As you may have heard me blabbing about last Friday, I despite green screens. When I say despite, I truly mean with every once of my being.
One of the key parts about me as a director is that I love to immerse. Myself, the audience, but also the actors. I want them to forget about the cameras an equipment. I wants them not to have to think about all the technical aspects. I want them not to want to wait a lot between takes. Making movies should be fun.
It’s really difficult to do this with a huge piece of green fabric plastered all over the place.
For years I have been looking for an alternative other then just shooting on location. I finally found one when The Mandolorian released their BTS footage about Virtual Production Stages.
Here’s what they are. Imagine, instead of an actor staring at a big green room. They are on Endor, or the death star. Instead of having to set up lights perfectly, the light is accurate presented within the stage and the background. With no seams.
This is what a virtual production stage does. A wall of LED screens that display the image. No longer are you putting it in post.
The best part is that these scenes in the background can be edited in real time with Unreal Engine. As well as cameras can connect to the wall and it will react to the cameras movements to make it look like the background is real.
It has to be seen to be believed.