How Jakub Mączka’s Production Obsession Became Part of His Team’s DNA

Jakub Mączka brings over a decade of managerial experience in the film and advertising industries, and in recent years he’s developed an expertise in virtual production.

Prior to joining Platige Image, he served as managing director at eNStudios in Poznań, where he worked extensively with motion capture technology.

His professional background also includes roles such as head of production at ATM Virtual and tabletop producer at Bites.

Jakub sat down with LBB to discuss his passion for discovering ways to reinvent reliable technologies as well as his dedication to researching and developing new tools that help elevate productions.

LBB> What is your niche craft obsession?

Jakub> My niche craft obsession is discovering new ways to reinvent and apply existing, reliable technologies.

As the head of a motion capture studio, I make it a priority to have access to cutting-edge tools, while at the same time maintaining the well-established technical and artistic quality that relies on proven and trusted IT design and management techniques.

In our studio, we dedicate a lot of time to research and development, often testing out new tools and technologies just to evaluate whether they will be truly useful for production.

LBB> How did you first come across this obsession?

Jakub> This mindset started at the very beginning of my career in production. I quickly realised that the industry is driven by innovation, and that staying up to date with new tools can completely transform both the quality and efficiency of work.

Since then, I’ve made it a rule to actively seek out and explore new solutions and new ways of modernising what we call production technology.

LBB> Was it an obsession straight away or has it evolved over the years?

Jakub> It became an obsession quite quickly and has stayed with me ever since. At first, it was pure curiosity, but over the years it evolved into a professional habit – exploring new technologies, introducing them into testing, double-checking, and constantly challenging our workflow with new devices. It has now become part of our team’s DNA.

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LBB> What are the most interesting debates or conversations you are having around this approach?

Jakub> Within the team, we often debate whether a piece of technology is just a gimmick or whether it truly adds value to our productions. In our studio, we focus on ensuring that technology always serves the creation of the highest-quality film or game content – while remembering that an irreplaceable part of this process is keeping an open mind to what is still unknown.

We also spend a lot of time discussing how to integrate new tools into existing pipelines – for example, how facial capture devices or real-time engines can work seamlessly together.

LBB> How widespread do you think this dedication is with your peers?

Jakub> I’d say it’s quite common among people working in mocap and virtual production. It all depends on the team’s level of dedication to this idea. In our team, it has become a culture that we live every day – one where we constantly seek improvements, whether by creating our own solutions or testing those developed by others.

LBB> Can you share any examples of work where that obsession really came to the fore and elevated the final production?

Jakub> When we introduced ILM’s Technoprops head-mounted camera (HMC) for facial capture, it completely elevated the realism of our cinematic sequences. Testing and implementing that technology allowed us to deliver performances with far greater emotional depth. Similar breakthroughs happened when we adopted the latest Unreal Engine mocap workflows for real-time visualisation.

LBB> For anyone just getting into your field, what advice would you share to help them get their head around this particular thing?

Jakub> Stay curious, surround yourself with like-minded people, keep an open mind, and don’t be afraid to experiment. Even if a piece of technology looks niche or experimental, try it — you’ll learn a lot from the process. Build the habit of testing, double-checking, learning from results, and drawing conclusions. That mindset will help you quickly distinguish between hype and tools that are truly useful for production.