GOLIATH - Virtual Production Short Film

Описание: ‪@UnrealEngine‬ ‪@orbitalvs‬@Silverdraft Supercomputing ‪@EpicGamesStore‬
Created using UNREAL ENGINE

Starring JULIE ZHAN as 'Sparrowhawk' and GLORIA TSAI as 'Goliath'
Written, Directed, Edited and Virtual Production Supervisor - DON BITTERS
Produced By - LEAH ROBSON
Cinematography By - LEO JAMARILLO
Stunt Coordinator - MAX HEAVENRICH
Tracking - MARK POLETTI
Mocap Advisor - JAMES CROAK
Sound Design and Mixing by - KYLE BOWES
Music by JAMES VADER
Visual Effects by 3RD FILMS (www.3rdFilms.com)

GOLIATH made use of many innovations by the creative and technical minds on the project. These innovations made the wall more than just a background or set extension. It allowed us to change how we make a film, and opened up a world of possibilty for story telling.

Live Mocap - More than just VFX
Working with Unreal Engine and a motion capture suit, we were able to have our 20-story tall antagonist be more than just a CGI creature. It became a live performance, letting our live action actress and mocap actress (through the CGI creature she was inhabiting) interact and perform together in real time. No more acting against tennis balls or green screen. Actors can focus on acting again, with all the nuance and feedback of a performance preserved on screen.

With live mocap we also were able to show scale unlike anyone has ever seen. Our entire LED volume could be placed on the Goliath's hand, allowing our mocap actress to control the world. Every move of her hand immersed us further in the world, whether we were soaring into the sky or being brought face to face with our giant. We were able to capture shots and moments that would have been incredibly complicated to do in post, all in camera, ready for the edit.

Pixel Pitch and Stunts
With a tight 1.5mm pixel pitch, we've reclaimed the stage. Traditional virtual production stages with wider pixel pitches limit how much of the stage can be used for production, and require much larger builds, as camera is required to maintain a 15-20 foot distance from the walls at all times. With our technology, we can be as close as 3 feet from the walls and still maintain fantastic visual fidelity. This allowed us to film fast action and stunts without worrying about breaking the illusion, or fighting the technology.

Post Production Ease
With so much control and flexibility, the speed of production was massively sped up. Over only 2 days we were able to film intense stunts, multiple locations and setups. And when pickups were needed, we were able to bring up the scene and shoot everything we needed in a mere hour, including a shot of our hero falling through the air, without any stunt required. A shot that would have been impossible to do in camera any other way.

We also were able to bring the same assets used in production, the Goliath, the environment, and the motion capture animation data, and use all of it to save countless hours in post production. Now real time film-quality assets can be used not just for in-camera VFX, but post vfx as well. CGI shots that would have taken weeks with traditional workflows could now be completed in days or even hours.