With virtual production still in its youth, workflows and jargon can vary from project to project. Four specialists reflect on the importance of clear on-set communication for successful collaboration in the volume.  If there’s a single imperative that characterises more or less everything that’s said about virtual production in 2023, it’s the critical need for … Read more
The rise of virtual production has proven a learning curve for both students and lecturers in academia. Get to know the initiatives futureproofing the next generation’s skills set. Bringing new people up to speed on a technology is tough. When that technology is yet to find its final form, it’s even tougher. Even so, the … Read more
DPs, VFX supervisors, and producers discuss the myriad of factors to consider, including shooting schedules, bespoke versus existing LED stage, the needs of the scene, and the hot topic of the year – copyright issues as they relate to AI-generated content. As more productions consider virtual production, we explore some of the elements that should … Read more
As ever more virtual production studios open their doors, filmmakers are spoiled for choice by the facilities available in the UK and beyond. But narrowing down the perfect stage for your requirements can be tricky. Lots of people will expect to stroll into a virtual production studio and see a giant LED videowall and camera … Read more
As virtual production technology matures, the creative freedom it offers opens a world of possibility for filmmakers. Virtual production, most would agree, not a topic that needs a ground-up introduction anymore. The success of several well-known productions has provoked a gold rush of new facilities and interested users, although LED walls and their associated tools … Read more
DEATH IN VENICE Kenneth Branagh reprises his role as Hercule Poirot in A Haunting in Venice. Haris Zambarloukos BSC GSC on the film explains how he used the aptly named Sony VENICE 2 for a brand-new attempt at a story released 54 years ago. Venice, with its labyrinthine canals, decaying grandeur and eerie ambiance, is … Read more
TAKE OFF FOR THE SONY BURANO Introducing the newest Sony Cinema Line camera, the BURANO, with a high-flying short film that premieres at Camerimage: The Wingman, shot by James Friend ASC BSC. James Friend ASC BSC eyes an F-type Jaguar through a circular polarising filter, checking the reflections in its immaculate bodywork. A Sony BURANO … Read more
COMPACT CREATIVITY Cinematographers Oren Soffer and Greig Fraser ASC ACS discuss the crucial role scaled back kit and flexible, agile cameras played in realising Gareth Edwards’ ambitions for sci-fi spectacular, The Creator. When Oren Soffer signed on for The Creator, he was intrigued by the intended approach of director/producer/co-writer Gareth Edwards and fellow cinematographer Greig … Read more
HELPING HAND Created by Sony to address the demand for a smaller camera without sacrificing quality, the Rialto Extension System has revolutionised large-format digital filmmaking. The unique design of the Sony VENICE, introduced in 2017, revolutionised high-end digital motion picture photography. It’s been used as the main camera on everything from Avatar: The Way of … Read more
A LIFE IN MONOCHROME Samuel Beckett, a towering figure in 20th-century literature, is the subject of the biopic Dance First. Cinematographer Antonio Paladino sheds light on the choice of black-and-white cinematography and the equipment deployed to bring the director’s vision to the big screen. Numerous films, stage productions and other adaptations have masterfully captured Samuel … Read more
PERFECT MATCH The ultimate accessories for the new Burano: take your pick from Sony’s range of lenses and audio solutions. SONY LENSES Ideal for your documentary shooting with Burano. SELP28135G – 28-135mm Power Zoom Full Frame A powered zoom that delivers the precision and quality that top formats demand, with minimum breathing and image shift. … Read more
NET GAINS Marinette tells the life story of the first woman French football player to sign a professional contract. DOP Xavier Dolléans AFC explains how his Sony VENICE scored on and off the pitch. In the diverse history of films delving into the lives of female footballers, ranging from captivating documentaries to light-hearted comedies, the dramatic … Read more
SONY OPENS UK VIRTUAL PRODUCTION SPACE Sony has marked ten years of its Digital Media Production Centre (DMPC) in Europe at Pinewood Studios with a first UK virtual production unit using Sony Crystal-LED technology. The state-of-the-art space has become part of the DMPC in Europe, one of the world’s leading destinations for makers of film, television, and … Read more
THINKING GREEN Sustainability is no compromise, it is the doorway to creative possibility, says Gildas Pelliet, Head of Pan European Imaging Products & Solutions for Sony Europe. Cinema and TV screens show us a beautiful spectrum of colours, however the film and TV industries definitely prefer green. Finding more environmentally-friendly ways to film has shot … Read more
IN THE DRIVING SEAT Rialto brings many degrees of freedom to Gran Turismo. Gran Turismo director of photography Jacques Jouffret ASC is no stranger to action. With a DP credit list that includes Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, The Purge series, and Mile 22, as well as several films operating Steadicam and camera for Michael Bay, … Read more
CRYSTAL CLEAR Sony adds the VERONA to its Crystal LED range of displays, offering deep blacks, low reflectance, and modular flexibility for volume shooting. First announced in January 2021, Sony’s Crystal range of LED displays has been aimed at various large-scale display applications including live events. Now the corporation has announced VERONA, an evolution of … Read more
SINGLE OPERATORS SOAR WITH SONY BURANO Sony has announced a new digital cinema camera, the BURANO. With an 8.6K full-frame sensor, internal 16-bit X-OCN LT recording and both PL and E-mount support, the BURANO is aimed at small crews and single operators. At a Pinewood Studios rendered eerily quiet by the strikes, British Cinematographer joined … Read more
A close-up look at the latest lighting trends. The first thing that gaffer Julian White brings up is that, despite the fanfare still surrounding new releases, LED lights are no longer a new technology. “The first time I used an LED battery light was probably at least 13 years ago. The Asteras were one thing, … Read more
The question of whether a virtual production stage’s videowall counts as a lighting device is still vexed, even as the technique in general becomes a comfortable part of the mainstream. One of the people who is perhaps best placed to address the issue of lighting for virtual production is Markus Förderer ASC BVK, cinematographer on … Read more
The last decade has seen incredible developments in the field of lighting thanks to the constant pursuit of power and sophistication.  When things move as fast as lighting recently has, it’s easy to feel almost ambushed by change. That’s something people feel keenly in an industry which expects them to maintain an intimate familiarity with … Read more