The future is Unreal:
Virtual Production
Contemporary film practice

Ravensbourne University 2022

Virtual Production
In-camera VFX
Combining digital assets – rendered
in real-time in a game engine – and
physical elements (set, lights, actors)
into the final image/output.

Virtual Production = LIVE IN-CAMERA VFX
https://youtu.be/iw96ZN6e9vw

https://youtu.be/gUnxzVOs3rk?t=217

Extended definition example:
https://youtu.be/NbVUTx4fHuE?t=4

https://youtu.be/7TavVZMewpY?t=6

How it started and why?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUnxzVOs3rk

Virtual Production vs green screen

Perspective change - tracking camera
• 3-D assets
• Camera tracking
• Photorealistic renders
• Real-time rendering

Industry
Collaboration

Career Training in Collaboration with
Industry

Identify skills
requirements of the
(studio) workforce

Address skills shortages

Up-skilling & reskilling

New skillsets

"There are a range of serious
issues facing industry related to
the lack of crew available (skills
shortage) and the lack of
experience and skills among crew
who are available (skills gap)."
ScreenSkills Workforce Research
in High-End TV Production 22/23

"The wider shortages have a
noted impact on virtual
production where skills in the
new technologies are already in
short supply."
Story Futures Virtual Production
Skills Report 2023

Convergen
ce
Interaction

VP Studio Complexity

Intermedial
ity

Parallelisat
ion

Intermediality
Definition:
“The simulation or realisation of conventions and patterns of perception of one
medium in another."
Christopher B. Balme (2004)
Intermediality: Rethinking the Relationship between Theatre and Media 1

Example: Lighting

Source: Epic Games

Example: Lighting
Gaffer (Chief Lighting Technician)

Stage Gaffer

Virtual Gaffer
Source: Epic Games

Impact on Studio Practice

Impact on Studio Practice
• Image Control:
colour accuracy between media

Impact on Studio Practice
• Image Control:
colour accuracy between media
• Limited Creative Range:
stage work vs. virtual asset

Impact on Studio Practice
• Image Control:
colour accuracy between media
• Limited Creative Range:
stage work vs. virtual asset
• Photorealism:
film vs. game
conventions of perception

Example:
Art Department

Source: Epic Games

Example:
Art Department
Production Designer
Art Director

Virtual
Art Department
(VAD)
Source: Epic Games

Impact on
Traditional
Roles?

Parallelisation
"Interactive collaboration between departments in a non-linear pipeline"
Ed Thomas
Head of RT & VP, Dimension Studio

Dev.
prod.

Pre-prod.

Production

Post-

Dev.
prod.

Pre-prod.

Production

Post-

Behind the scenes of 1899
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMynJCgJIQk

Hybrid Workforce
New roles

Existing Roles (Games/VFX)

Existing Roles (Film)

Hybrid Workforce
New roles

Existing Roles (Games/VFX)

Existing Roles (Film)

Unreal Engine operator

Real-time/Unreal artist

Director of Photography

Volume technician

Motion capture supervisor

Gaffer

LED engineer

Video engineers

Production designer

VP supervisor

Systems administrator

Colourist

System technical director

Lighting TD/virtual gaffer

Real-time compositor

VP visualisation supervisor

Virtual art department

DIT/Data manager

Developments & challenges
•Evolving technology and workflows
•Skills, training and the role of the studio
•Cost and accessibility of technology and computational requirements
•Sustainability and carbon footprint
•Roles and workflows at risk (construction crews, location work & crew)
•Virtual set and performance/acting
•Visual "quality", audience expectation and the "spectacle" of VP