Wētā Tools: Unity's new 3D creation toolset 🧰

Hello! Welcome to another edition of VP Land.

Remember when you spent hours watching the making of videos for the LOTR trilogy and Peter Jackson was like, “Yeah the visual effects were so complicated we made our own VFX company.”

20ish years later that toolset is about to open up for anyone to use.

Wild times.

In this issue:

🎦 Unity launches Wētā Tools
📹 Hollyland launches a livestreaming camera
🎤 NVIDIA’s keynote speech at SIGGRAPH

and more! Let’s dive in.

MAIN STAGE

Unity's Wētā Tools Shake Up Digital Virtual Content Creation

Unity just dropped Wētā Tools - a complete toolchain for 3D creation, simulation, and rendering.

This is essentially opening up the powerful tools used by Weta Digital, the FX powerhouse behind projects such as Lord of the Rings and The Last of Us, into apps that anyone can use.

The toolset covers a wide range of uses, from character creation to compositing to digital environments to virtual production.

What’s in the Tool Box?

• Ziva: A realistic character design tool that enables artists to create more lifelike characters.

• Wig: A complex hair and fur engine that assists in creating realistic hair and fur for characters.

• Deep Compositing Toolset: This toolset is designed to help with Computer Generated (CG) renders, enhancing the visual effects and graphics quality.

• SyncSketch: A real-time feedback platform that allows for immediate collaboration and an iterative design process.

The Backstory between Unity & Weta

• 2021: Unity acquired Weta Digital, a company renowned for its work on several high-profile films and shows such as Avatar, Game of Thrones, and Lord of the Rings.

• 2021-2023: Over the next two years, Unity integrated the creative expertise of Weta Digital into its platform, enhancing its capabilities for creating and operating interactive, real-time 3D content.

• 2023: Unity announced the launch of the Wētā Tools division, a suite of new tools and features designed to streamline content creation and simplify workflows for character artists and 3D content developers.

The AI Question

Yes, Wētā Tools will have some form of AI, as mentioned in this interview with Unity Wētā Tools VP Natasha Tatarchuk.

• This AI integration is being referred to as "assisted artistry".

• The primary goal of the AI is to ensure a wider range of non-experts can use the new tools, making content creation more scalable.

• Unity's application of AI is designed to support, not replace, artists and creators.

• AI-assisted workflows ensure creators maintain ownership of the content they produce.

You can register your interest for beta access here.

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DAILIES

Hollyland’s New Livestreaming Camera

Hollyland, a company typically associated with affordable wireless audio and video solutions, just released its second camera, the VenusLiv.

This is a camera with a very clear focus: livestreaming.

• Horizontal or portrait: the camera (and 5” HD LCD touchscreen) can be mounted for horizontal or portrait recording & streaming.

• WiFI & LAN: Connect to the internet over wifi or hard wire via ethernet

• HDMI and UVC outputs: The VenusLiv has a full HDMI output, plus USB Video Class, meaning you can plug into your computer and send the video signal directly - no capture card needed.

• Direct RTMP connection: Stream to all major platforms directly from the camera. Or connect to a computer to use mixing software for higher-end streams (such as OBS or vMix).

• 6X zoom. Easy color correction. 3.5mm mic inputs. DC & battery power. Plays nicely with Hollyland’s microphone accessories.

Would’ve been nice to see…

NDI and/or SRT support. For a livestreaming camera, this would’ve opened up a lot of professional options to integrate this into more broadcast setups, especially since it has built-in ethernet.

But that’s probably not the target market for this camera.

And while it does record to SD card, there’s very little info on what kind of quality it can record.

Like we said at the start: very clear focus. Livestreaming.

Retailing for $999.

VIDEO VILLAGE

AKS

🌐 Around the Web

• Nvidia's 3D design collaborative platform, Omniverse, gets an update

• INFiLED collaborates with RealProtec to develop the state-of-the-art Gwangju Content Cube VX Studio

• Vicon and Dreamscape to launch markerless motion capturing technology at SIGGRAPH 2023

• Upload large files and folders fast with MASV*

• Movella launches Obskur, a platform that provides Vtubers affordable body and motion tracking technology

• Damage control: Zoom backtracks and won't use videos or chats for AI training without prior consent

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CALL SHEET

📆 Upcoming Events

August 
Studio Arts - Technology for Entertainment Creatives
Unreal Engine and virtual production online courses

October 3
XR, Virtual Production & Beyond
St Martins Courtyard, Coney St, York
Engage with experts and industry leaders on the latest trends in film and TV production, games, and software.

October 24 to 26
10th Edition Augmented Enterprise Summit
Houston, Texas
World's biggest companies leveraging XR/Metaverse today and preparing for the future of work

Have a film-related event to share? Just reply back to this email and let us know the details.

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