Virtual Production Explained — Is This The End of the Green Screen?

What is Virtual Production — an introduction to the latest filmmaking technology, including how virtual production works, the pros and cons, and why it may be here to stay.

─────────────────────

Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction to Virtual Production
01:03 - History of Virtual Production
03:46 - Chapter 1: How It Works
06:42 - Chapter 2: Built-In Lighting
09:50 - Chapter 3: Flexible Locations
13:46 - Takeaways

─────────────────────

VIRTUAL PRODUCTION EXPLAINED

If you’ve been paying attention to current filmmaking technology and techniques, you’ve likely heard of virtual production. On shows like The Mandalorian and films like The Batman, virtual production seems to be the next big thing in how projects are shot. But how does virtual production work, and is it really the wave of the future or just another Hollywood tech fad? In this video, we will dive into these topics as we explore the pros and cons of virtual production in film and TV.

WHAT IS VIRTUAL PRODUCTION

In short, virtual production is a broad term in which live-action and virtual elements are captured simultaneously. To explain how virtual production works, we need a quick lesson in film history. For decades, filmmakers have “cheated” backgrounds with techniques like rear and front projection. Then green and blue screen technology became the dominant way to composite real foregrounds with fake backgrounds in a process called “keying.”

But all of those technologies have drawbacks. Virtual production is something of a hybrid between the projection and keying systems of the past, with improvements in both. Let’s discuss how virtual production works.

HOW VIRTUAL PRODUCTION WORKS

The most common virtual production setup these days is a set surrounded and covered by LED walls. On these screens, any background can be shown. Usually, these are CG backgrounds created by software like Unreal Engine, mostly known for creating video game environments. One thing missing from the original rear- and front-projection systems was something called parallax — when background elements move according to the camera's movement. But in a virtual production setup, the camera has trackers that connect its position to the background software, effectively eliminating this parallax problem.

THE PROS AND CONS OF VIRTUAL PRODUCTION

Virtual production benefits film and TV productions in a few ways. The lighting emitted from the LED walls matches the scenes exactly. The production can switch “locations” easily. The actors have an environment around them instead of a blank green void. Atmospherics like rain or smoke can be captured live on set. And as mentioned, it solves the parallax issue.

But there are drawbacks to virtual production as well. To shoot on a soundstage with a full virtual production setup like The Mandalorian is highly expensive. Low-budget alternatives are emerging, however. Even though realistic parallax is possible, the camera movement is still limited to the confines of the set. At the moment, direct hard sunlight is hard to capture realistically, which limits most exterior settings to darker or overcast conditions.

So, that is a quick introduction to how virtual production works. It solves a lot of problems in film and TV production, but it doesn’t solve them all.

#FilmTheory #VideoEssay #Filmmaking

─────────────────────

♬ SONGS USED:

“Nonplus” by Makeup and Vanity Set
“Royal Blue” by Makeup and Vanity Set
“Reborn” by Bradford Nyght
“Quantum IV” by Makeup and Vanity Set
“Only Fire” by Makeup and Vanity Set
“Crush” by Makeup and Vanity Set
“The Garden” by Makeup and Vanity Set
“The Marshal’s Tale” by Ludwig Goransson
“Get The Child” by Ludwig Goransson
“Invaders on Their Land” by Ludwig Goransson
“The Journey Begins” by John Williams
“Discovery” by Makeup and Vanity Set
“Mando is Back” by Ludwig Goransson
“The Batman” by Michael Giacchino
“Tannhäuser Gate” by Makeup and Vanity Set
“A Thousand Years” by Ludwig Goransson
“Great Leader Has Fallen” by Makeup and Vanity Set
“Legends Never Die” by Timbr

─────────────────────

— Join us on Social Media! —

[StudioBinder]

Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction to Virtual Production
01:03 - History of Virtual Production
03:46 - Chapter 1: How It Works
06:42 - Chapter 2: Built-In Lighting
09:50 - Chapter 3: Flexible Locations
13:46 - Takeaways

[Korcsmaros]

I studied filmmaking in a university, but I learn filmmaking from StudioBinder.

[art-oen]

As an actor/writer/director myself, I love the real location more than anything just because it's an adventure in itself to engage with the real environment.

[jackgeneium]

The Footage, the production, the montage, the topics... BREATHTAKING! Thank you very much dear Studiobinder Team for constantly providing us with such detailed and high qualitative content! Keep up the good work! Much love to you all and everyone reading this comment. May you achieve anything you envision! <3

[krissyskitchen]

The natural lights and reflections from the led screens are really nice, also how the environment can be updated in real time.

[TheWrathfulSlayer]

StudioBinder is literally like Film school except in forms of informative videos that go really in-depth and show the process of filmmaking!!

[ResoluteGryphon]

I think Virtual Production will lead to better stories too. It requires much more pre-production work, which means directors must have clear intention BEFORE they start filming.

So many of today's films are shot on a green screen without a clear idea of what the scene is going to look like. "Doesn't matter. We'll fix it in Post." CGI artists and editors are left polishing a turd; the former often getting blamed for a movie's failure at the box-office.

[BeProductions]

My favorite new invention in film production, it’s really exciting to be around in such a important change to the whole industry.

[laveyanist]

this Virtual Production is absolutely going to lead to some huge revolutions in filmmaking and I'm excited to see how it develops. Definitely not the end of the green screen, since it has the lighting and flexibility of post-production issues, but certainly a powerful tool in the right film crew's hands.

[burbex]

The Mandolorian’s epic set pieces are really a step forward in immersive sci-fi

[meganmurderpint]

My husband recently did a virtual production project. I don’t know a ton about it but I do know he REALLY enjoyed working on it. Can’t wait for it to be released!

[TheWrathfulSlayer]

What I like about virtual production is the realism it brings whenever the audience is watching and that it feels like the actors are actually in a setting when in reality they are on a stage!!

[donhendricks]

If I"m gasping it's because this just took my breath away. Oh the possibilities. Bravo StudioBinder! With love from Atlanta.

[MrMejia]

Really really excited to see where it goes. Only 10 years and it's already staggeringly marvelous.

[andrewreynolds]

The mandalorian was the first series at least to ever use back ground TV led screens than green, and it was absolutely game changing

[_Adrian_Llarena_]

Virtual production is basically a combination of practical effects and special effects. I love how they came up with this idea. The scenes looks more realistic. With this innovation, the actors are not anymore limited as to what colors they should wear or not, which is a major problem in using a green screen/blue screen/chroma keying.

[toptrends]

Been waiting for this. Thank you for the awesome explanation.

[TheBrokeGeek]

Loved how they used a clip from 'Thor: Love and Thunder' - I was on that set! Seeing the background shift to create parallax was trippy! 😂

[y_fam_goeglyd]

That tech is outstanding. It's so much more realistic. The old rear projection looked bad on our old CRT TV screen when I was a kid, eh hem years ago lol, and it's just as bad on my small tablet screen. But the new tech - wow!
Thank you for explaining it so well. I'd heard bits about it but now I feel more like I can thoroughly appreciate it.

[stephenwilliams]

James Cameron has a history of innovation and development that places him at the forefront of people who have pushed the industry forward. He has never allowed himself to be constrained by existing technology. It will be, perhaps, his greatest legacy.