Tech in Hollywood; when post becomes present

When the creative nouse of Hollywood meets Silicon Valley, the world expects something truly transformative.

The mass consumption of digital media, driven by streaming platforms and video games, has brought these two hubs of ingenuity closer together. Big-budget Hollywood projects drive new innovations in media production and distribution, while advances in immersive technology create new platforms for consumption. There’s a symbiotic culture at the heart of their relationship.

When the creative nouse of Hollywood meets Silicon Valley, the world expects something truly transformative.

This symbiosis has seen no greater impact than in the advent and application of real-time virtual production, which has opened a door to the present for post production creatives. Directors and producers can now apply near-final computer graphics earlier in the creative process, which gives directors and DoPs in this field more creative control than before. But has this shift in dynamics truly been exploited to its full potential?  

Above: There’s a symbiotic culture at the heart of Hollywood and Silicon Valley.

Virtual production is just one step in a broader, more immersive direction for media production; a step that needs the know-how of creatives who truly understand immersive technology. 

The need for virtual production

Cast your mind back to 2020; film productions across the world were facing the prospect of a total standstill while the need for digital media became greater than ever before. Global measures to tackle the fast-moving pandemic made traditional on-set productions an impossibility. Hollywood, and the media landscape more generally, faced an ultimatum: innovate to continue productions safely, or stand firm and hope for the best.

In the past, real-time engines didn’t match the quality seen in blockbuster VFX.

A new approach to on-set filming in the form of virtual production quickly became a front-runner as a solution to get productions back on track. Utilising real-time game engine technology and large LED screens built on-set, creative studios could display CG-generated environments, lighting and effects in-frame. This squashed the need for multi-location shooting. 

In the past, real-time engines didn’t match the quality seen in blockbuster VFX. The sheer quantity of information couldn’t be generated in real-time. But this all changed with advancements in graphics engine technology. With quality no longer an issue, virtual production was possible. It even became tenable to create set pieces or props that could interact with live performances with the same technology.

Above: Shows like Disney+'sThe Mandalorian have utilised virtual production brilliantly. 

The benefits of this new approach were - and are - many. Cost efficiency can be maximised by reducing the amount of post production work. Travel and shoot locations can be replaced with LED environments, potentially lowering the environmental footprint of the production. Actors, too, are provided with an acting environment that they can react to – a huge improvement in authenticity over green screens when used correctly. This is particularly useful during scenes in transit that require a moving backdrop, such as a car or plane, for example. 

One of the most significant changes introduced by virtual production was its unique use of CG and VFX artists.

But, beyond its practical benefits, which are still as true today as they were during the pandemic, one of the most significant changes introduced by virtual production was its unique use of CG and VFX artists. A craft retained for use post the production process was quickly moved into the present, with artists having to deliver much earlier in the creative process. 

Using assets for multiple executions 

The world is more dynamic than ever. It’s not enough to release a project with a standardised marketing campaign, people want an IP to extend across new media and experiences. The same creative assets used on shoots using virtual production - such as 3D environments or character animation - can be applied in different experiential formats. Specifically, by tapping into the rise in immersive media such as virtual, mixed and augmented reality. 

Grand Review Research estimates that the global augmented reality industry was worth USD 25.33 billion in 2021, predicting a compound annual growth of 40% up to 2030 – and the entertainment industry makes up a sizeable portion of that. Camera IQ’s consumer survey backed this up, with 78% of consumers stating they are likely to re-share branded AR content. There’s no denying the upswing. 

Rather than thinking of immersive technology as an afterthought, Hollywood should meet this growing demand head-on. Creatives that understand CG content and immersive technologies, including AR and VR, can make the most of their application. Much like virtual production, the sooner they’re brought into the project, the better and new applications of the same IP can be applied effectively. For example, producing an immersive experience based on the film, a phone-based AR campaign with interactive advertisements, or broader web3 connectivity. It’s possible that the same creative agency can help deliver all of these opportunities and create functional interoperability.