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Previz in Unreal for DPs

Previz in Unreal for DPs

Final Pixel Online Training, Virtual Dragons, AI McDs

July 13, 2024

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Welcome to VP Land!

Got a good selection of BTS clips to browse through this weekend.

Final Pixel launched a few courses for virtual production
Runway has a prompting guide
Aximmetry tutorials
BTS of the Battle of Rook’s Rest

And a bunch more. Let’s jump into it!

Final Pixel Launches Previz Course for DPs & Online Training Platform

Final Pixel has launched a new training course for DPs to learn Unreal Engine as a pre-visualization tool for virtual production.

The company also introduced FP+, a global membership platform for professionals working in real-time technologies and virtual production.

The Breakdown

The VP for DoPs Level 1 Course, created by cinematographer Ben Saffer, teaches DPs how to use Unreal Engine for previs, lighting visualization, virtual cameras, and workflow improvement.
The course is designed to bridge the gap between traditional cinematographic skills and digital technology, making it accessible for DPs with real-world filmmaking experience.
The course is divided into six modules, covering topics such as virtual test rooms, set creation, lighting techniques, camera movement, lens selection, and scene blocking.
Final Pixel partnered with BBC Studioworks earlier this year to hold a two-week showcase in TC1 at Television Centre, tailoring sessions for clients like ITV Daytime, BBC Studios, and Zeppotron, as well as external guests such as Sky, Amazon Studios, and Formula 1.
The FP+ membership platform offers four subscription levels: Final Pixel Starter, Final Pixel Emerging, FP+, and Final Pixel Enterprise, catering to various experience levels and needs within the industry.

Final Take

Last year, VP Land had the opportunity to speak with Final Pixel CEO Michael McKenna and CINO Hannah Draper about their award-winning Oracle Red Bull Racing campaign and their virtual production work.

As more professionals seek to adapt to these evolving workflows, initiatives like these will play a crucial role in fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, and skill development, ultimately shaping the future of filmmaking.

SPONSOR MESSAGE

Introducing the Atomos Ninja Phone: Your iPhone's New Superpower

Transform your iPhone 15 Pro into a professional monitor-recorder with the revolutionary Atomos Ninja Phone. This compact 10-bit video co-processor brings cinema-quality capabilities to your smartphone.

Key features:

Record ProRes or H.265 from any HDMI camera
Stunning HDR monitoring on iPhone's OLED display
Zero-latency performance
Vertical and horizontal shooting modes
Seamless integration with Atomos Cloud Services
Whisper-quiet operation
Robust locking cable system

Perfect for content creators and filmmakers alike, the Ninja Phone bridges the gap between professional cameras and the convenience of your iPhone. Enjoy unparalleled image quality, efficient Camera to Cloud workflows, and instant social media publishing.

Watch our video from NAB about the Ninja Phone.

Available for $399. Learn more at Atomos.

Prompting in Runway

Runway released a comprehensive guide to help creators generate high-quality AI-generated video content using their Gen-3 Alpha Text to Video model.

Claire Xue has a video breaking it down.

Heather Cooper alse developed a prompt generator with Claude.

I built a cinematic video prompt generator with @AnthropicAI Claude Artifacts.
I tested the prompts in @runwayml Gen-3 and the results are impressive.
Here's an example followed by a demo of the prompt generator:
— Heather Cooper (@HBCoop_)
6:12 PM • Jul 11, 2024

Aximmetry Tutorials

Frustum Virtual published a series of 14 videos on how to use Aximmetry for virtual production.

Welcome to the Screening Room, a new section showcasing all the great BTS clips we see on social media of the great and inspiring work everyone is doing. If you have any clips of your own, you want to share, just email us.

@lilien_RIG using Blender, motion capture, and style transfer

@MetaPuppet published one of the best AI commercials I’ve seen

A train…on the ocean. Royal Railway is a restaurant on cruisliner Utopia of the Seas, using LED projection for the moving background.
Precursor to Westworld?

AI generated spec commercial for Volvo. BTS details in the post.

Tom Keller (IG @dptomkeller) shot a slo-mo spot with the VIVE Mars tracker

Matt Drumond shared their work on Megafauna. “All megafauna shots in this promo were created in Unreal Engine”

Geoffrey Kater and his team at S4 Studios produced this Nature’s Bakery spot on a volume

Pixomondo VP & Capture Supervisor, James Thompson, offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the making of the Battle at Rook’s Rest in "House of the Dragon."

🎬 From designing droids with minimal anthropomorphic features to building iconic Star Wars hallways, Rob Bredow shares insights on the evolving art and technology behind the franchise's visual effects.

🧑🏻‍💻 Media professionals should embrace the shift towards software-defined workflows and virtualized production infrastructure to stay competitive and adapt to the rapidly changing technological landscape

🔲 ROE Visual's Topaz Series offers a cost-effective, versatile, and user-friendly LED solution for mid-sized to larger rental companies in the live touring and events industry

📱 SwitchLens, a crowdfunded device, transforms smartphones into micro four-thirds cinema cameras, offering improved image quality and advanced features for filmmakers

⏹️ Virtual production's potential growth, driven by LED volume expansion, presents both benefits and challenges that media professionals must navigate to stay competitive.