Friend of Mondatum and man about town Dan Edmonds is ICVFX Account Manager at LED Screen rental company Universal Pixels. He recently spoke to TVB Europe about how UniPix have been helping on some of the UK’s most recent virtual production projects. Their credits include Good Omens, The Crown, The Man Who Fell to Earth and Sam Mendes’ Empire of the Light.
Most recently they have worked on BBC drama Better. For “high-end vehicle / driving scene playback” they used ROE LED panels to create three walls and a ceiling, with processing handled with Brompton Technology’s sx40’s and playback via disguise GX2c media servers, all fully genlocked.
“We have tried and tested this particular solution many times now, and understand both the limits and the advantages of the system. This is particularly important when it comes to time-critical TV shoots, as it means there will be less change over time. Plus, if the DOP does want to make a change, we can do so easily and be confident in the results.
We were working with multiple actors, some of whom are non-drivers We also had to consider the weather (as we filmed in Yorkshire!) and the time constraints that we were dealing with meant we had to work quickly and efficiently.
The scenes were actually split over two different directors. This meant that once everyone in the room had become familiar with the workflow and how best to get the shots required, the next day, we had to do so again! However, this was achieved pretty seamlessly and the outcome on screen was great”
Dan Edmonds, ICVFX Account Manager, Universal Pixels
We’re going to see a subtle evolution in the way ICVFX are used over the next 12-18 months, with the arrival of more large-scale volume stages and the use of LED and projection for background.
“For example, a smaller LED screen outside of a window is cost-effective and means that instead of a static image, the weather or trees can possess a little movement. The time of day can also change within the shot.
More image-based lighting will be used for real-time reflections, especially on traditional green screen shoots. As a company at the forefront of investment in technological innovation, we are excited to be involved with new products that can use LED as a traditional light- and not have the issues that can arise with current LED options when it comes to realistic skin tones.”
Dan Edmonds, ICVFX Account Manager, Universal Pixels
If you would like to investigate the use of virtual production and ICVFX technology on your projects, we and UniPix can offer a comprehensive consultancy and rental service and would be happy to assist. For an initial chat, contact John Rowe (john@mondatum.com) or Colin Birch (colin@mondatum.com) or visit the Contact Us page on the Mondatum website.
Source: TVB Europe