Changing the M.O. of filmmaking

Up until now, most of the conversation surrounding Virtual Production (technology-enabled filmmaking) and In-Camera VFX (VP specifically utilising LED walls) has centred on what it can do, versus what it can’t. Which is completely understandable, considering the early proficiency of the technology and components, combined with our limited collective knowledge of best practice in an emerging field.?

In short, the tools weren’t quite ready, and neither were we.

But lately, things have started to feel significantly less ‘duct tape and string’, so I think it’s now time to start thinking about the next major friction point for VP's adoption; not when it's used, more how it's used.?

Let me explain.. There is an old saying in enterprise consulting circles:?

Everyone wants to be innovative, but no one wants to change.?

On hearing that adage, most people probably picture a middle-aged desk worker, stubbornly clinging to a past process or tech that has been long since superseded. But in reality, this truism could relate to any of us, given a perceived threat to our professional success or standing. And any significant change can mean just that, because it’s inherently a forced departure from what made us successful in the past.

Behind the hype and magic of production, it’s easy to forget that the leaders in this field are just regular people at their place of work; wanting to go home knowing they produced something great that day.

So any significant change from what’s worked successfully in the past can be perceived as a risk. Of course, that feeling is then multiplied when you have a couple of hundred people asking what to do next, on top of the excruciating feeling in the back of your head that you’re setting fire to stacks of hundred dollar bills the moment something goes wrong.

The problem: despite all this, ICVFX requires you change *almost everything* about how you traditionally approached your craft.

Don’t get me wrong, creativity, a good eye and good technical knowledge are just as valuable as they ever were; you could argue even more so, using ICVFX.

But the standard process, and the standard team you would bring in to make it happen, aren't fit for purpose, right from day one.?What happens if you don’t adapt your approach? You’re likely to come out the other end with added complexity, a big bill and few benefits to show for it. And we’ve seen a number of examples of that already.

So I wanted to walk through WHY virtual production requires such a change in thinking, before wrapping up with a look at how you can adapt to get the best results.

Why does ICVFX demand change?

If you’ve followed the growth in Virtual Production, you would have heard someone throw out that all you have to do is “move your post to pre”. Sure, that sort of sums it up. But if you are still delineating your schedule (and budget) into strict pre & post periods, you’re probably missing the point.

In the early days of cinema, the production schedule was fairly segmented and quite linear. And we designed our standard teams, titles and processes around it.

But over time, our ability to change things after wrap increased exponentially, to the point where there now isn’t much of anything that it isn’t possible to tweak later in post. This gave all filmmakers the ability to delay some key creative decisions till the very end of the chain. Huge win, right?!

Well, it’s quite a power to be given, so it’s no surprise that power is a little hard to give up..

And unfortunately, that is exactly what ICVFX asks of you. (If you’re aiming to use it efficiently.) So in essence, we’re actually going back to the future of filmmaking in requiring that key decisions are brought forward again.?

Now obviously, it's important to have the backgrounds you need ready in time for production - that's the whole point of the 'In Camera' part of ICVFX. But the additional time needed in pre- is exacerbated by the current complexity of the task, too.

Building a real time environment or load that is ready to go up on an LED wall takes a lot of time and expert input, across many iterations. You need to design it, previs it, model/capture assets, iterate on it, set dress it, light it and optimise it. And then optimise it another hundred times after that.?

All of that has to happen many weeks before you even make it to production proper.

Multiply that by the number of volume scenes you’re planning to cover and you have a hefty block of work that also needs key creative eyes on it much earlier than they’d traditionally be available.

All this might make VP a bad fit for some projects, like tight turn-around episodic work. And that’s okay, it’s better to innovate where it makes sense, rather than innovate everywhere just for the sake of it.

(Although, if your tight turn-around is on the delivery side after wrap, rather than between seasons, it might actually be a better fit because of the reduced post schedule.. but I digress.)

Hopefully this gives some insight into the modifications that must be made to adopt a ICVFX workflow and why it’s not just all a ploy to soak up your budget. But while focusing on these more painful requirements, it's also worth looking at the other side of the ledger, too. What can you potentially get in return for this deal with the tech-devil of VP?

In no specific order, the benefits can include:

• More dependable schedule control and logistics
• Lower travel costs
• More dynamic and accurate reflections?
• More collaborative filmmaking process, both in pre-production and on set
• Lower location costs, health and security risks
• Reduced risk of unforeseen issues or delays on location
• Film impossible/heavily stylised locations
• Better performances when acting in front of something visual or by tracking props or movements
• The ability to truly improvise on set (rather than sticking to a strict previs plan for green BGs already in production)
• Flexibility (the screens can instantly do green - in fact they can do both on alternate frames in some situations)
• Lower greenhouse emissions per production due to the reduced travel
• Digital sets and assets can be retained and remixed within pickups or on subsequent seasons
• Globally transportable sets held on a USB if talent availability is an issue
• Potentially lower overall cost (Huge asterisk here - if completed optimally on the right project)
• Shorter post schedule (note: not NO post schedule - very little shot on volume is truly final - at the very minimum to paint out tacking cameras)
• You can see what you've captured in context, meaning a greater ability to improve with understanding of what's working and what's not.

Now that sounds super sales-y, so I want to be clear there are still tradeoffs and difficulties with ICVFX that mean it’s not the right approach for every production or scene right now.

(For more of what should be done via ICVFX and what shouldn’t, read the below flowchart)

But on the whole, if you approach it carefully, submit to the needs of the tech and really lean into the above benefits, you can end up with great results.

So, what *can* you do to approach ICVFX in the right way?

Below are six tips on how you can get the most from your ICVFX experience. Even focusing on improving a couple of these with each subsequent production could make a huge difference, and help you slowly transition your process towards this new way of working.

Write to the tech

There wouldn’t be a creative on earth that doesn’t script whilst imagining how and where their content could be shot. By learning and understanding what Virtual Production is good at and what it’s not, it might be possible to better tailor the script to the tech. It won't always be possible or necessary, but it could help solve some problems early on. This is especially important for lower budget, advertising or music video productions.

Open the tent early

Collaboration is key when it comes to VP. Not only does it allow you to bring in technical talent that normally wouldn’t have a chance to contribute to the creative process, it almost forces you to do so. But it also gives you far more scope for adopting changes and ideas because anything is (roughly) possible in engine and in real time! So open up the tent and open it early - because extensive feedback in pre is where the game will be won.

Get the right team around you

It’s likely not possible to assemble a team made entirely of VP veterans to helm your show or feature. But getting a few key people onboard with experience will help a lot. You can also build this out with advice (that you actually listen to!) and ensuring key HoDs without direct experience are really enthusiastic about the tech. Enthusiasm and an open mind goes a long way. They'll need to understand the tech enough to be able to request what they need, and help find a compromise if they get a 'no' in return.

Lean in from day one

Many of the less-than-ideal case studies I’ve heard about seem to have hit something I call the ‘late lean in’, which is where a team set up and stick with a traditional process until it becomes clear that things are are getting wildly off track, whereby they rapidly try to catch up for lost time when it’s almost too late. This leaves your Virtual Art Department (VAD) without enough time to produce their best work, and not enough time for production to really get eyes on the loads via VR scouting and in-volume checks before the glare of production in on them. Lean in to the process from day one and things will be a lot easier on day 100. Or.. you can just pay for it all to be replaced anyway.

Be decisive

The earlier you can make decisions you’re happy with, the more time and money can be spent polishing those ideas into gems. Of course, you can still change things later through traditional post, but it just means doubling up your FX work. And no one likes paying for something twice, do they?

Enjoy the benefits

VP is at its best when everyone knows what's required, has the right tools at their disposal to make it sing, and all get the chance to contribute. Some of the best VP moments I’ve had retold to me were where the ability to improvise in the moment paid off with an incredible shot they'd never think to previs; actors relating how being visually in a location helped their immersion and therefore performance dramatically, or where the wonderful meeting of minds that is VP (film + tech) led to something far better than either group would have come up with on their own. These moments are where VP really shines, and so it’s worth making sure you really enjoy the shit out of these special moments and ensure those results end up in the can and on our screens.?

So that’s a not-so-brief look at how we can all start to get more out of Virtual Production and ICVFX. It’s not easy to change a process you're familiar with, but it will be worth it.?

And over time, you can also rest assured that the tech and components will improve and the processes will become faster, too. The above benefits will also become more pronounced and new ones will emerge, like transmedia storytelling possibilities, infinite complexity environments, universal asset sharing, codeless environment design and exponential cloud rendering on set.?

That’s why it’s worth challenging yourself to learn something new, now. It might seem a little confronting or restrictive at first, but the experts working in this field right now would be the first to admit that there was nothing wildly special about them as practitioners that helped them pick this up; they just started early, leaned in fully and enjoyed what they were doing enough to stick with it and get the most from it.