AMT Lab @ CMU: Virtual production (VP) is “a broad term referring to a spectrum of computer-aided production and visualization filmmaking methods” (Spectre Studios). It is not just the technology itself, but also the methods through which it is used. In Parts I and II of this series, we are investigating the technology as well as the methodologies of VP in the broadest definition.
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It has been particularly interesting to watch the theatre industry pick up virtual / digital production tools that have been common in TV and film for some time. Often, in live production, we 'settle' for the fact that we can't CGI an effect and work around that to create something else that is equally spectacular. However, there is no rule that says live entertainment cannot take advantage of tools and technologies like visualization, performance capture, hi-res LED walls, and more. In this weird intersection between the real world and the digital realm, artists are allowed to create something entirely new and unique. Something to recognize, however, is that incorporating new technologies into the design and build workflows is never as easy as it seems. Learning how to use the new tool and understand the most appropriate use can take a long time, but be so worth it. For example, a scene designer could create a 3d workspace to collaborate with the rest of the design team and visualize a whole show long before the elements come together on stage. The director can don a VR headset and walk around the space, and even develop blocking before rehearsals begin.
The post by unknown is Al Levine. I accidentally selected the wrong option when posting.
I like this article a lot because I have been struggling with how to come to terms with virtual theatre. It makes me uneasy because I feel like it is taking away jobs, but it is also keeping jobs afloat in these uncertain times. It is definitely strange. This article seems to mostly be centered around film production occurring virtual rather than “virtual theatre” which I think is easier to understand. It is hard to define the boundaries and roles within “virtual theatre”. The amount of technology softwares that exist which were either created since the pandemic or exist and have now been noticed and utilized are astounding, and I wish I knew more about using them. Looking at the original input, the way it got there, and the final product side by side especially with motion capture and other special effects is absolutely impressive. LED walls are super cool and underutilized in all industries, maybe aside from concert performances. Overall, virtual production may not have been what we were looking forward to, but it has given us incredible opportunities to take advantage of the technologies around us.
-Ariel Bernhard
Virtual production would be amazing to have in theater, but I currently don't think that it is a possibly to have right now, and won't be for a few years. If the theater industry wanted to get a kickstart on integrating virtual production, now is the time to do it. As of right now, I cannot think of any theater program that might be teaching this to the extent of the tech the article mentions, and are you really going to be able to pull people from the film industry to work in theater? I think that VP would massively help theater productions by launching them in the current era more so then already media heavy productions, and by adapting to these technologies you might secure the safety of theater for the next few decades and not lose the current and next generation to virtual reality media and performances. This article is definitely aimed for the film industry, as opposed to the theater side of it. Undertaking this would not only require teaching this technology and it's management to students and those who wish to learn, but also might require the overhaul of current playhouses, or the construction of new ones, and neither option is easy to do.
I first heard about virtual production when The Mandalorian came out, and I read in to it's production process. The advancements we are making in the film and entertainment industries amazes me.
Virtual production has been in the works for long enough that I believe we can start transitioning it into live performances as well. How can we plan out a production virtually, so that all designers and creators can collaborate in real time, but not in real space? This would be a breakthrough that would speed up the production process. Also, would we be able to incorporate live virtual production on stage, to manipulate the surroundings instantly? I'm excited to see these advancements progress.
Virtual production in theatre in particular I feel has always been behind the rest of the industry as theatre makers we see the digital world as foreign. I think money is often the biggest reason for this as we can’t find money or the pre production time to create the digital and virtual content that we want to use in order to support a production. I think for virtual production I think using it in a supporting role. For decades LED walls have been used as supportive features in other parts of the entertainment industry to great success and in theatre’s where it’s necessary it has been as well. I think as a lighting and a reinforcement tool it is fantastic for theatre. In terms of performance capture I’ve never found it to work to great success. I always feel like I’m a live audience watching a sitcom being recorded and I’m simply there to perform the laugh track or audience reaction which I feel is different then actually watching a live theatrical performance.
I think that Virtual Production is definitely moving entertainment forward into the next generations with technology. Though I knew about the concept, I didn't know that it was called Virtual Production, or that so many games and films have utilized this. It is definitely merging technology and virtual means into performances, and I am hoping that the theater industry will be able to utilize this to save themselves during this time. I honestly clicked on this article thinking it would be a means of how we can move live theater virtually, but I still think it is great that such fields are developing. If theater could find a way to merge with virtual productions to make art that isn't just a video, I think that would be the solution for saving theater during a pandemic. Too many people are waiting for this pandemic to pass, but what really needs to happen is that we must adapt to this change and find ways around it (that's not blind optimism). That is who and what will survive from this.
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