The Entertainment Technology Center@USC produced a live-action short, “Ripple Effect” to test new technologies and workflows, including the cloud, virtual production, and remote editing and visual effects. The project also introduced and evaluated a variety of tools and procedures that meet or exceed industry standards for a safe set during the COVID-19 pandemic. Executive producer Erik Weaver, the team at ETC, and tech partners have published a white paper that outlines recommendations for virtual production and critical lessons learned during the making of “Ripple Effect.” Continue reading ETC White Paper Details Best Practices for Virtual Production

In a conversation on cloud-enabled virtual production during the HPA Tech Retreat, Jack Wenzinger of Amazon Web Services’ Global M&E Partners vertical asked how those interested in virtual production can retool existing skills. ETC@USC senior consultant Erik Weaver stated that participating in Epic Games’ Unreal Fellowship program was “an eye-opening experience.” “Understanding what a blueprint is and how to put things in a timeline gave me a fundamental understanding,” he said. “I highly recommend watching all the videos you can on Unreal and start walking through the tutorials.” Continue reading HPA Tech Retreat: Cloud-Enabled Virtual Production – Part 2

When COVID-19 hit, Hollywood (and other filmmaking venues) came to a near standstill, with movie theaters closed and productions halted. As DigitalFilm Tree chief executive Ramy Katrib noted, the M&E business is “uniquely unsuited to social distancing.” But Katrib decided to leverage Cinecode, the tools his company built for virtual production, to see if he couldn’t come up with a way to “visualize” safety on the set. At the Entertainment Technology Center@USC, senior consultant Erik Weaver worked with Katrib and beta-tested the result on the live-action short “Ripple Effect.” Continue reading HPA Tech Retreat: ETC’s ‘Ripple Effect’ Beta-Tests Safetyvis

Feature film “Songbird,” directed by Adam Mason, is a thriller based on the COVID-19 pandemic. Shot last summer in Los Angeles, the production used new camera-to-cloud technology that enabled remote participation — including live feedback — by any crew member that couldn’t be on set. Cloud-based video review company Frame.io had been working on the concept, streaming footage from connected cameras over 4G or LTE to remote crew. The company’s C2C solution launches this month. “Songbird” co-producer Max Votolato dubbed it “like having a video village in your pocket.” Continue reading New Camera-to-Cloud Technology Available for Productions

During this week’s MESA Content Workflow Management Forum, Vubiquity will address strategies for how to keep pace with today’s evolving video supply chain. Piers Godden, commercial director EMEA for Vubiquity and Amdocs Media, will discuss the numerous challenges involved with the growing changes to content licensing, material handling costs, processing and distribution. “The time has come for CaaS — Content as a Service,” notes Godden, “the content you want, where you want it, at the flick of a switch.” The online presentation is scheduled for February 25. Continue reading Forum: Vubiquity to Present ‘The Democratization of Content’

On January 20, the Entertainment Technology Center at USC presented a Digital Town Square, the second of two “Ripple Effect” events. The 2.5-hour online program — “Breaking Down ‘Ripple Effect’ Part 2: Virtual Production” — was co-sponsored by Microsoft Azure and led by Erik Weaver, ETC Adaptive Production director and executive producer of “Ripple Effect.” The program examined lessons learned and virtual production principles of the live-action short. The keynotes, panels and fireside chat are currently available on ETC’s YouTube Channel. Continue reading ETC Publishes Videos of ‘Ripple Effect’ Digital Town Square

At the recent CES 2021, Samsung showcased its Digital Cockpit, a 49-inch QLED screen with a sound system that can be pulled up in front of a car’s windshield to turn the vehicle into an office, gaming room or video recording studio. The concept was first introduced at CES 2018 and has been exhibited in an updated version every year since then. This year’s Digital Cockpit was developed with Harman. Samsung stated that the 2021 Cockpit aims to “focus on simplifying communication and delivering fun on-the-go experiences.” Continue reading CES: Samsung Intros New Version of Digital Cockpit for Cars

First announced in November of last year, Sony unveiled a drone at CES 2021 that the company says is the smallest of its kind capable of accommodating a Sony Alpha mirrorless camera for professional photography and producing video projects. While Sony did not reveal pricing or specs, the drone is is said to be shipping sometime this spring. The quadcopter design shown during the all-digital CES featured two landing gear extensions that are designed to retract during flight so they do not get in the way of shooting stills or video. Continue reading CES: Airpeak Drone Designed for Capturing Photos and Video

The Entertainment Technology Center@USC’s next Digital Town Square will examine virtual production principles and lessons learned in the second of two programs breaking down production of the live-action short “Ripple Effect.” The virtual event, co-sponsored by Microsoft Azure, is free and open to the public. In the keynote address, Isaac Campos will analyze his 12-year journey in the LED panel market and describe the latest tools and technologies. Event panels and talks will address topics such as VAD (virtual art department) development and how to build a large LED volume. Register online now for this special event, scheduled for January 20, 1:00-3:30 PST. Continue reading TOMORROW: ETC Digital Town Square on Virtual Production

The Entertainment Technology Center@USC’s next Digital Town Square will examine virtual production principles and lessons learned in the second of two programs breaking down production of the live-action short “Ripple Effect.” The virtual event, co-sponsored by Microsoft Azure, is free and open to the public. In the keynote address, Isaac Campos will analyze his 12-year journey in the LED panel market and describe the latest tools and technologies. Event panels and talks will address topics such as VAD (virtual art department) development and how to build a large LED volume. Register online now for this special event, scheduled for January 20, 1:00-3:30 PST. Continue reading ETC Digital Town Square: Virtual Production Lessons Learned

Sony plans to sell modular “virtual set” displays similar to those used by Industrial Light & Magic and Epic Games to create the sets for “The Mandalorian.” The C-Series displays, which rely on MicroLEDs, will be part of its Crystal LED line aimed at the digital signage market. The modular panels can be connected to a controller. The B-Series displays will be marketed for use in movie production. According to Sony, they can operate at 1,800 nits. In comparison, Apple Pro Display XDR peaks at 1,600 nits. Continue reading Sony Showcases Modular, Hi-Resolution Virtual Set Displays

During the seventh installment of ETC@USC’s Executive Coffee with… series, Vubiquity CEO Darcy Antonellis posed an intriguing question for USC students: “If you were asked to create the educational system of the future, what would learning look like for college-age students or post-grads such as yourself?” Graduate and undergraduate students from the USC School of Cinematic Arts and the Iovine and Young Academy participated in this lively November 4 discussion. Students expressed interest in online schedules, networking meet-ups, collaboration and support, the technology gap, group-based learning and more. Continue reading ETC Executive Coffee: A Talk with Vubiquity’s Darcy Antonellis

The Entertainment Technology Center@USC’s next Digital Town Square will examine virtual production principles and lessons learned in the second of two programs breaking down production of the live-action short “Ripple Effect.” The virtual event, co-sponsored by Microsoft Azure, is free and open to the public. In the keynote address, Isaac Campos will analyze his 12-year journey in the LED panel market and describe the latest tools and technologies. Event panels and talks will address topics such as VAD (virtual art department) development and how to build a large LED volume. Register online now for this special event, scheduled for January 20, 1:00-3:30 PST. Continue reading ETC Digital Town Square: Virtual Production Lessons Learned

As part of ETC@USC’s Executive Coffee with… series, M&E leaders connected via Zoom with eight engineering students, three cinema students and one business student on October 29. The topic of discussion was “Production in the Cloud for Media and Entertainment; content and experience creation, distribution, interaction, and analytics.” Students were particularly interested in new advances related to areas such as production workflow, asset management, gaming, remote collaboration for live music, and the impact of analytics on content creation. Continue reading ETC Executive Coffee: Students, Execs Talk Cloud Resources

California Film Commission executive director Colleen Bell said Hollywood production is slowly but steadily coming back. In March, all projects approved under the California film and TV tax credit program requested force majeure to retain their tax credits, and now 10 of them have resumed production since June 12. Still, the number of on-location film permits in Los Angeles declined 7.6 percent from October to November while production in Vancouver and Toronto are at pre-pandemic levels although movie theaters are shuttered. Continue reading Productions Return Slowly in California But Boom in Canada