Testing Virtual Production for Short Films

INDIE PROCESS TEST

BTS-THE PROCESS SO FAR

Why try this though?

On-set virtual production is quickly becoming a popular method for creating film set visuals that actors can interact with instead of using green screen. Yet, it is largely unavailable to super small scale indie productions and student films due to accessibility of tech and budget restraints. This exploration starts to ask the question

Can this method be scaled down?

Similarly, the technology for all types of virtual production is constantly improving and developing. The space surrounding this tech is exploratory and open-ended. This provides a great avenue for questions, challenges, and creative developments.

Lastly, this test set up much of the basis of my Masters Graduate Thesis on indie-scale virtual production, creative intuition in filmmaking, and exploratory technology for film- and overall media- makers.

Ask more about my (in-development) Thesis here.

  • BUILD & TEST IN UNREAL

    Both virtual sets were built using partially pre-made assets in Unreal Engine. Lighting, virtual-camera placement, and camera parameters were consulted on by the cinematographer.

  • BAREBONES SET UP

    The projector rig was very simple - this prioritized exploration of the basic technology and allowed for very quick set-up and tear-down.

  • EXPLORE THE SHOTS

    Most of the emphasis (and time) was spent on playing with the visuals and refining the shots. This produced helpful data to further the development of a “method” for this process going forward.

  • OUTPUT

    The final output of this process was a handful of “sample shots” that could be color graded and edited to get a sense of the realism available through the bare-bones tech.