Virtual production has taken off around the world as filmmakers begin to take notice of the game-changing impact it can have on their projects—allowing for improved collaboration on set and many more benefits. As demand for talented VP crews grows, disguise continues to expand their Virtual Production Accelerator program, designed to empower a new generation of creatives looking to make their mark in this new method of filmmaking. When they launched the program, disguise gathered a panel of experts from across the industry to discuss the future of virtual production. These were the five opportunities that young filmmakers can take away from the group’s conversation:
- Virtual production brings evolution to traditional content production
Leaps forward in technology, and limitations brought about by the pandemic have significantly accelerated industry adoption of virtual production in the past two years. While this is fantastic for the range of options available to producers now, it has also led to a division in the industry. Nick Rivero, co-founder of creative and technical virtual production specialists Meptik says that when it comes to recognizing the benefits of virtual production “there are people who do know, and there are people who have no clue, and there’s a huge chasm between the two.”
This presents a challenge—Rivero notes that Meptik find themselves educating many of their clients to show them the benefits of virtual production. But it also means that there are still a lot of opportunities for young talent in the industry to become experts in their field and make a name for themselves as awareness continues to grow. Traditional film and episodic production are already benefiting from the efficiencies provided by virtual production. This new industry is well suited to add more capability in the hands of studios and storytellers alike.
- Capable workflow for effective storytelling
One of the biggest differences between traditional and virtual production is in the process itself. Virtual production offers crews a significant amount of flexibility on set, but filmmakers need to acknowledge that preparation is key. Sean Spitzer, Virtual Production Senior Instructor at Epic Games, explains that productions looking to make the most of Unreal Engine need to know in advance exactly what they’re going to do, because that’s going to save so much time on the back end.
Virtual Production Supervisor Kathryn Brillhart says that she sees her role as being about the client experience: doing the preparation that helps a Director get their ideas out. Identifying the different backgrounds on set and preparing in a way that takes these into account allows her to build custom client experiences that make everything easier. “Those are the ones that function the best,” she says.
By emphasizing the front end of the production process, and making more creative decisions up front, virtual production can then allow more flexibility and creative tinkering during principal photography. Cinematographers, Directors and Actors can make key decisions together, rather than rely on a post-heavy back-end process after the fact.
- Building the right team
A theme the panel returned to throughout their discussion was that of ‘casting’ the best crew for each production. The process of creating something with virtual production techniques calls upon the talents of many and requires a broad range of skill sets working in unison.
Brillhart, who has been working on the creative side of the industry for several years, has approached project casting in a variety of different ways. Early on, she teamed up with companies that had already built talented crews, but increasingly, as the industry democratized, she found herself with the luxury of picking and choosing the best individuals for each role on her team. Teams must be well rounded with various facets of not just technical but also creative skills.
Both Brillhart and Ben Baker, Virtual Production Line Producer at Mesh, have also engaged with another method of discovering the right talent for their crews. Through fellowships and engaging with wider VP communities, they’ve been able to make connections that they could call upon later when they needed to fill specific skill gaps. Francesca Benevento, Executive Producer at XR Studios, says that these connections are another reason communities made possible by initiatives like the disguise Accelerator Program are so important.
- People power productions
The sudden boom in virtual production has created a talent crisis in the field, with supply unable to meet the demand pouring in from every direction. Baker believes that visual effects companies can’t just rely on external educators to provide the skill needed to fill the gaps. Instead, they have a responsibility to help train new talent that will become the next generation of filmmakers.
Rivero points out that there are plenty of people with the skills needed, but they are currently in the wrong industries and perhaps haven’t yet realized the potential that virtual production offers them. As Baker says, “VP is just so new! It’s a discipline that is still being invented everyday by the people in it.” Taking the steps to move into virtual production offers not only the opportunity to learn a new skill set that is extremely in demand, but also to shape the future of the industry itself.
- Virtual production learning is within reach
Brillhart has one key bit of advice for those looking to get into virtual production: “Start where you are and grow that.” With room for so many different specialists and skill sets on a virtual production set, there are a lot of different ways in, but learning and development sits at the heart of them all. Rivero believes a holistic approach to education is best, because every element of virtual production is tied together in a unique ecosystem. At Meptik even the camera specialists are required to learn Unreal Engine so that they can understand the impact it has on what they do, as well as the ways their work will affect the content.
“If you want to jump in, take it all in,” Rivero states. “The more you learn about all these technologies, the more valuable you are and the more responsive you can be on set. You’ll be better equipped to understand everything that’s happening, and when you begin to focus on your specialist area you will know how it relates to the rest of the virtual production.” The training needed to succeed in this industry already exists. Programs such as the disguise Accelerator is fine-tuned to provide the knowledge needed to start working on exciting projects taking place now.
Conclusion
The conversation offered plenty of eye-opening insights, drawing on the wealth of knowledge the industry experts have gathered from their time on virtual production sets. And across everything, it is clear that there is a wealth of opportunity in the coming years for those with VP skills. Programs like disguise’s Virtual Production Accelerator offers a way for young filmmakers to learn everything they need to make a career in virtual production, and to work alongside established names in the industry.
“The most valuable thing for everyone in the coming years is talent connection,” Ben Baker says. “Being able to find talent, know their specific skills, and be able to cast them in very specific roles. That will be so valuable, and it will be the reason a lot of us get hired. Talent will be the most finite resource.”
Disguise’s Virtual Production Accelerator Program
The program is a great way to advance one’s skills with hands-on training. Through partnerships the Virtual Production Accelerator program is available in multiple locations: ROE Visual’s Los Angeles facility, UK’s center for entertainment technology & production XPLOR, New York Virtual Production studio Zerospace and Barcelona-based boutique studio Plató Nou. Trainees get the opportunity to participate in a unique hands-on learning experience, working on an actual shoot on a virtual production set combined with classroom learning of actionable skills from disguise experts and get to make connections with other industry professionals.
The program is suitable for both students and industry professionals, helping them ramp up their skills in volume control operations, virtual art department integration and practical shoot elements. The three-phased program begins with online and hands-on classroom learning. After completion, trainees are immersed into a real-world production, providing on-set learning in both pre-production and post-production environments. They learn about the fundamentals of storytelling, Unreal Engine scene building and virtual production. Then they move onto advanced concepts, such as color management, data recording and VAD integration.
“Virtual production is revolutionary, but it’s still an emerging storytelling tool. It’s a challenge to find professionals that are experienced in VP at the moment,” says Addy Ghani, Vice President of Virtual Production at disguise, who pilots the program. “We’re confident that, with our deep understanding of the technology, as well as the requirements for studio workflows, we can empower the next generation of filmmakers.”
Each location and VP Accelerator partner facility offers the training at different times throughout the year with individual registration for each location:
- Los Angeles: Located at ROE Visual’s facility in L.A. Register at: www.plsn.me/LA-AcceleratorVP
- New York: Located at ZeroSpace with 4Wall Entertainment. Register at: www.plsn.me/NYC-AcceleratorVP
- United Kingdom: Located at XPLOR. Register at: www.plsn.me/UK-AcceleratorVP
- Barcelona: Located at Plató Nou. Register at: www.plsn.me/Spain-AcceleratorVP
This insightful content is shared from disguise. Learn more at https://www.disguise.one/en/solutions/virtual-production