INTRODUCTION

Over the past few years, XR Virtual Video Production has been on the rise. Our team at Dual is always on the search for cutting edge ways to tell our stories, so we have made it a point to learn and implement Virtual Video Production into our client work. XR or Extended Reality, utilizes large curved LED screens called XR walls to create scenes that may be difficult or impossible to practically capture without expensive green screen and visual effects work. Many XR productions use Unreal Engine, a popular tool for video game creators and 3D artists. These 3D worlds are displayed on the XR Wall and are paired with the cameras, so when the camera moves the world moves with it, giving the impression that you are filming and looking around in a true 3D environment. This is further emulated by using real actors, objects, and physical set builds to bring depth and action to the foreground of the scenes. The possibilities of XR video production are just beginning to be realized, with many large scale production companies already using it including Disney and ESPN.

SAMPLE PROJECTS

Two of our clients needed golf themed videos, so with the help of XR, we were able to knock both out over the course of two days. The first was a 30 second narrative golf-themed commercial for Beats Headphones. The other was a short 10-15 second promotional sizzle for the Uneekor Golf Simulator brand. The two projects used XR technology in vastly different ways: the Beats spot used an Unreal Engine map to sell a virtual golf hole as reality, where the Uneekor promo used branded motion graphics displayed on the wall to create visually exciting scenes for our models and actors to work in front of.

We budgeted one half-day for pre-lighting and set building, and one 10-hour shoot day for the actual execution of the shoot. The day of our shoot, the searing Minnesota summer heat was in full swing with outside temperatures touching 100°. If our shoot had been scheduled on an actual golf course, we would have been miserable at the very least, with the possibility of the production being pushed all together for safety.

OUR APPROACH

For our Beats Headphones shoot, our visual artist quickly created a golf hole in Unreal Engine. During this process, the benefits of using Unreal Engine became extremely apparent. We created a hole that was a wonder of nature, with towering mountains - something you certainly wouldn’t find in Minnesota; but most importantly we had a sun, clouds, and wind that were fully adjustable to help us lock in what time of day and under what conditions we wanted to shoot our scenes. As our virtual world was coming together, our production team crafted a physical tee box for our actor to stand on to help sell the virtual background. We brought in turf, rock, sand, and plants to fully create this immersive environment. We shaped the studio lighting to illuminate our physical subjects the way the sun would, creating one seamless believable world. Not having to the chase the sun allowed us to work at a fast and comfortable pace, giving us the flexibility to do multiple takes under the same lighting conditions, a benefit definitely not found when shooting outdoors. Due to this, we finished the Beats commercial far ahead of schedule, and it gave us a lot of time to play and get crafty with our Uneekor brand shoot.

CONCLUSION

Both our team and our clients were thrilled with how the projects turned out. The advantages of XR can’t be overstated. From shooting indoors and avoiding weather and lighting concerns, to minimizing travel logistics, to the vast amount of time saved; XR is efficient and valuable. But what really sets XR apart is the ability to create new worlds all together. The potential here is undeniable, and Dual is proud to be on the forefront of this exploration and beyond excited to see what we can create for our clients while saving them time and money.