Sony and Movie People expand collaboration to create VP system based on Crystal LED VERONA

Against the backdrop of the transformation of the media sector linked to the meeting of physical and virtual audiovisual production scenarios, Sony and Movie People have established a partnership aimed at integrating cutting-edge technologies with the most advanced industry expertise.

The prestigious ultra-modern Virtual Production project will be realised in the Movie People production studios in Viale Berbera in Milan, with the aim of creating a centre of excellence for film, advertising and television productions, offering creatives state-of-the-art techniques for enriching visual narrative.

At the heart of the project will be the Sony Crystal-LED VERONA, consisting of 280 Display Cabinets with a pixel pitch of 1.56 mm, to create a ‘main volume’ operating space of around 70 square metres. The LED-Wall will also be complemented by the ceiling panel with mobile structure, and equipped with a pixel pitch of 2.31 mm, to support the ideal setting and the construction of uncompromising lighting scenarios.

The equipment is enriched with two mobile LED-Panels measuring 3×2 m with a pixel pitch of 1.56 mm useful for multiple applications such as: Tabletop, Packshots, Animation and Window back picture.

In a virtual production, visual development is managed through a complex setting process and in this sense Sony, also through the feedback of Movie People experts, has made available exclusive tools, such as: Virtual Production Tool set and Colour Calibrator, which are fundamental for setting up the cameras in the pre-production phase to the benefit of production time and studio commitment costs.

The strengths Movie People has identified about VERONA:

• Lower energy consumption – about 30 per cent less than similarly pitched panels on the market with a reduction in total cost of ownership (TCO) over time.
• Reduced heat emission – No need for a dedicated air conditioning system, also relevant for TCO costs.
• Outstanding image quality, 1,500 cd/m2* and a colour space covering more than 97%* of DCI-P3, deep black, anti-reflection technology and high refresh rate.
• Flexibility and ease of installation with robust features. Simplified and fast maintenance – Quick module replacement minimises downtime.
• Purity of black reproduction as a critical performance to best emulate physical scenery and the anti-reflection treatment of panels, a crucial feature for DoP when dealing with incident light and ambient reflections.

Movie People, in its prestigious position as a film rental company for shooting systems, has a wide range of VENICE and VENICE2 full frame cameras with Rialto, which offer Cinematographers the best dynamic and colour matching with the VERONA screen.

In addition, the aim is to use the supplied motion control systems (Technodolly and Bolt_X) and the other motorised camera supports developed in-house to move from pre-production to production days with maximum efficiency. Undoubtedly, the advantage in this respect will be the pre-calibration of the entire lens park.

“Movie People has always been committed to innovation in order to maintain the best service offering for our customers, and with Sony we have found an excellent partner capable of combining cutting-edge technology with design skills that guarantee the best integration in the complete Virtual Production solution,” said Mario Maronati, president and founder, Movie People. “We have been working with Sony for over twenty years and our relationship has always been one of trust. It was precisely this element that guided us to choose the C-Led VERONA solution and to support the evolution of our virtual studio proposition.”

“The development of the technology strongly reflects the market needs that arise from the involvement of experienced users who are able to transfer the quality and operational requirements of the solutions,” commented Benito Manlio Mari, Senior Sales Manager, Regional Sales South, Sony. “Sony and Movie People have always placed a focus on value exchange that reflects the right time and performance to succeed in the market. Thanks to our Professional Service team, who worked shoulder-to-shoulder with Movie People engineers, the VP solution with C-Led VERONA was a crescendo of design refinements and integration to form the most advanced and competitive virtual studio,” Mari concludes.