Mo-Sys Takes Virtual Production To A Truer Focus
Mo-Sys has solved a major creative limitation when using an LED volume for virtual production.
Mo-Sys Cinematic XR Focus enables Cinematographers to seamlessly pull focus between real and virtual worlds.
Cinematographers who needed to pull focus between real foreground objects – such as actors – and virtual objects displayed on an LED wall – such as a car - have been unable to do this as the lens focal plane stops at the LED wall, meaning the car always remains out of focus.
Now, with Cinematic XR Focus, Focus Pullers using the same wireless lens control system they’re used to, can pull focus seamlessly from real objects through the LED wall to focus on virtual objects that appear to be positioned behind the LED wall. The reverse focus pull is also possible.
Cinematic XR Focus is an option for Mo-Sys’ virtual production software VP Pro working with Mo-Sys’ StarTracker camera tracking technology. Cinematic XR Focus synchronises the lens controller with the output of the Unreal Engine graphics, relying on StarTracker to constantly track the distance between the camera and the LED wall. The solution is available from Mo-Sys and is compatible with Preston wireless lens controllers (Hand Unit 3 and MDR-3).“
Production companies have excitedly embraced virtual production and on-set finishing using LED volumes. The ability to create any internal or external set background or set extension with an LED volume, has truly changed the dynamics of film making,” said Michael Geissler, CEO of Mo-Sys.
“But there have been limitations. Pulling focus – a fundamental part of the grammar of movies, to direct the audience’s attention to different parts of the screen – has been difficult. The Cinematic XR Focus software add-on transforms the possibilities, allowing Cinematographers to freely realise their creative ambitions.
”Recent advances in LED display technology have meant that it is now perfectly practical to shoot in-camera VFX shots in real-time. Having the finished virtual graphics on the LED wall means that there is no green/blue spill to remove in post-production, as the LED volume casts the correct soft lighting around the talent. All this reduces the cost of post-production compositing which, along with the savings in location costs, make virtual production a financially attractive and time-saving choice for producers.
You might also like...
Expanding Display Capabilities And The Quest For HDR & WCG
Broadcast image production is intrinsically linked to consumer displays and their capacity to reproduce High Dynamic Range and a Wide Color Gamut.
NDI For Broadcast: Part 2 – The NDI Tool Kit
This second part of our mini-series exploring NDI and its place in broadcast infrastructure moves on to exploring the NDI Tools and what they now offer broadcasters.
HDR & WCG For Broadcast: Part 2 - The Production Challenges Of HDR & WCG
Welcome to Part 2 of ‘HDR & WCG For Broadcast’ - a major 10 article exploration of the science and practical applications of all aspects of High Dynamic Range and Wide Color Gamut for broadcast production. Part 2 discusses expanding display capabilities and…
Great Things Happen When We Learn To Work Together
Why doesn’t everything “just work together”? And how much better would it be if it did? This is an in-depth look at the issues around why production and broadcast systems typically don’t work together and how we can change …
Microphones: Part 1 - Basic Principles
This 11 part series by John Watkinson looks at the scientific theory of microphone design and use, to create a technical reference resource for professional broadcast audio engineers. It begins with the basic principles of what a microphone is and does.