PUGNA is a video essay that forms part of a research project in film acting direction, developed through a practice-based methodology. This work explores how postproduction and image-compositing techniques transform our relationship with the cinematic medium. Through an acting rehearsal filmed with a group of performers, the piece investigates what happens when the actor's gesture partially loses its form. Where is the boundary between the physical gesture and the digital image? Rather than illustrating a predefined hypothesis, the video proposes an experimental approach in which the line between performance and visuality is deliberately blurred.
For the recording of the rehearsal, depth-sensing cameras (Kinect devices originally developed for the Xbox 360 console) were used, enabling the capture not only of the external image of the body but also of its volumetric silhouette. These signals were processed live by postproduction technician Manuel Pita-Romero, who applied digital effects in real time as the actors performed. These digital interventions aimed not to erase the gesture, but to transform it. Even the most abstract representations preserve the original movement of the performers at their core.
In parallel, the sound dimension was developed as an improvisation: the music was composed live by Vincenzo Germano and Trinidad Jiménez, in dialogue with the performers' bodily actions. This simultaneous interplay between body, image, and sound consolidated a device in which the boundaries between gestural creation and digital generation enter into conflict. At what point does the actor become completely alienated from the representation? How far does the gesture persist?
Credits
Director/Producer: Antonio M. Villalba
Musicians: Vincenzo Germano, Trinidad Jiménez
VFX artist: Manu Pita-Romero
Actors: Emilia Astudillo, Lorenzo Martínez, Paula Onoroz, María Rodríguez, Lucía Salamanca, Adriana Solores, Sara Trevis
Acknowledgement
Research funded by the 2024-2025 Research Funding Scheme of TAI School of the Arts.
» Antonio M. Villalba is a final-year Ph.D. candidate at Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, where he conducts practice-based research within the CINEMA group. He works in the Research Department at TAI School of the Arts in Madrid, where he also teaches as a full-time faculty member. His research focuses on actor direction for cinema, combining artistic practice with theoretical inquiry. Alongside his academic work, he develops projects as a film director and producer.
