What Does A Virtual Production Studio Look Like?

Development / Pre-Production

The creative team develops storyboards and early visualizations of the virtual world during the pre-production or development phase in virtual production studios. They construct a three-dimensional virtual environment that mimics the real-world setting in which the film will be shot using different pre-visualization technologies like Unreal Engine. Everything from the setting to the furniture and the performers themselves is simulated here.

Previs, or previsualization, is a 3D technical service used in the pre-production stage of filmmaking projects, which enables the production team to visualize and plan complex scenes before actual shooting begins. This process focuses on technical aspects of shots, such as camera movements and shot composition, rather than aesthetic details or narrative flow. Basically, previs serves as a blueprint for directors and producers, which ensures efficient on-set work by allowing them to compare shot-by-shot against the previsualization to achieve the desired outcome.

Production

While producing a virtual film, the filmmakers often utilize both live-action footage and virtual sets to get the desired effect. The virtual set is shown on a backdrop LED wall or projection screen in real-time using a rendering engine. Actors perform in front of this screen as cameras and motion-capture technology record their every movement.

By using camera tracking equipment, such as HTC VIVE Mars, Vicon, or Mosys, shooting position and movement in the physical world are captured then inputs into the real-time rendering engine for synchronization. The director and cinematographer can see their work as it progresses and make corrections as needed. The virtual production workflow streamlines the production process and saves money by reducing the need for time-consuming post-production techniques like green screen keying and compositing.

Post-Production

The crew performs the final cuts, color grading, and sound design during post-production in virtual production studios. With virtual production technology, the majority of post-editing work is done during the production; only final touches, such as adding VFX components would be required at this point. The completed product is rendered and then exported for auction.

Visualization

Pitchvis helps secure funding or greenlight a project by providing a trailer or signature sequences to convey the filmmakers' creative vision. Previs is the most common form of visualization and allows filmmakers to experiment with staging and art direction options before production, using 3D animation virtual production software. Virtual scouting creates a completely digital version of a location or sets to plan out shots and avoid creating unnecessary assets.

Techvis combines virtual elements with real-world equipment to plan shots and combines already captured footage with virtual assets. At the same time, stuntvis is used to plan and choreograph stunt work with real-world physics simulation. Finally, postvis involves merging live-action elements with temporary visual effects or creating new CG shots to provide placeholders for editorial, serving as a visual communication tool for the director and editor.

Performance Capture

In a virtual production studio, performance capture can be used on a traditional set or on a specially designed stage called a volume for entirely animated films. Remember that facial capture and full-body animation are two forms of performance capture. Further, examples of movie performance capture are Tarkin in Rogue One, Avatar, and the Planet of the Apes series.

In-Camera Virtual Production

Compared to rear projection and green screen cinematography, live LED projection creates perfectly synchronized parallax to the camera, which makes distinguishing between live action and the screen difficult. This breakthrough has been used by virtual production studios in recent projects, like Oblivion, Murder on the Orient Express, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and First Man.