On February 28th I attended the online webinar “Enter the World of Virtual Production” hosted by AVIXA, a professional organization for the Audiovisual industry. I’ve been interested in Virtual Production for a while, as it combines two of my passions, filmmaking and immersive technology, to create virtual sets for TV shows, movies, and other projects. It was moderated by David Maldow-CEO of Let’s Do Video, and had a panel of three Virtual Production experts: Kevin DeLuca-Vice President of Visual Effects at Vu Studios, Addy Ghani-Vice President of Virtual Production at Disguise, and Lyndsae Peele-Founder and Principal Consultant at Kingdom Vision Consulting. These professionals had a lively conversation watched by over 200 attendees, and answered many questions on how to get started in the field.
Virtual Production is only 3-4 years old, but the field has a lack of skilled talent, and the technology it uses is constantly evolving. One presenter called Virtual Production a “wild west” field where you can get started on your own and teach yourself needed skills. Some companies and design software programs even offer free or paid training, such as the Unreal Learning Portal, Unreal Fellowship, Disguise Virtual Accelerator, and the Vu1 program. Building virtual assets, like sets and digital art, is handled by Virtual Art Departments (VAD) employed by VP companies, film productions, and TV studios. Shows like The Mandalorian use VP to create the sets the actors perform on, projecting them in real time on LED screens behind the stage. While these assets are often created on paid software like the Unreal Engine and Cinema 4D, free programs like Blender and OBS Nvidia let students and new users try their hand at virtual design.
The recorded webinar is available to AVIXA members on its website, but it requires a paid membership to access. Membership allows access to all of AVIXA’s recorded webinars, as well If you’re working in the field I highly recommend joining the AVIXA community, which provides access to all of AVIXA’s recorded webinars, training for the Certified Technology Specialist certification, and many other benefits for Audiovisual professionals. Next week I’m back to my series on Renee Stevens’ “Designing Immersive 3D Experiences” with a chapter on lighting for XR. See you then!
Sources:
Maldow, David. Enter the World of Virtual Production. AVIXA, February 28th, 2024. Webinar. https://www.avixa.org/avixa-tv/videos/Enter-the-World-of-Virtual-Production/kVhAPYL3-lVef2VIH