A new, post-IBC, report from Futuresource Consulting shows that (on-set) virtual production (OSVP or VP), in-camera visual effects (ICVFX) and extended reality (XR) have passed through the “hype phase” and are about to enter the second stage of their development as more of the technology begins to reach a level of maturity; getting more refined and becoming more accessible.
The tech is becoming more stable and easier to use and the skills required to install, integrate and support systems are becoming less scarce. Clients are beginning to understand how shooting in an LED volume works and approach the idea of using it on their projects with less trepidation.
“Productions know they can save money using virtual production. The big shift in mindset is filmmakers are now thinking of the technology as a tool to create things they were previously unable to. The best results we see now stem from scripts written for the volume.
There were some misconceptions that the whole look would be controlled by a VP supervisor and VFX. But once cinematographers have experienced the workflow, they realise they retain complete creative control over the imagery.
Rob Payton, production specialist, ARRI Solutions
Systems are becoming more interoperable, technology is becoming more affordable and, after a bit of a wait, with the arrival of SMPTE ST2110, standards are beginning to appear. Colour accuracy is still an issue, but image-based lighting using indirect view RGBW LED panels is beginning to help to alleviate that problem. Kinoflo have taken this even further, packing an extra (warm) white light into their MIMIK RGBWW tiles.
“Traditional LED panels won’t light skin tones well, their Colour Rendering Index is basically zero in the pinks whereas with Kinoflo you can light costume and skin tone correctly because they afford a much more balanced colour profile. The difference is staggering when you see it in the flesh.”
Callum Buckley, Technical Consultant, CVP
With systems like Cuebric, generative AI, which has the potential to bring huge cost savings, is beginning to find a home in virtual production. Elsewhere, for example over at Electric Sheep, with Spotlight, machine learning-based technology is being used to replace people for rotoscoping. Other time-consuming, labour-intensive repetitive tasks will no doubt follow soon.
Mondatum offers advice, guidance and support to organisations who are making their first forays into virtual production or are experiencing technical or workflow problems with their current systems. Get in touch if you would like to start a conversation – contact@mondatum.com.
Source: IBC 365
Kinoflo image ℅ Visual Impact
Main image ℅ Media Borne