Hello.
Let’s make crazy, beautiful things.
I’m Brian Tolle, a Filmmaker and VFX Artist based in Chicago, IL.
I specialize in Environments & Props for Virtual Film Production and XR.
Virtual Production
The term Virtual Production, or VP, conjures marketing images of video walls and in-camera visual effects — the promise of final-pixel images delivered directly from the stage to the editor with no need for pesky post VFX.
But, the hype doesn’t always hold up to (un)reality.
VP does NOT eliminate the need for post VFX.
Virtual Film Production can bring together the traditionally dis-jointed process of visual effects into a more cohesive entity, often referred to as the Virtual Art Department or VAD.
The VAD works across all phases of production to unify VFX production, reducing redundancy and enabling production decisions to be more contextual to the story.
VP is more than ICVFX on an LED volume.
In-Camera VFX, often referred to as ICVFX are intender to produce final pixel VFX in-camera, similar to a rear-projection setup. Live action elements are filmed in front of rendered or filmed backgrounds.
ICVFX can be used to capture final images, but the real power of filming on an LED volume is as a tool for Post VFX pipelines.
Capturing actors with contextual lighting and reflections allows for seamless composites more quickly and cheaply, even when the projected backgrounds are replaced with higher quality renders in with traditional post VFX.
Real Time Compositing allows chroma stage filming to preview complex post VFX while filming, as well as allowing less complex effects to be composited for live streaming.
Data Capture for Post VFX changes the timeframe of post VFX from months to days – at the same or better quality.
Virtual Production per-take data capture removes the need for post camera tracking and animation matching. With as little as a single extra crew member on set and less than $10,000 of equipment, capturing data on set will save a production months of post time and hundreds of thousands of dollars on traditional post VFX pipelines.
Traditional Film Post VFX Pipeline
Pre-Production
Previz generated
by Previz Company
Filming
Previz Viewed as pre-rendered movies and diagrams
Post VFX reference data captured by hand
Post-Production
Editors cut to green footage or rough comps
VFX Camera positions, lenses, environments, actor blocking — all are re-created by hand
Distribution
Image is flattened and delivered for passive viewing
Virtual Production VFX Pipeline
Pre-Production
Previz generated
by VAD
On set filming is planned, sequences prepared for use in VP systems while filming
Filming
ICVFX on LED stages – View VFX in context while filming – Use for final-pixel, or lighting and reflections in post
Real Time Compositing on a chroma stage – Post VFX are viewed in context of filming cameras – Composites may be live streamed
Post VFX Reference data captured per take by VAD
Post-Production
Editors cut to
final picture or
detailed pre-comps
VFX Camera positions, lenses, environments, actor blocking — automated import and registration
Distribution
Image is flattened and delivered for passive viewing
VAD assets available to repurposing to marketing, games, social, etc.
XR
View these objects and locations with your .usdz capable device.
