A beguilingly real avatar or futuristic landscapes: What originated in the game industry is now slowly finding its way into the event sector. Virtual production provides limitless visual options for digital events.
A digital event always needs a stage, doesn’t it? Not always! At least there is no longer a need today for one to be physically present. Realistic virtual stage setups can be created thanks to VR (Virtual Reality). Steven Volkart has been involved with this issue at Habegger for a long time: “The advantage here is that the customer can design his world any way he wants – there are no limits”.
Another advantage of VR technology is that no large recording studio or set construction is needed. A medium-sized green screen studio is sufficient, even with two to three protagonists in front of the camera. It finally becomes a virtual production through the so-called matching of the virtual and physical cameras. This means that camera tracking shots that normally need a lot of resources to be used in a physical setup, can now be realised with very little effort.
The technology – which comes especially from the gaming sector – is getting better and better. Reflections, materialisations and physical properties can be reproduced to look deceptively real. Major game manufacturers are investing huge sums in the visual appearance of virtual worlds, avatars and 3D objects. “It’s become very hard to distinguish between reality and illusion” said Steven. Our long-time staff member is currently working on a virtual stage set for a large international client. It takes several weeks to go from the first digital stage element to the finished virtual production.
VR at any price? Not necessarily, said the expert: “A virtual stage set has to suit the enterprise and if you’re already using the technology, then you should really make the most of it”. A virtual replica of an existing studio makes little sense if the options are limitless.
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