Housemarque has shared the creative journey behind Arjun Devraj, the protagonist of its forthcoming title Saros, through a fresh behind-the-scenes documentary series. The Soltari Enforcer, played by Rahul Kohli, is dispatched to the hostile extraterrestrial world of Carcosa alongside a rescue crew to secure a abandoned mining settlement—though his true intentions remain shrouded in mystery. Finding Carcosa: Becoming Arjun, a three-part documentary helmed by Paul J. Vogel, offers exclusive insights into the motion capture technique that created the character, featuring intimate interviews with Kohli and the development team. The series marks a major creative evolution for Housemarque, demonstrating how narrative depth and genuine character work now anchor the studio’s bold new direction.
The Motion Capture Revolution
Stepping onto the performance capture stage proved far more disorienting than Rahul Kohli expected. Clad completely in a motion-capture lycra suit, the actor at first felt self-conscious and overwhelmed by the technical apparatus surrounding him. The initial hours involved meticulous calibration work—mapping finger movements, positioning sensors, and establishing the digital baseline that would translate his physical performance into Arjun’s screen performance. Yet once the technical foundation was complete, something remarkable shifted. The stage evolved from a bewildering laboratory into something far more familiar: a rehearsal studio where actors could simply act, liberated from traditional filmmaking constraints of cameras, lighting rigs, and physical props.
Troy Baker, a experienced performer in performance capture, provided Kohli invaluable insight on this unique medium. Baker characterised it as “the purest form of acting you’ll ever do”—a characterisation that proved completely accurate. Without cameras to play to or physical objects to interact with, Kohli found he could concentrate on his acting partners and the genuine emotion of each scene. This minimalist approach required complete genuineness; there was nowhere to hide, no technical wizardry to compensate for unconvincing choices. The result was a performance grounded in authentic interpersonal engagement, allowing Arjun Devraj to emerge as a fully realised character rather than simply a digital avatar.
- Initial discomfort in capture suit progressively diminished
- Precise finger calibration created accurate motion tracking
- Rehearsal atmosphere substituted for traditional film production setup
- Performer focus shifted entirely to emotional authenticity and fellow actors
Building Character Via Unconventional Methods
Housemarque’s approach to character development differed substantially from conventional filmmaking practices. Rather than insisting actors take on fully-formed characters from the outset, the studio carefully structured the capture shoot to enable performers steady progression into their individual characters. This thoughtful scheduling emphasised moments that didn’t necessitate cast members to possess complete character knowledge, instead allowing performances to evolve naturally across the shooting timeline. By arranging the capture schedule around narrative progression rather than pure logistics, the development team fostered a setting where authenticity could flourish organically, with performers uncovering character complexity and emotional resonance as they embodied their roles over extended periods of ensemble effort.
This methodology demonstrated a more profound grasp of how performers tap into true emotional authenticity. Rather than applying fixed interpretative choices, Housemarque trusted its cast to find their distinctive styles through deep involvement and rehearsal. The strategy understood that character building is an evolving undertaking—one that is enhanced by duration, investigation, and the liberty to make mistakes without constraint. By prioritising early in the production with more experimental, dreamlike sequences, the studio gave Kohli and his acting colleagues room to explore and develop, ultimately creating performances that felt lived-in and convincingly human rather than mechanically executed.
Dreaming Patterns and Innate Progression
The creative crew chose to begin filming with dreamlike material, which needed less definitive characterisation than grounded narrative scenes. These dreamlike passages enabled performers to investigate emotional ranges and movement decisions without needing detailed character history knowledge. By tackling these unconventional, ethereal moments first, the ensemble could progressively develop knowledge of what their characters represented and what motivated them. This non-traditional approach meant actors weren’t weighed down with the pressure of immediately nailing character interpretations; instead, they could discover these elements organically through working together with their scene partners.
As production continued and the team moved toward scenes with greater narrative depth, the actors’ deepened comprehension of their characters enriched more layered performances. This gradual evolution mirrored how real performers build characters in classical theatre practice, where physical staging and character exploration deepen over time. By the time Kohli and his fellow cast members reached pivotal narrative moments, they held deep understanding of Arjun and his supporting cast—knowledge accumulated over weeks of inhabiting these fictional lives. The result was dialogue and emotional beats performed with authentic sincerity, anchored by authentic character understanding rather than outside instruction.
The Remarkable Instant That Changed Everything
Every remarkable character begins with a spark—sometimes from the most unlikely places. For Arjun Devraj, that spark didn’t originate in elaborate concept art or lengthy character briefs, but from something considerably more ordinary: Rahul Kohli’s everyday journey to work. The actor found himself stuck in traffic, irritated and worn out, when the seed of Arjun’s personality abruptly took shape. This moment of real human irritation served as the emotional foundation for the Soltari Enforcer, imbuing the character with an authenticity that transcended typical video game archetypes. What started as road rage developed into something far more compelling—a character defined by real frustration and genuine human experience rather than narrative convenience alone.
Housemarque acknowledged the value in this natural opportunity for creative exploration. Rather than imposing a predetermined character template, the studio enabled Kohli to channel that authentic frustration into his performance. This approach converted what could have been a standard military operative into someone with genuine emotional depth and relatable vulnerabilities. The congestion that frustrated Kohli became a pivotal creative moment, illustrating how lived experiences could inform fictional characters in unexpected and profoundly meaningful ways. It was a reminder that sometimes the best creative breakthroughs arise from genuine human experience rather than formal planning sessions.
Authenticity Rooted in Dissatisfaction
The idea that authentic character work originates in real emotional experience isn’t new to acting, yet it remains revolutionary in game development. Kohli’s revelation in traffic illustrated this principle effectively. Rather than building Arjun from a list of personality traits, the actor grounded the character in a real emotional state—frustration, impatience, and a sense of being trapped. This emotional groundwork gave Arjun a human quality that resonated far beyond the conventional stoic military archetype. Housemarque’s commitment to this non-traditional character-building method underscored their commitment to crafting genuinely human performances within their science-fiction narrative.
This technique also underscored a crucial distinction between motion-capture performance and traditional acting. Rather than banking purely on technical excellence or directorial guidance, Kohli’s defining achievement came from introspection and emotional honesty. The motion-capture environment, stripped of distractions and props, became the perfect space for channeling authentic human frustration into an extraterrestrial antagonist. By having faith in the actor to locate genuine emotion in surprising moments, Housemarque made room for performances that felt lived-in and deeply engaging, reshaping a fictional character into a figure that felt real to audiences.
Partnership and Devotion In the Background
The creation of Arjun Devraj constituted far more than a single actor’s performance; it was a collective undertaking that brought together multiple disciplines and creative minds. Housemarque’s development team collaborated extensively with Rahul Kohli throughout the performance capture process, creating an environment where creative experimentation could flourish. Director Paul J. Vogel’s documentary series, Finding Carcosa, captures this synergy beautifully, revealing how the technical systems of motion capture became secondary to the artistic vision at its core. The studio’s commitment to emphasising character-focused scenes early in production allowed the cast to shape their roles naturally, rather than forcing them into fixed character templates.
Behind every frame of Arjun’s alien enforcer lies countless hours of detailed work and artistic development. The motion-capture environment itself became a crucible where established acting approaches merged with cutting-edge technology, creating performances of exceptional credibility. Kohli’s journey from early doubt—admittedly experiencing discomfort in his capture suit—to full engagement in the character exemplified the dedication required for this innovative medium. The collaborative spirit between cast, director, and production team transformed what could have been a mere technical undertaking into a genuinely human artistic work that ultimately elevated Saros’s narrative ambitions.
- Performance capture stage free from equipment encouraged pure, emotionally honest acting
- Shooting order strategically organised to allow cast to settle into character roles gradually
- Troy Baker’s mentorship offered valuable perspective on motion-capture acting techniques
- Documentary series delivers unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to how characters were developed
- Technical calibration eventually faded, enabling actors to focus on genuine acting