THE COWGIRL. DIRECTOR / WRITER / EDITOR

CLIENT. PLUME FILMS & RACQUET STUDIOS

BRIEF. Create a short film that would showcase the creative potential of virtual production, not as a technical demo, but as a cinematic story. A film that would feel imaginative and tactile, while using cutting edge real time technology.

APPROACH. As writer and director, my role was to develop a story that could naturally connect the different visual worlds we wanted to build; from a desert landscape to a cardboard city, while staying grounded in emotion.

The result was The Cowgirl: the story of a young girl who confronts the cloud that haunts her, in a world she’s built from cardboard and papier mâché.

LO-FI CRAFT MEETS

HI-FI TECHNOLOGY

These handmade creations were then 3D scanned and brought into Unreal Engine 5 by Racquet Studios, turning craft into fully realised virtual worlds.

We combined virtual production on Racquet’s LED stage with motion capture and 3D scans of the actor to blend live action and CG. 2D animations, integrated both into the VP environments and later in post, gave everything a handmade feel.

To make that world feel like it came straight from the character’s imagination, the team at Plume Films hand built every prop and set from paper, card and glue.

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OUTCOME. A visually rich, emotionally grounded short that mixes craft and innovation in equal measure.

The Cowgirl shows how virtual production can be used for poetic storytelling, creating worlds that feel handmade yet limitless.

The film now acts as a flagship for both studios, proving that technology can serve creativity, not overshadow it.

Interested in working together? Get in touch.