News Highlights

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 commercials. The centre allows broadcasters, production companies, and technicians time with Sony’s experts in cinematography. The team have unrivalled experience working on the world’s biggest motion pictures and tutor groups and individuals on how to use the best technology in cinematography.

“Virtual production is set to be the next technological step change for cinematographers, and we were keen to provide them with a space where they can learn and experiment the opportunities offered by virtual production,” commented Will Newman, DMPC manager at Sony. “There’s nothing really like getting hands on, and we know that the combination of our Venice cameras and Crystal-LED screens are the perfect way to achieve excellent quality images.”

At the heart of British cinema, Pinewood Studios, filmmakers can now learn how to use virtual production as it becomes a critical part of the cinema industry, as well as continuing to explore Sony’s Cinema line and CineAlta cameras, including the world-renowned Venice and Venice 2, as well as the newly launched Burano. The space is pioneering in that it is always available for anyone from directors of photography to actors to walk in, test out Sony’s equipment and speak to experts about the best ways to use Sony technology. No appointment is needed.

The UK launch follows the successful opening of Sony’s first virtual production studio in Europe, in Paris in February 2023.

For more about Sony’s virtual production solutions, visit: pro.sony/virtualproduction

The opening of Sony’s virtual production unit at Pinewood places it at the heart of British cinema

VENICE 2 FIRMWARE UPDATES ARRIVING EARLY 2024

FX6 Version 4.0 and Venice 2 Version 2.1 was released in summer 2023 and a major new upgrade for the Venice 2, Version 3.0, will be available in early 2024.

Venice 2 Version 3.0 was designed based on feedback from the filmmaking community and includes a new frame line generator, enhanced high frame rate anamorphic modes, and improved functionality for live events.

By popular request, Version 3.0 will support a new external frame line generator tool. Sony’s new frame line generator will enable import/export capability for frame line generation. In addition, Version 3.0 will improve high frame rate modes, allowing filmmakers to shoot 90 fps with 2x anamorphic lenses, while a new 33.333 variable FPS has been added for anti-flicker at 50Hz. Version 3.0 will also include features to help improve the colour fidelity of in-camera VFX when mixing standard production lighting and LED volumes.

In addition, Version 3.0 will add new functionality to further enhance the VENICE 2’s use for the growing live cinematic multicam market. Version 3.0 will improve the paint menu and RM/RCP Control for live content production, including added adjustments for saturation, skin detail, white balance, and shutter – even when RCP/RM paint control is off. Version 3.0 will also enable 3D-LUT selection when RCP/RM paint control is on.

Venice 2 Version 3.0 firmware was designed based on industry feedback

VIRTUAL PRODUCTION TOOL SET TO IMPROVE WORKFLOWS

Sony’s new Virtual Production Tool Set aims 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 colour 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 Sebastian Leske, head of cinema business development, Sony Europe. “Thanks to the continued feedback of our customers and our partnership with Epic Games, we were able to introduce this toolset after rigorous testing.”

When installed in Unreal Engine, Sony’s new Camera and Display Plugin allows productions to reproduce the settings of the Venice, Venice 2, and Crystal LED display. This allows the virtual art department to create assets using the VENICE’s colour pipeline during pre-production before expensive crews are on set.

Sony’s Colour Calibrator is a simple and easy-to-use application for Windows 10 to ensure proper colour reproduction when shooting LED walls with the VENICE camera. The Colour 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.

Exclusive stories and exciting new content shot with the new Virtual Production Tool Set as well as the Sony Venice can be found at pro.sony/virtualproduction

The Virtual Production Tool Set allows filmmakers to leverage in-camera VFX

VERONA CRYSTAL LED PANELS LAUNCHED TO SUPPORT FILMMAKERS

Sony has unveiled four new Crystal-LED displays, called Verona, designed for virtual production applications.

The panels introduce market-leading features such as Deep Black and Anti-Reflective Surface Technology. These newly developed innovations deliver both deep black image expression and low-reflection performance that greatly reduces contrast loss caused by light from adjacent LED displays and studio lighting equipment. This technology significantly reduces the difference in contrast between the image projected on the LED display and the actor(s) performing in front of it on set – blending virtual and reality in the most natural way, reducing time and cost required for post-shooting adjustments.

In addition to the extraordinary black levels and low reflection, Verona achieves a high brightness of 1,500 cd/m2 and wide colour gamut covering more than 97% of DCI-P* to reproduce realistic shooting locations. It also employs high performance LED driver ICs, which enable high refresh rated up to 7,680Hz, to drastically reduces scanline artifacts on the camera. Both new models, the ZRD-VP15EB/23EB and ZRD-VP15EM/23EM, are available in P1.56mm and P2.31mm pixel pitch.

University of the Arts London (UAL) has signed the first deal to install the first Verona displays, to create a state-of-the-art, research-grade virtual production stage for frontier exploration of ambitious creative possibilities.

“Sony have an extraordinary legacy operating at the intersection between cinematic imaging, colour science and advanced display technology,” said Marcus Saunders, UAL’s associate director, Technical Resources. “The VERONA display is strikingly different and will deliver a huge leap forward in our research aims, pushing at the very fabric of what if visually possible in the exciting emergent field of in camera visual effects (ICVFX).”

Get to know the new Sony Verona: pro.sony/VERONA