How To Make the Most Out of Virtual Video Production

If you’re looking to make your video project stand out, special effects can get you there. Interesting camera angles, distinctive colors and filters, and detailed CGI all add visual interest and make your project memorable. By using virtual video production, you can elevate your work while saving time and money. 

What Is Virtual Video Production?

Virtual video production is the concept of using real-time computer graphics on set, allowing you to blend live footage with CGI. Rather than virtual effects being added in post-production, the virtual environment is cultivated on set, allowing you to get a better idea of how things will look and adjust your decisions accordingly.

Various forms of virtual production have been around for almost a century. Filmmakers would use rear projection, a method of projecting a background image onto a screen from behind to look like a real location. Now, LED walls have replaced screens, allowing everyone on set to see what the background of a film will look like in real time.

Aside from creating realistic scenery, other types of virtual production include motion capture and visualization techniques. Motion capture is the technique of “capturing” an actor’s performance and using it to create a computer-generated character. Visualization is the method of planning and executing the effects you want to use.

Visualization has three types of techniques:

• Previs is the pre-production visualization. This is where the film is planned out using tools like concept art and storyboards.
• Techvis is the tech visualization. Tech artists bring the ideas discussed in the previs phase to life with elements like camera placement and shot locations.
• Postvis is the post-production visualization. This technique involves merging live-action scenes with temporary effects that act as placeholders.

How To Reap the Benefits of Virtual Video Productions

Virtual reality video production offers numerous benefits for filmmakers. It saves time, money, and allows you to be endlessly creative. To take full advantage of all that virtual production has to offer, you can take the following steps to maximize the benefits of virtual video production.

Fix Things as You Go

One of the major advantages of using virtual reality in video production is that it allows you to easily change things as you’re filming. For example, if you’re filming a scene set in space and you realize you don’t like the position of a planet or asteroid, you can adjust that with a few clicks. 

This also means that mistakes can be quickly addressed as you go rather than piling up for the post-production team to fix. Fixing these mistakes when you notice them streamlines the post-production process, saving money and time, and can help you avoid reshoots down the road.

Have the Right Production and Creative Team

Working with the right production crews and creative teams can make or break your production. These people are the backbone of any film shoot and are the ones who truly bring the film’s vision to life. 

Your video production company or team members should not only understand your vision but know how to execute it. You should be able to trust that your team knows what they’re doing and that they’ll meet or exceed your expectations.

Invest in a Powerful, Modern GPU

Your graphics processing unit, or GPU, is the chip on your graphics card that allows you to create visual effects.

Many high-end virtual video productions, especially those using LED screens, use a video gaming engine such as Unreal Engine to create the scenery. These types of powerful video production tools require an equally powerful GPU. Without a GPU that can handle the video game engine you’re using, your software will slow to a crawl and the graphics won’t turn out at all as you hoped.

Use an LED Display Instead of a Green Screen

One of the biggest evolutions in virtual video production programs is the shift away from using green screens for backgrounds and using LED screens instead. These LED screens display high-resolution images of the scenery, which may include moving and 3D objects. This allows everyone involved to see what the background and setting and supposed to look like instead of waiting for them to be added in post-production. 

While using an LED display is more expensive than a green screen, it has advantages for everyone involved. Actors will have an easier time getting into character, camera people can get better shots, and directors will get a more complete picture of what the finished product will look like. LED screens also save money and time in post-production by allowing you to make edits to the background in real time.

Use a Camera With Advanced Color Correction

Color is one of the most important facets of filmmaking. The wrong coloring or uneven coloring can pull the viewer out of the experience. 

Maintaining even coloring can be especially difficult when filming multiple angles in front of an LED screen. While the technology for this is improving, it’s also important to use a camera that offers advanced color correction. This allows you to adjust coloring in real time to ensure everything looks uniform.

The Benefits of Virtual Video Production

Virtual video production provides several benefits over traditional methods of video production.

One of the largest benefits is that virtual production saves time and money. Using an LED screen instead of filming on location means that you don’t have to send someone to scout locations and you don’t have to worry about the logistics of travel for your entire cast and crew. It also means you can transition from one set to the next with ease.

Making edits during filming also saves you time and money in post-production. You can fix issues before they become a problem, which also saves time and money by preventing reshoots. 

Virtual production also opens the door for more creativity. As you see your vision come together in front of you, you can make adjustments to it. Setting up an LED screen ahead of time also allows you to explore and visualize the scene so you can achieve the best shots and angles.

Take Your Video Production to the Next Level

When you use virtual production, you have the opportunity to propel your video project to new heights. Virtual video production allows you to create a detailed, immersive world to hook your audience. You’ll also save time and money, which you can then allocate to other areas of production to make your project truly stand out.

Another key element to take your production to the next level is the addition of the right music and sound effects. Stockmusic.net offers a full library of royalty-free music and sounds to enhance your production. They’ve worked with partners like Disney, Warner Brothers, IKEA, and NASA, and they’ve got you covered, too.