Deep Dive: Virtual Production For Independent Film 'No Way Up'

An underwater performance in one take – that was Director Claudio Fāh’s goal for the end sequence in the independent thriller ‘No Way Up’. In an insightful behind-the-scenes feature, the cast and crew, including executive producer Steve Jelley (co-founder and co-CEO at Dimension), reveal why virtual production was the perfect tool for realising Claudio’s vision.

Using Unreal Engine, the team delivered previs of the sinking plane and dark abyss, allowing all technical aspects to be planned ahead of the shoot and altered in realtime. From the plane's scale to the physics of how it would sink, this enabled the director to refine his sequence remotely from LA, working with our team in London.?

As the cameras rolled on set, the sequence was shot dry-for-wet in our LED volume, with lead actress Sophie McIntosh suspended in a harness. Sophie responded to her virtual environment, which provided interactive lighting.

Our previs and virtual production capabilities offer indie filmmakers an opportunity to create authentic results, even in the depths of the deep blue sea.

Watch the making of No Way Up