Visionary Perspectives: Future Trends in Virtual Production

Virtual Production is at the forefront of innovation in the Industry. It’s one of the most creative tools we’ve got, and it continues to flourish among today’s visionaries.

Why? It’s one of the easiest, most creative and most cost-effective ways to tell a story!

So, what exactly is Virtual Production, and what can we expect in the next few years?

Virtual Production is a filmmaking technique that combines computer-generated imagery (CGI) with live-action footage. It involves virtual environments, digital sets, and computer-generated characters or objects to create immersive scenes and visual effects throughout the filming process.

Exploring future trends in VP, from emerging tech to evolving strategies, is essential given how quickly technology is developing. Here are a few trends to keep an eye out for:

NeRF in VFX.

It’s not the foam darts you’re thinking of…

NeRF stands for “neural radiance field” and is an AI-based image-generating process. It’s comprised of a fully-connected neural network that can generate novel views of complex 3D scenes, based on a partial set of 2D images. 

What does this all mean? 

It’s a fancy way of saying a networked neural engine that is creating new views of scenes based on limited input imagery. 

Basically, you feed it a few images and it will use the NeRF engine to generate a three-dimensional view, filling in whatever gaps there may be. The system is trained to use a rendering loss to reproduce input views of a scene.

NeRF in VFX represents a new era of what’s possible in image creation pipelines. In the same way AI can take your prompt online and create an image, it will take your input imagery and decide what goes in the gap, making advanced assumptions about brightness, texture, and reflectivity.

Expanding the Use of Virtual and Augmented Reality.

AR and VR technology enables actors to interact with virtual objects and characters as if they were truly present while enhancing their performances and fostering a deeper sense of immersion.

This type of tech allows filmmakers to augment their physical set with digital elements that can be seen in real-time through on-set monitors or AR glasses. 

In addition to streamlining the development of virtual environments, this trend improves teamwork among creative individuals, enabling them to work remotely. 

In the future, we expect VR and AR to play a major role in shaping narratives.

Global Collaboration in Real-Time.

Virtual Production is normal. It eliminates geographical boundaries and facilitates global collaboration, making the future pretty promising. The advent of cloud-based workflows with real-time data means creative teams can work together from all corners of the world.

This trend will boost creativity, opening doors for diverse perspectives and talents. Virtual Production facilitates a global network of creatives working together effortlessly.

AI-Driven Content Generation.

Artificial intelligence (AI) will revolutionize content creation in Virtual Production. It can generate realistic animations, textures, lighting, and even entire scenes, reducing workload and speeding up production. 

As AI continues to evolve, we’ll be seeing a more efficient and cost-effective content development process. Virtual Production will continue to involve a symbiotic relationship between computers and human creativity. We believe in our heart of hearts that the human element will always prevail.

The future also looks bright for indie filmmakers and commercial producers. Virtual Production is not just for big-budget productions. VP has made it easier for content creators to work with smaller budgets while producing eye-popping results.

The future of Virtual Production is filled with exciting possibilities. From NeRF and VR/AR to AI-driven content and global collaboration, the industry is on the cusp of remarkable advancements.

Ready to learn more about Virtual Production, and how it can streamline your project today?

Let’s Talk.