Uncovering The EASIEST CAMERAS To Use In Virtual Production

[rand thompson]

by
REMEDY

CAMERA OWNERS ❯❯

Alexa 35: Phil Stevens | https://www.philstevensdirector.com/r...
Alexa Mini LF: Phil Stevens | https://www.philstevensdirector.com/r...
Sony Venice I: PC&E | https://pce-atlanta.com/
RED V-Raptor XL: BP40 Creative | https://bp40creative.com/
RED Komodo: Mick Hawkins | http://www.mickhawkins.co/
Canon C500 II: REMEDY | https://remedyfilms.com/
Blackmagic Ursa Mini Pro 4.6K: N/A
Blackmagic Pocket 4K: N/A


0:00 - Intro
0:57 - Cameras
1:13 - Testing Parameters
2:11 - GenLock
2:42 - Why this Test?
3:08 - Daytime Scene Setup
3:16 - RED Komodo + BM Pocket
4:42 - Sony Venice I + Canon C500 II
6:45 - Alexa Mini LF + BM Ursa
8:21 - Alexa 35 + RED V-Raptor XL
9:38 - Night Scene Setup
9:53 - Canon C500 II + Sony Venice I
11:20 - RED Komodo + Alexa Mini LF
13:30 - Alexa 35 + RED V-Raptor XL
15:04 - Takeaways

 

[Zack Birlew]

Spoilers:





Komodo and Sony Venice did the best due to global shutter and super fast cmos refresh. V-Raptor and Alexas showed some banding in the screens due to slower cmos refresh rates, definitely need improvement for this kind of production. Everything else had issues with being too slow.

Now, here's the question for a Part 2, how would other global shutter cameras like the Sony F55, Zcam FS6, and older URSA Mini 4K perform by comparison? Also, other cameras they need to test include URSA 12K, new 8K mirrorless cameras, Kinefinity series, and slow motion Phantom cameras. This also could include new surprises and releases at NAB this year. Virtual Production is quite an interesting development and I'm glad groups like this are helping to show all the potential pitfalls and considerations with the format. Never thought high end RED and Arri cameras would be deemed effectively useless for this but here we are.

 

[Jon Pais]

Never thought high end RED and Arri cameras would be deemed effectively useless for this but here we are.

Except that they aren't useless at all. RED and ARRI cameras have been used in virtual productions using LED volumes with spectacular results.

 

[Phil Holland]

Whelp, I did about 3 months of tests last year doing "exactly this".

Yes, the RED Komodo and Sony Venice did well here. Komodo obviously due to the global shutter.

However, it's very critical for people who do virtual production work to examine one very specific feature on RED V-Raptor bodies that was purpose designed for "this", and that is:
- Sensor Sync Shift

This allows you to tune the Genlock sensor sync to your specific panels and other "influencing hardware" to eliminate any artifacts. There was a rather big studio also doing tests around this time and were very appreciative of that specific feature for numerous reasons.

Anybody doing virtual production needs to examine that feature closely as it solves a lot of potential issues that can arise.

 

[Zack Birlew]

Well, knowing that now I’m wondering if they could add that to a Part 2 to correct their results. I know that RED VRaptor and Alexa must be getting a lot of use on the virtual production side of things but whether there’s fixes and other tricks these productions use to correct any issues, we may never know as flickering and other issues could be happening all the time so unless videos and articles get written, who’s to say there’s a problem? This video showed that there was so if there’s a way to correct it and they didn’t show how to fix things then that’s worthy of a correction and follow up test to show how to get around out-of-the-box issues.

If nothing else, this video is showing the importance of manufacturers coming up with more high refresh rate sensors and global shutter solutions going forward.

 

[rand thompson]

Limitless Potential: An Intro To Virtual Production

by REMEDY

 

[Jon Pais]

Sony announces new Virtual Production Tool Set

From Sony’s press release:

Sony Electronics Inc. is announcing a new Virtual Production Tool Set to help improve pre-production and on-set workflows. The new tool set works with the Sony VENICE, Crystal LED and other HDR-enabled LED walls to improve performance and help solve common virtual production challenges such as color matching and moiré to enhance in-camera visual effects.

“The new Virtual Production Tool Set was born from the voice of our creative community who requested tools to help them leverage In-Camera VFX and improve the overall process,” said Theresa Alesso, President of Imaging Products and Solutions Americas, Sony Electronics Inc. “Thanks to the continued feedback of our customers and collaboration with our partners, we were able to introduce this toolset after rigorous testing.”

Camera and Display Plugin

The Camera and Display Plugin is a software plug-in for Unreal Engine that allows productions to identify and solve common virtual production workflow issues. For example, as individual cameras and LED walls have different color characteristics, one of the most common workflow issues in virtual production is that the Virtual Art Department (VAD) is unable to anticipate the actual color performance of specific cameras.

Sony's new Camera and Display Plugin solves this common problem and others. When installed in Unreal Engine, the Virtual VENICE in the Camera and Display Plugin allows productions to reproduce the settings of the VENICE, VENICE 2, and Crystal LED display. This allows the VAD to create assets using the VENICE's color pipeline during pre-production before expensive crews are on set. The Virtual VENICE feature in the Camera and Display Plugin can also uniquely simulate the camera's exposure index and Neutral Density (ND) filters to recreate shallow depth of field and help productions identify lens choices during pre-production. This plug-in also displays a custom moiré alert, depending on the pixel pitch and other specifications of the wall, to help productions make changes to the camera position and camera movement during the pre-production process to save time on set.

Additionally, the settings of the Virtual VENICE camera and display plugin can easily be exported from the plug-in and transferred to the on-set VENICE and VENICE 2. Finally, the plug-in continues to provide productions with a moiré alert during the shoot – a helpful tool to identify issues that may not be obvious with on-set monitoring but could become apparent in post-production.

Color Calibrator

Sony's new Color Calibrator is a simple and easy-to-use application for Windows 10 to ensure proper color reproduction when shooting LED walls with the VENICE camera. The Color Calibrator eliminates the need for guesswork, reshoots, or complex LUTs on set or in post. Instead, an intuitive interface improves on set workflows by calibrating the look of LED walls, including HDR-enabled LED walls, to the intended look of the VENICE camera.

What was previously a laborious task can now be completed in a matter of minutes – a test pattern is recorded on the production LED wall with the VENICE camera and the Color Calibrator application automatically analyzes the result. A 3D LUT is then generated which can be applied to the LED controller, color management tool or Unreal Engine. This calibration process is easy and repeatable.

The first tool set for virtual production is expected to be available free of charge in the summer of 2023.