An animation studio who worked on Doctor Who is offering Sheffielders the chance to be a non-playing character in a video game – and pocket £40 for 10 minutes’ work.

Ten24 Studio have been running The Sapiens Project at Orchard Square in the city centre, having taken over its first shop unit last month.

Ten24, who are running the project, have created scans used for VFX effects for films and TV shows such as Kingsman: The Secret Service and Merlin, as well as for video games including Halo 4. 

Participants undertake 11 different facial expressions, with the objective of the project being to “enhance human-machine interfaces in fields like medical technology, robotics, transport, and customer service,” as well as to “diversify characters in games.”

The expressions cover a range of human emotions, such as sadness, shock and frustration, with some examples featured as models in the lobby.

Those taking part must be aged 18 or over, be fully shaven and have no piercings, headwear or makeup. 

Participants have reported mixed feedback from the project, with one describing it as “rewarding,” whilst others have described it as “very strange.”

Ellis Volpe, 18, of Endcliffe, said: “I found the Sapiens Project quite rewarding. I was unsure at first but after reading about what they can and can’t do with my data, I decided to go ahead with it. 

“It took 10 minutes in and out and I left with £40 cash in hand which is very useful for a uni student like me.”

However, Tom Lord, 19, of Crookesmoor, said: “I found the experience really different to anything I had ever done before. 

“It was also very strange having to sit in a small room with 71 cameras around you, having to pull weird faces in front of a person you don’t know.”

Upon entering, those taking part must sign a model release form, allowing the scans to be used “byTen24 or its licensees in any and all Media, for any purpose,” except “for creating sexually explicit content and for government or state surveillance”.

Participants must then change into a grey vest and bald cap, before taking part in the scan and receiving a £40 cash compensation fee for their time. 

To take part, you can click here to book your appointment.

I Sold my Soul for a Nando’s and a pint – my experience taking part in The Sapiens Project

The offer of £40 for ten minutes of work would be appealing to most people, but the offer of £40 to a uni student seven weeks into term almost sounded too good to be true, writes Shrey Chandarana.

However, The Sapiens Project are really offering £40 to any individual aged 18 or over, who are willing to remove any piercings, fully shave their face, and forgo their dignity by changing into a tight grey tank top and a bald cap. 

The experience started with an ID check, to ensure you were aged over 18 and that you weren’t a repeat customer. The checks were relatively stringent; a woman, ahead of us in the queue, had piercings in and was unable to take part. 

This then led to the signing of a ‘Model Release Form,’ which essentially signed the rights to your face away for any project Ten24, the company running the project, saw fit, although with the reassurance that this didn’t include “sexually explicit content and/or for government or state surveillance.”

Safe in the knowledge that the scan of my face wouldn’t be uploaded directly to Keir Starmer’s computer, we were then instructed to change our clothes. The host pulled out a tight grey tank top and then applied a bald cap to our heads.

Looking like a mix between a wannabe person trainer and a Pitbull superfan who got lost on the way to his gig, we then ended up in a room that had over 70 cameras, all arranged with you in the centre. 

A new host took you through the necessary poses. The first? “Close your eyes and open your mouth. Wider. As wide as you can.” Not the best start. 

Nevertheless, the rest of the poses passed without too much effort. Scared. Laughing. Happy. Sad. Frustrated. It was all done within about 5 minutes. 

One signature later, your face was signed away, and you were handed two £20 notes, one of which, for me at least, went straight on a plate of food at Nando’s.