The marvel and the immeasurable possibilities of videography would never cease to amaze us. The 21st century has left us all wallowing in a creative space that a sizable use of technology in video production has engendered globally. From conventional gears to most technologically advanced ones, the nuances of videography are expanding like never before. Exploration of the benefits of virtual video production was stirred up further with the pandemic. And we are quite sure that we will keep on with such explorations even after the pandemic.
Achieving a seamless combination of physical and virtual elements with a suite of constantly updated tools, video production studios around the world are bringing their game to perfection. Virtual production has unleashed the possibilities of remote production and much more. Offering wider scope for creative decisions, more opportunities for innovation and unlimited potential for discovery every minute, virtual production has become the hottest present of video production and probably the hottest possibility in future too.
What is virtual video production?
Imagine you have to shoot a cafeteria sequence with Burj Khalifa in the background. But you are unable to set the shot at the actual location due to some production limitations. For decades in the past, this challenge was overcome by building a set for the cafe and shooting the sequence in the set with a green screen in the background. Later, the green screen will be replaced with the footage of Burj Khalifa. This technique is still relevant and the possibilities of it are still explored by leading video production studios in Dubai, like Creative Hive.
Traditionally, video production happens through processes broadly categorized under three consecutive stages: pre-production, production and post production. Virtual video production involves processes that have been laid out throughout these stages. It is fully amalgamated into the process of filming.
Virtual video production is an integration of CGI and visual effects. With a massive range of potential applications and possibilities, it is capable of doing the same and more of what has been done in the past using physical production. The uses of it are not limited to the film industry anymore. Much of the initial technological research and development of it comes from the field of gaming. Using high power graphic cards, camera tracking and virtual augmented reality, whatever is imaginable becomes possible to be present on screen.
Virtual production LED walls are revolutionizing the arena of video production. LED screens are being used as stately replacements for traditional green screens. Producing stunning visuals at the site, it uses a dynamic background to match the perspectives from the camera. Identifying that the future of video production is largely virtual, we, at Creative Hive Studios, are getting ready to offer our state of the art studio with an Unreal engine LED wall and are all set to be part of your video productions of all kinds.
The whole description might seem a bit technical and complicated, but it is undeniable that the use of these technologies are making the complicated process of film making simpler than ever. Among the evident reasons to make use of virtual video production are its economic benefits and its ability to surpass the limitations of the physical reality and setting.
Why virtual production?
- Cost effective: Everything happens in a controlled environment. Planning and executing a budget friendly shoot becomes easy with virtual production. It saves the time and effort in travelling to and setting up physical locations. Additionally, saving the crew from the variables of lighting, weather and other elements, shooting has never been more pocket friendly.
- Performances become more natural: The LED screen displays the entire virtual world, immersing the actors in a virtual reality and thus facilitating natural responses from them.
- Safety: In the face of the global pandemic, creating virtual production permits video creation in controlled environments, limiting the members of the crew and the efficient use of available resources.
- Sustainability: Avoiding unnecessary transportation of people and other technical resources, as well as preventing the setting up of elaborate shooting sets, virtual production is sustainable in nature.
With powerful real time 3D creation tools like Unreal Engine, this combination of virtual filmmaking tactics make up a good share of what we see in movies, television and in advertisements today. The VFX creation of the backgrounds are made even before the scene is shot. The ability to combine live footage and computer graphics facilitates the visualization of the scenes in the pre production stage.
Most importantly, virtual video production offers unending possibilities for creativity. Scheduling and execution of a particular shot that was earlier dictated by variable factors like weather and daylight, can now be thoroughly flexible as per the wish of the producer. With the revolution of virtual production, it has become a lot easier to bring the creative vision of the director on screen.