VFX ROUND TABLE INDUSTRY.
AROUND THE CORNER Created by Soapbox Films with ICVFX, Muppets Haunted Mansion was an award-winner
RA: In-camera effects combine the best of physical effects and virtual effects, and there’s very few filmmakers that won’t benefit. That’s why at ARwall we are the foremost proponents and pioneers of in-camera effects for professionals, prosumers and creators working at home or in small studios. I believe with in-camera effects we have disrupted the actual foundation of studio power; which are the sets, real estate and physical production teams. This is because with this technology we have finally reached the point where we can bring professional sets and lighting to amateur users ‘on demand’ around the world as a technology provider instead of services provider. PW: Real-time, in-camera VFX has the potential to be a threat to traditional blue and green screens, as well as other technologies. However, it’s important to remember that each technology has its own strengths and weaknesses, and that each has a place in the VFX industry. A criticism of VFX is that it only lends itself to big budgets – do you see costs coming down in the near future?
QJ: I’ve already heard of costs for a day of shooting on LED screens for a feature being quoted from €85k to €35k now with some studios in a three-year timespan. Costs are always bound to go down; when it’s not because of the equipment price, it’s because of the manpower. Today, not a lot of people know how to operate an LED screen – even fewer know how to supervise it. But this is changing every day as more and more people are being trained for it, and most importantly, are gaining in experience. Wait until you have hundreds of young people, coming out of film school where they trained on LED volumes, with a loan to repay and ready to accept minimum wage in the worst conditions... Sadly, this is what usually happens and what in the end really brings the cost of production down. It isn’t the technology, but the people. I’m pretty sure that in three to four years, it will be very reasonable and common to consider shooting a €50k budget short film using ICVFX. RA: VFX has been around a long time now and pricing has settled, but we will see it begin to drop over the next few years as a result of AI workflows that
“With in-camera effects we’ve disrupted the actual foundation of studio power; the sets, real estate and physical production teams. We have finally reached the point of bringing professional sets to amateurs”
79. FEBRUARY 2023
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