Virtual production is fundamentally a way to create an illusion to tell a story. Innovation and progress within this field means developing methods to create these illusions more easily and effectively, helping make the story feel more convincing.
The rise of virtual production
At first glance, virtual production can seem like a complex tool requiring training and skill development. It can be considered too expensive, resource-intensive, and ultimately time-consuming. However, thanks to recent advancements in technology, this is no longer the case.
Virtual production has never been more accessible or provided so many options to create engaging content and entertain a wide variety of audiences, achieving Hollywood-style results without the Hollywood-style price tag.
The focus of virtual production technology has shifted to bringing tools directly to the creators, rather than using a go-between. This is no longer restricted to the elite of the creative industry. Immersive content can be made from beginning to end from the comfort of your living room.
Software that is continuously supported and developed is the most effective way to help content creators. It allows us to alter the way people perceive the versatility of the technology as well as the accessibility, rather than being restricted to expensive hardware, enabling it to enter the consumer market.
Making the most of virtual production with the bare minimum
The rise of virtual production software has enabled filmmakers to fully utilize virtual production technology with the bare minimum of everything–budget, resources, and time.
Right now, the basic set-up should take less than an hour, and consist of:
- A screen: a 4KTV or projector
- A recording device, smartphone(s) or GoPro(s)
- Virtual production software
For a complete beginner, software exists where there are no requirements in experience or skill level to use it efficiently, and to its fullest capability. Independent filmmakers can pick up and start shooting on first use. There is an ever-increasing selection of products, including the technology used by Hollywood production companies themselves, all available in the consumer market.
For example, the software we use at ARwall is used in multiple large-scale productions, with companies such as Netflix and Disney. This technology is easily available on the consumer market, enabling the delivery of blockbuster results, without the blockbuster price tag.
Accessibility, useability and the user experience
These technological advancements have not only raised the bar on the possibilities of content creation, they’ve lowered the industry entrance requirements, encouraging a more innovative and creative environment from a far wider pool of talent.
As individuals with no 3D design experience are now able to use technology with real-time rendering and compositing, virtual production is swiftly becoming an essential part of a content creator’s toolkit, regardless of skill level.
A lot of discussion goes into whether the illusion and effects are convincing and as a company we’re of course dedicated to that, but the focus should also be on making virtual production an easier process to accomplish and control. Any creator’s ultimate goal should be to achieve an aesthetic that is both compelling and unattainable without this technology.
Most importantly, the software should be user intuitive, requiring little to no training. Easy means one person being able to set up, shoot and act by themselves. Some of the benefits of this type of software, compared to on-location or physical set shooting, is less downtime, less company moves and sometimes the complete elimination of a set construction team from the production.
Virtual production is, in particular, critical to the success of independent filmmakers and studios due to the sheer number of obstacles it removes–budget, resources and time. It can be integrated in the whole production pipeline and the impact on the project can be tremendous, shaving days off the schedule.
These capabilities can also attract celebrity talent to your production–a huge challenge faced by independent filmmakers and studios–due to the ease and limited time involved in shooting. If you’re set up and running within 40 minutes, close to the actor’s home, it’s far more convenient and an all-round better experience.
The future for independent filmmakers
In my opinion, the future for independent filmmakers is, quite simply, unknown. The rapid adoption of real-time graphics, deepfakes, AI and more makes this an impossible scenario to predict, it’s going to be determined by those actually creating the content, now and in the immediate years to come,
Thanks to the rapid rise of digitalization, the new generation has been exposed to more obvious market competition, particularly online, such as ‘streaming wars’ than previous generations. This has produced a brand new type of filmmaker with more creative freedom, at an independent level, than ever before.
These independent creators produce immense amounts of content in many formats, from short opinion based videos to product reviews, and live streams of gaming. This can come from anyone, anywhere, regardless of their experience level.
Established independent content creators and streamers have the ability to instantly reach millions of people online through activities such as live streaming, and this type of audience engagement is only set to grow with the increase of digital performances and animated content from well-known artists on popular online platforms.
There are many stories out there that have been considered unshootable for a variety of reasons, and I think we could begin to see filmmakers tackling these in new, popular ways. Independent filmmakers tend to have an almost uncanny ability to understand their audiences and relate their stories to the plights of the everyday person in a respectful way.
To find out more about ARwall, the XR technology company that builds award-winning solutions to shake entire industries, visit https://arwall.co/.
Rene boasts 24 years of experience with 16 startups, starting young working for his parent’s startups in silicon valley. He’s also directed over 350 commercials, short films, and pilots; primarily as co-founder and creative director for 8 years at digital agency Automaton Creative. Most recently as co-founder at ARwall, Rene won the SXSW Accelerator 2018 AR/VR category pitch, has been acknowledged as a top AR tech evangelist in Hollywood, and designed the first ARwall Lab in Burbank.
