What is Virtual Production?
Learn what Virtual Production is, why it's important to the screen and gaming industries, and see the first VP short film shot on the island of Ireland.
Introduction
Virtual production is a film industry technology revolutionising the way films are made.
Combining physical and virtual elements, it allows filmmakers to unleash their creativity during production by creating and editing in real-time. Filmmakers can instantly swap out locations, time of day, costumes, visual effects and more to get the shot they want, making it a more cost-effective option than traditional film production. With virtual production, “fix it in post” becomes “fix it in pre” where you can prepare all your virtual assets in advance so you get it right on the day.
Applications of virtual production go far beyond film into the gaming, animation, broadcasting and virtual reality sectors too, meaning the potential for virtual production is virtually limitless.
Why Virtual Production?
Here are just some of the reasons why virtual production is crucial to the future of filmmaking, animation, gaming and virtual reality, and how it can benefit the creative industries in Northern Ireland.
- Rapid adoption of virtual production across screen industries worldwide
- Lack of capacity in facilities globally
- Future-proof
- Significant potential for research and development (R&D)
- It sits at the nexus of film, broadcast, animation, games and immersive technology
- Complementary strengths in the Universities and in the local ecosystem
- High potential to cultivate local talent and skills
- It can drive social and cultural dividends and regeneration
- Potential for foreign direct investment (FDI) for Northern Ireland
- Potential for local growth
A Thing Called Joy
‘A Thing Called Joy’ is the first virtual production short film shot by Taunt Studios on an in-camera visual effects stage on the island of Ireland and the first in any university in the UK. Shot in January 2022, this short film investigates the potential of real-time in-camera visual effects for film and showcases just some of the possibilities presented to filmmakers looking to explore the world of virtual production.
Behind the Scenes
Take a peek behind the camera and see how the cast and crew came together in January 2022 to create the landmark short film, 'A Thing Called Joy'.