In the past, content creation was often limited to two main approaches: filming on-location or building elaborate, expensive sets in studios. However, with the introduction of virtual production in recent years, a more cost-effective and flexible alternative has emerged. This new method allows creators to fully control the production environment, even accommodating last-minute changes, all while cutting down on time and expenses. When done well, virtual production delivers results comparable to traditional methods but at a fraction of the cost.
Here are 6 advantages when switching to Virtual Production:
1. Lower Costs
In many cases, using virtual production for some or all of a project can lead to significant cost savings. Here are some ways virtual production helps cut costs:
- No Location Expenses: Traditional filming often involves costly location scouting, securing permits, and covering travel expenses for the cast and crew. Virtual production minimizes or eliminates these costs since environments can be created and manipulated digitally using LED walls or volumes. These environments can even be viewed remotely in real-time, reducing the need for on-site travel.
- Cutting Set Construction Costs: With virtual production, filmmakers can design and modify sets digitally, eliminating the need to build them physically. Since building sets can be one of the most expensive parts of production, this brings considerable savings.
2. Enhanced Visual Quality
LED walls and volumes have gained popularity in the film and television industry due to the high-quality visuals they provide. Companies have invested in top-tier LED panels with high resolution and HDR colour compliance. The sharpness, brightness, and overall quality of these LED walls allow creators to produce visually stunning, realistic scenes that greatly improve the viewing experience.
3. Real-Time Changes
Another advantage of LED walls in virtual production is the ability to make real-time adjustments. This means creators can tweak the virtual environment quickly and easily, without delays.
Because the camera syncs with the LED wall, changes to the digital scene are instantly visible. This enables directors and teams to see updates in real-time and make any necessary adjustments right on the spot.
4. More Room for Creativity
Virtual production using LED walls opens up nearly limitless possibilities for creative expression. Directors and advertisers can dream up entirely new worlds and environments that would be difficult or impossible to film in real life. From futuristic city-scapes to imaginative fantasy settings, virtual production removes the limitations imposed by physical locations.
With these capabilities, filmmakers can explore new, innovative ideas, pushing creative boundaries in ways that were unimaginable with traditional production methods.
5. Improved Collaboration
A key benefit of using LED walls or volumes for virtual production is the enhanced collaboration it enables. Remote teams can work together seamlessly by sharing the virtual environment in real-time, no matter where they’re physically located. This makes the production process more efficient and encourages collaboration across distributed teams.
6. Greater Flexibility
Virtual production using LED walls provides a level of flexibility that’s hard to match in traditional filmmaking. The digital environment can be quickly adjusted, making it easier for creators to experiment with different ideas and concepts without the need to build new physical sets or travel to new locations.
This flexibility is invaluable during the creative process, as it allows for instant changes to lighting, camera angles, and virtual sets. These modifications can be made on the fly and viewed immediately, giving creators more freedom to explore different approaches without delay.
Watch the webinar on The Democratisation of Virtual Production , a collaboration between the WFA, FXR and TKM Consultants. Covering topics including:
– What is virtual production & why it is relevant?
– Who’s doing it well / who’s doing it at all?
– The need to embrace creative tech
– Significant time and cost savings
– Impact on sustainability
– Getting ready to drive business growth in an Extended Reality Future
Or get in touch at hello@tkm-consultants.com if you’d like to discuss a particular project, brief or requirement.