The Advantages of Virtual Production

Virtual production gives the director complete control, from using xR technology to build infinitely detailed and beautiful worlds to the more pragmatic benefits of budget predictability and planning clarity.

FREMONT, CA: Traditionally, film production has been divided into discrete, sequential phases: sequences are storyboarded, actors are filmed on set, on location, or green screen, and post-production begins after filming is complete.

On the other hand, virtual production is prevalent throughout the process, from pre-production to post-production, and is fully incorporated into filmmaking.

With most of the research and development for this technology coming from the gaming industry, filmmakers may now create effects and environments using game engines. Filmmakers have the technology to connect the digital and physical worlds using high-performance graphics cards, camera tracking, and virtual and augmented reality.

Natural scene illumination: Green screens require specific lighting conditions to function correctly; however, this severely limits the lighting available in every scene filmed with the technology. It's nearly impossible to film dim, moody moments on a green screen, so more work must be done in post-production to achieve the intended impression.

With virtual production, the ambient light from the LED panels automatically creates the perfect illumination, giving the scenario a realistic feel and removing the need for additional post-production labor.

Complete creative control: Virtual production within an LED volume eliminates the need for stylistic compromises on features such as haircuts, costumes, and props. This provides filmmakers and their teams' with complete creative control over the appearance of objects in the picture, without paying for post-production corrections due to color, pattern, loose hair, or green spill.

Complete control over the environment: Photogrammetric and 3D scanning allow for the virtualization of real-world sets and settings, allowing the filmmaker to construct any scene he or she desires. Then, using gaming engines, it's possible to change the terrain and relocate trees, buildings, and mountains or maintain a perpetual twilight.

Creation of virtual worlds: Virtual production allows for the replication of natural environments in the studio, but it may also be used in conjunction with extended reality (xR) technology to create a 360-degree environment that accurately replicates the natural world. Integrating the LED screen with the camera makes it possible to construct entire worlds from a single-stage scenario.

Encouragement of spontaneous performances: When actors perform in front of an LED screen depicting an entirely virtual environment, they can react to their surroundings as if they were real, as they are engaged in that reality. Additionally, this provides natural sightlines to objects, scenery, and happenings on the set and the possibility for performers to react spontaneously rather than according to what they have been informed will occur on the set.