Welcome to VP Land - your daily update for all things virtual production & AI in video.

In this issue:

📺 The Chemical Brothers virtual production powered music video
🖥 DigitalOcean acquires Paperspace
🏟 Behind the scenes look at shooting virtual paltes

And more! Let’s dive in.

PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY

The Chemical Brothers use virtual production to create in-camera transitions in new music video

Things go round and round in the new video for The Chemical Brothers' Live Again as the dancing protagonist keeps moving through the same motions in different locations, thanks to in-camera VFX and virtual production.

• Directing duo Dom&Nic, in their tenth collaboration with the Chemical Brothers, were inspired by the music track and the tight project timeframe to create a story about a character in a perpetual loop of death and rebirth.

• The project involved a unique collaboration with ARRI Solutions, Creative Technology, and Lux Machina, all operating from the ARRI Stage London.

• This narrative was brought to life using long unbroken shots, made possible by real-time rendered environments that could shift without cutting the camera.

• The team pushed the boundaries of what was possible in virtual production. Untold Studios and ARRI Stage London played a crucial role in executing Dom&Nic's innovative concept. They designed seven bespoke virtual worlds during pre-production, which they could then adjust on set as needed.

Real-time transitions and in-camera FX are a growing use of VP. Here's another clip of it in action from DP Andy Chen:

@locustgarden

Replying to @Don’t try

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SECOND UNIT

DigitalOcean acquires Paperspace and scales up AI competence

DigitalOcean, the cloud infrastructure provider, has announced its acquisition of Paperspace, a firm known for its scalable GPU-accelerated cloud infrastructure tailored for AI/ML applications. The merger seeks to bolster DigitalOcean's service offerings and simplify the development and scaling of AI/ML applications for small businesses and startups.

• The acquisition responds to the surging demand for AI/ML cloud solutions, particularly among developers, small businesses, and startups.

• Paperspace's GPU-accelerated infrastructure enhances DigitalOcean's existing capabilities, allowing customers to better meet the growing demand for AI/ML applications.

• The partnership seeks to democratize access to AI/ML technologies, previously more accessible to larger enterprises, to smaller businesses and startups. They can now delve into applications such as generative media, text analysis, and image classifications.

VIDEO VILLAGE

Sam Nicholson, ASC, breaks down how he shoots plates on location for use in VP and the process for creating a completely virtual pirate ship set in a volume of Our Flag Means Death.

AKS

🌐 Around the Web

• Wuxi Studios launches a virtual production lab studio, showcasing China's largest LED volume powered by Brompton Technology and ROE Visual.

• Omnia brings AR to the creator economy and promotes simplified immersive marketing for brands.

• Schedule posts and track your social media with Metricool*

• WIRED op-ed that the AI solution for writers is to build their own model

• Furball Studio founder unveils EDA, a new virtual influencer powered by Unreal Engine 5, complete with her own social media presence.

• Video of some gameplay in SkyrimVR, where the NPCs are running on an LLM AI mod, so you can talk to any character and get a relevant response.

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