With the development of the entertainment industry, more and more TV and online programs start to use virtual studio technology on a large scale. The emergence of VR technology has made the audience refreshed. “LED display+XR technology” is gradually changing the traditional way of film and television production. We will discuss how to create a perfect XR cinematographyl solution from four aspects in this article. Including, the overview of XR technology film and television shooting, the advantages of LED virtual studio, the three-dimensional space of LED display, and the case appreciation.
1. LED Virtual Studio Overview
Forbes had predicted in 2019 that the XR market will grow eightfold in the next two years. And the market size will exceed $209 billion by 2022. Why is XR so hot recently? A direct reason is the rapidly growing online live streaming industry. The rise of the live broadcast industry provides good soil for its development.
The continuous breakthrough of XR technical bottlenecks produces revolutionary application experience upgrades. Both XR technology virtual engine and LED large-screen display technology are not only at the technical research level but further integrated into our life scenes.
1.1 What is XR technology?
XR (Extended Reality) is a general term, including AR, VR, MR, and other levels. It aims to achieve the integration and transformation from the real environment to the virtual environment. At present, XR is the mainstream of the virtual studio industry.
It has a special meaning in the production of film and television, radio, and live entertainment. In content production, it is referred to as a workflow that includes LED display screens, camera tracking systems, and powerful graphics engines. VR filming is a production method that places performers in a virtual world in real-time.
The most notable feature of this shooting method is that it does not require green screens and post-production processes.
1.2 VR, AR and MR
(1) VR (Virtual Reality): The combination of virtual and display. VR is a computer simulation system that can create and experience virtual worlds. It creates a perfectly immersive 100% virtual world through sensor input. The multi-sensory and interactive nature of VR technology makes it popular with many people.
(2) AR (Augmented Reality): AR technology enables a skillful fusion of virtual information and the real world. The two types of information complement each other, thereby enabling an “enhancement” of the real world. Virtual images take reality as the main body and are superimposed. It uses multimedia, three-dimensional modeling, real-time tracking, intelligent interaction, and other technical means.
(3) MR (Mixed Reality): This technology presents an information loop of interactive feedback between the real world, the virtual world, and the user. Presenting virtual scene information in the reality scene contributes to enhancing the realism of the user experience. Simply put, MR is a new visual environment after the fusion of real and virtual worlds.
1.3 Application of XR Technology in Digital Broadcast Media Production
In LED virtual studio, technicians can create an immersive and all-around environment on the LED display stage by combining XR technology, camera dynamic tracking, and real-time rendering technology. It creates 3D visual effects, and the required scenes can be presented directly in the shooting process.
Studio LED Electronic Green Screen
The application scenarios of XR technology shooting are wide. Such as film and television production, advertising shooting, TV stations, studios, live broadcasts, online press conferences, etc.
1.4 How XR Studio Works
In XR production, a high-quality LED display (usually rendered as a ring or dome screen) simultaneously displays a 3D virtual environment preloaded by the graphics engine.
These LED screens also form the background of film and television shooting or live broadcast events. The technologies used by XR mainly include a camera tracking system, virtual studio software platform, media server, real-time rendering engine, etc. The image below briefly shows how it works.
2. LED Screens VS. Green Screens
Although LED displays and green screens have similar roles in film and television shooting, there are still differences in different shooting methods. In addition to the production process, the differences between the LED displays and the green screens are also obvious in the following aspects.
2.1 The production process
(1) Traditional green screen filming:
Place physical backgrounds and build green screen backgrounds
Shoot video content
Perform video post-processing, including background content, modeling
Complete the production
(2) LED display background shooting:
Build LED display studio
Shoot video content, XR real-time synchronous rendering
Complete the production
2.2 Editing post-production vs. editing during production
Green screen photography has a long history. Before LED screens were popular in film and television shooting, green screens played an important role.
The focus of green cloth shooting is post-processing. Actors usually perform imaginatively in front of a green/blue screen. After computer post-processing, the director can see the final image after the combination of performance and special effects.
The shooting method using the LED display screen as the background has the characteristics of real-time. The filming team can edit what’s playing on the monitor in real-time.
Pixels are also precisely tracked for perspective calibration of high-resolution rendered 3D images. XR shooting allows the director to directly experience the real-time picture on the spot, shortening the workflow and greatly reducing the post-production workload.
2.3 Overall costs
Generally speaking, the price of high-resolution LED display screens is much higher than that of green screens. But LED displays are more versatile than green screens. On the one hand, the post-production of green screens requires more capital and human input than LED displays. With this factor in mind, green screen production isn’t cheap either.
On the other hand, virtual production can effectively reduce crew transportation costs and environmental waiting costs for location shooting. Simply put, you can reproduce and modify the desired environment at any time without having to wait for the rain or sunset.
3. Advantages of virtual scene shooting
XR film and television shooting are different from traditional shooting methods. In general, you can feel the advantages of virtual shooting in three aspects: realistic scenes, efficient shooting, and cost savings. Shoot with a virtual scene will save 50% of your overall time.
Next, let’s take a closer look.
3.1 Real-time rendering of virtual engines
The LED virtual studio enables unparalleled creative flexibility through real-time rendering and unlimited scaling of real-time content.
On the one hand, the virtual engine can drive the pixels on the LED curtain wall in real-time. On the other hand, it can manipulate the virtual scenes and effects on the curtain wall. Finally, it creates a more realistic shooting scene.
3.2 Simulation ambient Light
Compared with the traditional green screen, the 3D LED giant screen stage presents more accurate light source highlights, reflections, and bounces. So a virtual scene obtains more realistic light and shadow effects and detailed color performance. And it solves complex and difficult precise lighting problems and creates a more natural shooting scene.
3.3 Authentic experience and perception
The virtual space is the biggest challenge for the actor’s performance and the director’s control. LED display screens can construct the most realistic and immersive shooting scene. During the shooting, the actors can quickly enter the role in the virtual scene without relying on imagination.
3.4 Virtual scene function
Technicians can conduct scene scouting in the LED virtual studio, pre-set certain scenes in advance according to requirements. When the shooting starts, the staff can quickly call up the configured scene picture. The director of photography can have better control over the color on the spot.
3.5 Instant composite output video
Producers no longer need to build a huge and cumbersome green screen. 3D modeling and rendering a realistic forest scene only takes 1 hour. At the same time, the shooting method of “LED display + XR technology” can realize the free conversion of the shooting scene. It can reduce the shooting and post-production time to improve the shooting efficiency and reduce the cost of film production time.
4. Create a Three-dimensional Space With LED Displays
Example of an XR scene
XR virtual production is a new shooting method in recent years. For one thing, it injects technological power into the traditional film and television industry. For another thing, it also brings a different audition experience to the audience.
The success of this shooting technology is inseparable from the help of a high-resolution 3D LED display. LED screens can provide a more immersive and realistic background for show shooting.
In film and television production, more and more shooting teams choose LED screens as the background. “LED display+XR technology” is a good idea to simulate the real environment for film and television production.
Xingwei LED can provide a curved LED screen, sky screen, and ground screen. The three-dimensional semi-immersive space that they constitute can replace the conventional green screen. Our products include video walls, floor tiles, and sky screens. All products support HDR image quality, the gray level is 16bits, and the refresh rate is up to 7680Hz.
5. Why Choose Xingwei LED?
Xingwei LED has a modern factory of more than 10,000 square meters. Strong production capacity guarantees our reliable delivery capability. At the same time, Xingwei attaches great importance to independent research and development. Xingwei LED is your trusted supplier to provide perfect LED virtual studio solutions.
5.1 Years of industry experience
Xingwei has rich experience in LED displays R&D and manufacturing.
Our products are widely used in LED digital stages, stage performance, and other fields. They have won unanimous praise from domestic and foreign customers. In many countries and regions, it has successfully created many excellent cases of LED virtual studio.
5.2 Reliable products
The LED display screen provided by Xingwei has a perfect display effect and reliable performance. It can perfectly meet the needs of high-definition picture quality in film and television production. Our products use the most reliable components. The product quality is good, the display effect is good, and the service life is long.
5.3 Strong R&D capability
The ability of independent research and development is a crucial factor to measure the comprehensive strength of a company.
Xingwei LED has built a first-class R&D team consisting of hundreds of people with rich experience and strong power.
In addition to high-quality products, we will also provide you with strong technical support and after-sales service.
5.4 Professional customized service
Xingwei led insists on the customer, and everything is based on the customer’s needs. The company has provided tailor-made solutions for many creative application projects around the world. You can contact us for any needs.
6. Related Cases
LED digital virtual studio integrates the latest LED display technology and virtual camera system, spatial positioning system, real-time rendering system. All systems work together, operate humanized, complement, and strengthen each other. You can achieve stunning professional video shooting results.
Combined with XR technology, an LED digital virtual studio has many advantages. Xingwei LED has successfully provided many excellent cases for foreign customers.
7. Conclusion
The black technology combination of “LED large screen + XR virtual shooting” has become a new favorite in film and television production.
Today we introduced the XR film and television shooting solution from several aspects. Including XR technology introduction, advantages, and working principle. Then the reason why we choose LED display instead of a green screen.
Finally, we introduce to you some excellent cases of Xingwei LED in XR film and television shooting. If you want to know more about the LED virtual studio, just leave us a message directly!