For years, dual roles have been played largely for laughs. Think of Adam Sandler's Razzie-sweeping twin turn in Jack and Jill, or Lisa Kudrow as both Phoebe and Ursula Buffay on Friends. Eddie Murphy was always particularly prolific, his most multiplicitous performance as a clutch of Klumps for Nutty Professor II. There are exceptions, of course. But for every Legend or The Prestige there are ten Austin Powers, Bowfingers and – shudder – Norbits.

Oscar-winning creative studio Framestore and Bournemouth University are seeking two research fellows to help drive forward the future of visual effects. Joining the Faculty of Media and Communications' Centre for Applied Creative Technologies (CfACTs) and gaining access to Framestore's world-leading teams, tech and software, the selected candidates will embark on two-year research programmes to help solve key problems facing the VFX industry. Manne Öhrström, Framestore's Global Head of Software VFX, said: "Framestore's Technology & Research Team comprises a diverse melting pot of computer scientists, engineers and physicists who are always striving for innovative solutions to take the company's work to the next level. This is a group of gifted technologists wholly focused on the industry's future, and the work they do impacts every aspect of Framestore's business. The potential for using machine learning in areas like lighting and rendering is huge, and we can't wait to welcome two new research fellows to the team – we're sure that their work will prove absolutely invaluable."