Sony has unveiled a new virtual production tool set to help improve pre-production and on-set workflows. The new tool set works with the Sony Venice camera, 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.”
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 is unable to anticipate the actual color performance of specific cameras.
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.
The initial Virtual Production Tool Set will be available at no cost sometime this year.
Sony www.sonycine.com