In collaboration with Epic Games, Director Jon Favreau and his crew built a virtual set using LED screens. By combining real time render on Unreal Engine and video wall technology, the crew was able to create numerous backdrops for the world of Star Wars.
Generated by powerful GPUs, these photorealistic 3D backdrops were projected on the LED video wall while actors acted on set. Real time rendering made it possible for this virtual set to change based on the movements and settings of the camera. If the camera tilts up, for example, the 3D background alters just as if it were a real scene.
Production used to rely on real sets that were labor intensive to build, or on locations that required permits and extensive travel to get to. As an alternative, green screens, also known as chroma keying, was invented in the 1940s to incorporate CGI backgrounds and special effects. But because these production methods are expensive, only movies and shows with big Hollywood budgets could afford to do so.
Virtual production significantly reduces the cost and time needed to make high quality content, and this industry-grade technology has the potential to transform how everything else is made. We have started to see this in independent documentaries and films — projects that previously could not afford building a set can now have access to scenes shot virtually.
At Whitebalance, we work with companies that produce content alongside independent creators, often professionals in their respective fields including education, healthcare, engineering and more. Because of remote work, these creator-professionals are distributed all across the country and the world. An edu-creator or teacher might want to make video courses for a platform, but the only available place to film content at home is the bedroom. Advances in virtual production technology mean that it is now possible to render a new 3D background, like a classroom, a research lab, or a workspace relevant to the subject matter of the video.
We are excited to bring industry-grade tools to every day creators, so that anyone can produce beautiful content from anywhere in the world. We are inviting creators to help us craft this vision. Join us!
We’re inviting 1000 early access users to help us build the future of virtual production. Join the waitlist.
