, and I found great satisfaction in helping others learn. However, during this period, I experienced a personal loss, the death of a close friend, which led me to take time to reflect deeply on my life and career. I realised that while I had enjoyed certain aspects of my previous paths, I had never truly taken the leap to pursue my passion: film.
That moment of reflection was a turning point. I decided to take a gamble and enrolled in a degree in film production and media technology, chasing what I truly loved. My time at university gave me two invaluable things. First, it gave me the time and space to practice, research, and immerse myself in the skills I was developing. Second, it introduced me to a network of peers, people I could collaborate with, who helped me develop my ideas and challenged my ways of working, just as I did for them. This collaborative environment was essential for my growth, and I continue to value the power of teamwork and shared creativity.
Why do you enjoy working in the industry? Creativity, first and foremost. Even though my work involves technology, every interaction with students and academic staff is a creative process. We take the time to understand their goals and aspirations within the motion capture space, and from there, we develop engaging learning materials. Our process involves bringing students into a Game Engine in real
Europe Stories
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
15/09/2025
Global K-Pop sensation aespa is redefining what it means to be rich with the r...
15/09/2025
Every day, millions of people around the world turn to Spotify to enjoy the audi...
15/09/2025
After months of intensive planning and implementation, Brembo SGL Carbon Ceramic...
15/09/2025
Unique sports content orchestration platform builds momentum among SES's cus...
15/09/2025
-- Opens door to growth in renewable energy New Delhi, India - 15th September -- Global business and industry leaders from around the world are joining technol...
13/09/2025
Harmonic's Software-Based XOS Advanced Media Processor Provides Unparalleled Efficiency and Unlocks New Business Models SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sept. 13, 2025 -...
12/09/2025
For fans, we know how important it is to stay plugged into music culture and dis...
12/09/2025
Link ping, Sweden and Shipley, United Kingdom, September 12, 2025 - Agama, the expert in video observability and analytics for service quality and customer expe...
12/09/2025
Feature-length retrospective from Studio Crook to air in 2026
Sir David Jason returns to the nation's favourite comedy channel, U&GOLD, for Open All Hours:...
12/09/2025
Friday 12 September 2025
The Boomtown Rats, Nyah Grace, Soweto Kinch, Royal Ballet and Madness also announced to perform at the ceremony on Tuesday
Sky today ...
12/09/2025
Wuppertal September 12, 2025
Riedel Unveils Ultra-Light Bolero Mini Wireless Intercom BeltpackAt IBC2025 in Amsterdam, Riedel Communications unveiled Bolero M...
12/09/2025
Wuppertal September 12, 2025
Riedel Communications Acquires hi human interfaceRiedel Communications today announced the acquisition of hi human interface fro...
12/09/2025
CORE+ virtually removes distortion, setting a new standard for church sound and giving worship teams the clarity and confidence they need.
Read the full artic...
12/09/2025
The Late Late Show is back with a bang after the summer break, and Patrick Kielt...
12/09/2025
The World Athletics Championships, Ireland v France in the Women's Rugby World Cup quarter-final, the Irish Champions Festival, and two Sports Direct Men...
12/09/2025
The Records Show starts Sunday at 6.30pm on RT One and RT Player.
Katie Hanno...
11/09/2025
RADAR, Spotify's program for emerging talent, recently hit a major milestone...
11/09/2025
Link ping, Sweden, September 11, 2025 - Agama, the expert in video observability & analytics for service quality and customer experience, announced today the la...
11/09/2025
Under the USD 89.6 Million award, SES Space & Defense will provide global commer...
11/09/2025
Leading Balkan DTH provider adds capacity to consolidate its m:Sat TV platform at 23.5 degrees East and serve more customers across the region
Luxembourg, 11 S...
11/09/2025
UKTV's free streaming service U launches on Sky Q
Free streaming service U has launched on Sky Q in the UK, UKTV and Sky confirm today, expanding the footp...
11/09/2025
From the discreet 2061 lavaliers to 4099 and 4011 mics, the setup delivered clean, natural sound in one of the most challenging broadcast environments.
Read th...
11/09/2025
From rugged build quality to natural, detailed sound, the verdict is clear: big performance can come in a very small package.
Read the full review here!...
11/09/2025
Tonight on Prime Time
RT One and RT Player at 9:35pm
Tonight RT Prime Time...
11/09/2025
RT Statement: 2026 Eurovision Song Contest
At the General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in July, a number of EBU members raised concerns ...
10/09/2025
Lossless on Spotify Premium is here.
Lossless audio has been one of the most a...
10/09/2025
The Television Will Be Revolutionised Sep 10, 2025
Written by Sunit Kotecha, Director of Delivery and Operations, YouView
2025 marks a century since the f...
10/09/2025
First of Spains F110 frigates get future-ready with Rohde & Schwarz communicatio...
10/09/2025
Harmonic's cOS Platform Supports DOCSIS and Fiber, Enabling Midco to Deliver Reliable Multi-Gigabit Connectivity to Subscribers SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sept. 10,...
10/09/2025
RT brings three days of live radio, live entertainment, live news, live weather, personal appearances, and more
Join RT Radio 1: Morning Ireland, The Oliver ...
09/09/2025
Since 2020, Spotify's RADAR program has been a launchpad for emerging talent...
09/09/2025
In 2020, Spotify launched RADAR with a clear mission: to identify, nurture, and ...
09/09/2025
If you're on BookTok, you know the drill. You scroll, you tap, and suddenly your To Be Read list is overflowing with trending must-reads. Not unlike Spoti...
09/09/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
09/09/2025
Harmonic's VOS360 Ad SaaS Enables Personalized Ad Delivery and Seamless Integration with the Ad Tech Ecosystem SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sept. 9, 2025 - Harmonic ...
09/09/2025
St. Luke's Episcopal Church in New Jersey needed audio that truly connects and they found the answer.
Read the full case study here!...
09/09/2025
From AI-driven sound design to adaptable systems and uncompromising audio quality, the discussion highlights how innovation is shaping the future of performance...
09/09/2025
The conversation covers DPA's natural, uncolored sound, how to choose the right mic for any application and the company's latest innovations including C...
09/09/2025
From the origins of CORE to the latest CORE+ upgrade, the article explores how DPA minimizes distortion, expands dynamic range and ensures clarity at every SPL ...
09/09/2025
September 9 2025, 07:22 (PDT) Dolby Revolutionizes Entertainment on Four Wheels...
09/09/2025
The Autumn Schedule has begun on RT Raidi na Gaeltachta, with a feast of music, entertainment, news and current affairs programmes as well as an interesting s...
08/09/2025
The company continues to focus on its own training programs. Recently, 20 new ap...
08/09/2025
How an MVP-first approach helps you move faster, stay flexible, and deliver smarter.
Too often, media technology projects aim to solve everything at once ma...
08/09/2025
Fox Corporation Announces Resolution of Murdoch Family Trust Matter New York, NY and Los Angeles, CA - September 8, 2025 - Fox Corporation ( FOX or the Comp...
08/09/2025
Fox Corporation Announces Secondary Offering of Class B Common Stock New York, NY, and Los Angeles, CA - September 8, 2025 - Fox Corporation ( FOX or the Co...
08/09/2025
Fox Corporation Announces Pricing of Secondary Offering of Class B Common Stock New York, NY, and Los Angeles, CA, September 8, 2025 Fox Corporation ( FOX ...
08/09/2025
PantoneLIVE Adds New Color Libraries to Meet Growing Demand for Two-Piece Alumin...
Connell Pavey, co-programme leader for the University of Salford's new course in motion capture technology tells TVBEurope how his passion for creativity led to becoming a teacher
