THE FUTURE IS VIRTUAL
Whether you’re a 3D artist, VFX professional, filmmaker or student, you can’t go far these days without hearing the words ‘virtual production’. Studios and creators are constantly telling us that virtual production is revolutionising filmmaking, but what does it mean? What tools and techniques does it utilise? And, perhaps most importantly, why is it important to the 3D community at large? Will these high-end techniques become democratised? To answer these questions 3D World spoke to three very different creators, each using virtual production in unique ways.
Satore Studio, masters of visual design and immersive experiences, created a unique workflow using virtual production. Film director and founder of Unlimited Motion Ltd. Ryan Garry is utilising virtual production techniques to create the world’s first micro-budget motion capture feature film. Finally, innovative production studio Flipbook is perfectly placed to tell 3D World about the use of real-time engines and virtual production in the future of film and TV production.
WHAT IS VIRTUAL PRODUCTION?
Put simply, virtual production is the process of mixing traditional live-action filmmaking with computer graphics in real time. It means that filmmakers can see or interact with digital elements in-camera and on set and it encompasses a wide range of cutting-edge technology, from the huge LED screen used to transport audiences to a galaxy far, far away in The Mandalorian to the VR hardware that brought Disney’s The Lion King to life.
“The term is used very loosely at the moment,” explains Tupac Martir, founder and creative director of
