disguise and XPLOR Launch UK Virtual Production Accelerator Course
disguise and XPLOR announced a new partnership to further tackle the skills gap in virtual production. Together, the two organizations are launching the first UK Virtual Production Accelerator, a learning program that gives trainees hands-on experience with the latest real-time technologies and advanced LED volumes. The UK Virtual Production Accelerator Program joins the one that disguise opened in Los Angeles, CA last year where they are working in partnership with ROE Visual. Located at ROE’s facility in Los Angeles, students work with disguise’s VP of Virtual Production, Addy Ghani, and his training experts to discover how they can level up their virtual production skills.
The UK Virtual Production Accelerator is based at XPLOR’s recently launched £7m+ Production Park facility in West Yorkshire—which boasts a 340 sqm VP volume and xR studio with ROE Visual LED screen—and the program is suitable for both students and industry professionals. Over the course of four days, participants will ramp up their skills in volume control operations, virtual art department integration and practical shoot elements through a combination of online, classroom, and on-set learning.
XPLOR’s training is delivered by education providers Backstage Academy, who are specialists in live experience production, supporting the future of the industry through undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, and short courses. Operating from Production Park, their facilities are just one of the 400+ state-of-the-art virtual production studios and xR stages globally that are running on disguise solutions. This rapid adoption of disguise’s advanced production technologies brings the need for skilled talent who are well versed in the unique workflows that deliver Virtual Production and in-camera VFX.
“In just under three years, virtual production has changed from something only a few are experimenting with to a global phenomenon that is allowing filmmakers to tell even more ambitious stories,” says Alex Wills, Chief Experience Officer, disguise. “However, this growth in adoption has left a huge skills gap in the UK and further afield. disguise, just like XPLOR and Backstage Academy, shares a strong passion for education. After launching our Virtual Production Accelerator Program in America last year in partnership with ROE Visual, we now hope to bring the Accelerator’s focus on the practical to Production Park for VP-enthusiasts in the UK and Europe.”
The R&D element to disguise and XPLOR’s partnership combines disguise’s advanced production technology and workflow-focused training with XPLOR’s world-class facility and large-scale design and prototyping spaces. Together, disguise and XPLOR will investigate new features and capabilities that push the boundaries of what’s possible in virtual production. “Backstage have been long-term partners with disguise,” comments Rachel Nicholson, Head of Backstage Academy. “This is the latest exciting development in our relationship moving into film and TV.”
Learn more about the UK Virtual Production Accelerator Course at www.plsn.me/UK-VPA
EMN Tech Partners with AOTO to Build Virtual Studio in Turkey
EMN Tech, a leading technology company in Turkey, has recently built the largest virtual studio in the country, powered by AOTO’s state-of-the-art LED display technology. With a massive 175 sqm LED wall, this new virtual studio offers an immersive and customizable experience for a wide range of industries, including film, television, live events, and more.
The virtual studio is designed to provide an all-in-one solution for virtual production, including LED screens, cameras, motion capture technology, and other equipment. The LED wall is made up of AOTO’s RM2.3 product, which is known for its exceptional color accuracy, high refresh rate, and low scan rate. This makes it an ideal choice for virtual production, moiré-free and low-reflections are essential to creating a realistic and immersive environment. This sizeable investment reflects EMN Tech’s commitment to innovation and the latest technology, as well as their confidence in the capabilities of AOTO’s LED display technology.
As a leading technology company in Turkey, EMN Tech is always looking for ways to innovate and push the boundaries of what’s possible. EMN Tech’s partnership with AOTO is a testament to their commitment to providing the latest and most advanced technology to their customers. With this new virtual studio, EMN Tech is poised to lead the way in virtual production in Turkey, providing their clients with a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving market.
Find further information from AOTO on Virtual Production at https://www.aoto.com/solution/xr-studio.html
Reno Studios Launches Taiwan’s Finest Pixel Pitch Virtual Production Movie Studio
Reno Studios, has created Taiwan’s finest pixel pitch virtual production facility. Opened at the end of last year, it is located at the longest-running Taiwanese movie studio, Central Motion Picture Corporation. Helping bring clients’ stories to the screen is Brompton Technology LED processing, which delivers exceptional image quality and color accuracy, creating the most ‘close-to-reality’ environment, seamlessly blending live and digital content.
“In collaboration with partners, Reno Studios provides a one stop service for international shooting projects, with access to essential services such as scenery construction, camera rental, lighting, post-production, and sound processing,” says Peter Huang, General Manager of Reno Studios.
Huang knows that image quality is one of the most important elements for virtual production, with LED panels and LED processors fundamentally determining whether image detail can be reproduced vividly on the LED wall. As a result, the team chose LED solutions from LED panel manufacturer, AUO Corporation, which has over 26 years’ experience in R&D and production of display technology, and Brompton Tessera SX40 4K LED processors to power the giant LED volume.
“Brompton is a leader in LED processing,” Huang adds. “Its Tessera software features such as Puretone, ThermaCal, Frame Remapping, ShutterSync®, Extended Bit Depth, and Stacking, enable film directors to freely create any type of content and not be limited artistically. Additionally, the Tessera processors’ color accuracy and smooth image display create the most ‘close-to-reality’ environment possible, where actors can interact with the LED wall, the two blending seamlessly together.”
The studio’s curved LED volume comprises AUO Pitch 1.95 LED panels measuring 12 meters wide by five meters high, which support at least 99% DCI-P3 color space. The main wall is three groups of LED panels (left, middle, right), with each group controlled by one Tessera SX40 4K LED processor and three Tessera XD 10G data distribution units. “As well as the SX40 processors and XD distribution units controlling the main wall, there is a Tessera SX40 and an XD unit for the ceiling,” adds Huang.
Speaking about additional benefits that Brompton offers to Reno Studio’s FX team, Huang notes how Tessera processors free images from color variations or screen tearing caused by video latency, so the scene model and animation special effects can be presented beautifully and correctly. “This makes the whole shooting process seem much smoother and more hassle-free,” he says. Additionally, all the LED panels were dynamically calibrated with Brompton’s Hydra advanced measurement system, making them Brompton HDR-ready and unlocking the full potential of the LEDs.
“LED virtual production is still a new technology and is advancing continuously. It’s also a new trend in the film and television industry,” says Huang. “Based on Reno Studio’s experience and expertise in video production, we can strike new sparks in the industry and create infinite possibilities in Taiwan and beyond. We are thrilled about all the creative possibilities virtual production technology can offer our clients, and with partners like Brompton Technology on board with us, we are confident we can turn any idea or story into reality.”
“With the rapidly growing demand for cutting-edge virtual production solutions, we are really pleased that Reno Studios has chosen our LED processing technology for the country’s finest pixel pitch Brompton powered VP movie studio,” concludes Elijah Ebo, Director of APAC Operations at Brompton Technology. “The new stage will not only offer unrivalled creative opportunities in film production, but also open the doors to TV, commercials, broadcast, and even AR or MR-focused productions.”
Further information from Brompton Technology: www.bromptontech.com
Vectorworks Connection to NVIDIA Omniverse Expands Designers’ Opportunities in the Metaverse
Vectorworks, Inc. has released an integrated Omniverse Connector, providing Windows users a direct connection to the NVIDIA Omniverse platform for building and operating metaverse applications. The new plug-in connects Vectorworks 3D models straight to Omniverse via the Universal Scene Description (USD) framework, eliminating steps for the import/export process, saving designers valuable time and streamlining collaborative processes. Designers can now freely and infinitely iterate on design concepts in real time using high-fidelity models that can be instantly shared with one click.
Universal Scene Description (USD) is more than just a file format, it’s an open and extensible ecosystem for describing, composing, simulating, and collaborating within 3D worlds. Originally invented by Pixar Animation Studio, USD’s design and features have positioned it to become the open standard that enables the 3D evolution of the internet, the metaverse. USD encompasses a collection of fundamental tools and capabilities that accelerate workflows, teams, and projects, whether you are creating assets and environments for large-scale, connected virtual worlds or building the tools that will make these worlds possible.
“The Omniverse Connector opens the door to a new realm of possibilities for our users,” said Vectorworks Chief Executive Officer Dr. Biplab Sarkar. “Designers can access the metaverse to work with colleagues, consultants and clients in new and exciting ways, fostering the potential for groundbreaking, limitless designs. We’re excited to see the bright future this new feature sparks for designers and our software.”
Improving 3D Workflows
“The industrial metaverse delivers immense opportunities for everyone, including the many design professionals using Vectorworks,” said Richard Kerris, vice president of the Omniverse development ecosystem at NVIDIA. “The Vectorworks Omniverse Connector presents vast possibilities for these creatives, enabling cutting-edge ways to visualize, simulate and share projects while accelerating 3D workflows and empowering collaboration.”
The plug-in also provides Vectorworks users with new options for viewing and publishing their designs, offering support for various workflows. Users can now launch the Omniverse USD Presenter (formerly Omniverse View) application and send their Vectorworks models in a single step. Additionally, users can publish models to an Omniverse project on a Nucleus Server or export a single USD file as a standalone prop that can be added as an asset in an Omniverse project.
When publishing, users can define geometric detail affecting 3D curved geometry, organize scenes by Vectorworks layers or based on applied textures, and include metadata in exports. Plus, checkpoint comments allow collaborators to easily track changes and send additional information with project files as they are revised and updated.
The Vectorworks Omniverse Connector is included in Vectorworks 2023 Service Pack 4. This Service Pack is a downloadable update for all U.S. English-based versions of Vectorworks 2023, including Vectorworks Architect, Landmark, Spotlight, Fundamentals, Braceworks and ConnectCAD.
More information is available from Vectorworks at www.vectorworks.net.
