Virtual Production: The Future of the Entertainment Industry
Through virtual production, the entertainment industry can create immersive sets that don’t require massive post production efforts. The technology for virtual production is new, but it’s quickly revolutionizing the way the entertainment industry operates. But because it’s so new, there’s a large need for individuals that are trained in how to use this technology and understand how it impacts a production from a creative or technical standpoint. RIT Certified and Synapse Virtual Production have worked together to create an immersive 10-day course on set in the Synapse studios in LA this June that will give students the chance to have hands-on experience and prepare them to immediately start working on set with this exciting technology.
Virtual Production’s Impact
Virtual production involves the use of an LED Volume as a backdrop on set, which allows the filmmakers to shoot in any location without the cost of travel or the bounds of reality. The LED Volume technology used on today’s virtual production sets became popular after it was used to film the hit Disney+ show The Mandalorian. In that show, the titular character spends much of his time wearing a chrome helmet, which created an issue since there would be reflections of the world around him. That meant that if they shot on a greenscreen, extra post production time would have to be dedicated to removing the real reflections and adding in what would actually be there in the real world.
So the filmmakers on The Mandalorian created a new technology that they named the Volume – a large LED screen powered by Unreal Engine gaming software to bring in the computer generated backdrops that would normally be added in post production. This meant that during filming, the set looked like the fictional worlds the characters were walking through, and the reflection issue, along with a host of other problems created by working in completely CG worlds, were eliminated. Virtual production caught on quickly with others in the entertainment industry, and now there are LED Volumes around the world, including at Synapse studios in Los Angeles.
Along with creating an immersive environment to shoot fictional worlds on, virtual production also has the ability to mimic real world locations. While many filmmakers would prefer to work on location, LED Volumes don’t present the same challenges as shooting in real locations do. There’s no need to plan around a weather forecast or wait for golden hour to get the perfect lighting — all of the ideal conditions for a shoot can be created in a controlled environment to keep productions on track for their timelines and their budgets.
Investing in Education
There’s a demand for filmmakers in a variety of roles on set who have an understanding of how virtual production works and an even greater demand for those who have hands-on experience with it. This emerging technology is constantly becoming better, and that’s why it’s the perfect time to learn about it and make yourself an asset on set by diving into the world of virtual production. From its inception, virtual production has already made major technological improvements. For example, on The Mandalorian, the Volume was loud and made it impossible to record live audio, which worked for their production since audio was largely recorded using ADR. However, technological advancements have solved the noise issue, and now live audio can be recorded on many LED Volumes. By gaining an understanding of how this technology functions at a base level, you’ll be able to continue to understand the changes made as this technology continues to develop and will make you an asset on set now and in the future.
Interested in Learning More?
Two of the developers of RIT Certified’s Virtual Production course, Synapse COO Aaron Gordon and RIT MAGIC Center Director David Long, have been discussing how this technology works and how it has impacted the entertainment industry. This former student-professor duo have appeared on VP Land Podcast to discuss the virtual production industry and how they became a part of it. RIT Certified’s Director of Business Development and Community Partnerships, Alex Winslow, also hosted a webinar where they discussed the future of virtual production and where this technology can take the entertainment industry.