Soderbergh uses new VP tech in HBO series

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

In this issue:

🌆 Soderbegh uses new tech from Rosco for virtual backdrops
🔨 Sony launches first creator conference (but it’s for pros too)
💄 Microsoft Teams now has AR makeup

And more! Let’s dive in.

PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY

From iPhones to Volumes: Soderbergh uses new VP tech for Max mini-series

Director and DP Steven Soderbergh has harnessed the power of Rosco's new RDX LAB System with FuseFX software on the set of his new Max limited series, Full Circle.

• The recently launched RDX System, coupling FuseFX’s VFX software with Rosco's extensive digital content library, provides a wide range of cinematic backdrops that can be manipulated and displayed in real-time on any LED volume.

• For Full Circle, backdrop images were displayed on a large 180-foot flat LED wall, proving the system's ability to support a large-scale virtual set.

• The RDX System significantly reduced the time and costs typically associated with constructing environments during pre-production and post-production and eradicated the need for a green screen.

• Soderbergh, known for his love of new tech and being able to film quickly (like shooting features on an iPhone), was able to instantly alter background imagery, such as changing a scene from day to night or modifying weather conditions, using a simple app interface.

• Soderbergh described the technology as a transformative tool, stating it's changed how he conceptualizes scenes and stories. The system has allowed him to explore creative avenues he wouldn't have previously considered and to move at a pace that matches his creative process.

• Derek Gross, Gaffer on Full Circle, praised the RDX System's seamless and interactive capabilities, lauding it as the most cost-effective solution he's seen on a production.

  

  Source: British Cinematographer

SECOND UNIT

Sony Launches First Creator Conference at SIGGRAPH

Sony is launching the inaugural Sony Creators Conference, a two-day event showcasing creators who leverage technology for innovative creations at this year’s SIGGRAPH.

• A conference for pros: The conference's intention is to empower creators in various fields, including artists, innovators, engineers, and scientists, to develop next-generation technologies that can transform entertainment.

• Panels will feature speakers from the gaming, technology, and film industries, and discussions will span topics such as the technology behind Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse's visuals, bringing optical tracking to virtual sports, and the development of an advanced racing AI agent for enhanced gameplay.

• Dr. Hiroaki Kitano, Senior Executive Vice President and CTO of Sony Group Corporation, will be the keynote speaker at SIGGRAPH 2023, inviting creators from Sony Group to share their experiences of leveraging technology and creativity.

• Talk sessions include topics such as "Engineering for Creativity at Sony Pictures Animation", "Innovating Live-Action and Animated Projects", "A New Frontier - Taking Optical Tracking to the Virtual World of Sports", "GT Sophy, an AI Breakthrough in PlayStation® racing simulation game, Gran Turismo® Sport", and "Next Gen Development for Games".

• SIGGRAPH attendees can register for the keynote and talk sessions through the event site, with additional information about the conference and livestream being made available on Sony Square in the coming weeks.

AKS

• Interview with Halon president Chris Ferriter, looking back at their 20-year history and expanding beyond video, such as XR in live events and creating digital proxies of artwork.

• Harvatek, a Taiwanese LED supplier, has partnered with a local equipment distributor to establish Cyans Visual Creative Co., Taiwan's first high-specification virtual production studio, using Brompton Technology for LED processing.

• Schedule posts and track your social media with Metricool*

• PropVR partners with Unreal Engine to build digital twin models for the real estate industry.

• Branded AR filters go corporate - Microsoft Teams now offers Maybelline virtual makeup filters for video calls.

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ABBY SINGER

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