Example implementations provide the representation a remote user in a video-mediated meeting when the user webcam feed is not available or not used, such as if they are attending to a meeting via a wearable device without a camera, or are on-the-go and prefer not to display their webcam feed for privacy or bandwidth-related reasons. In such cases, the system will infer when the user is active in the meeting and allow users to select to display an animated set of keyframes (from past meetings or representing computer-based activity) as a proxy for the user representation. Example implementations may facilitate a richer representation of a meeting participant (as opposed to a static picture or no information) and may lead to enhanced social dynamics within the meeting.