INDUSTRY. VFX ROUND TABLE
“There will always be new challenges and a demand for high-end, groundbreaking VFX as this is a technology-based creative industry”
lower cost and time involved. It’s not clear where that drop will leave the industry, but I think it’s not crazy to think that small capable teams – two to 15 people – could support a complete TV show or film in the next few years; which would likely result in lower pricing and many more teams filmmakers could approach for quality effects. We’re very optimistic about the price dropping specifically in the space we have more control over, in-camera effects. There’s two examples of that. For more professional projects, at our partner stage in Burbank owned by Soapbox Films, beginning this year they now offer a $75k per week deal which includes all tech, labour and scene creation. This is a stage where shows for Warner Bros and Disney have been shot, and the team recently won an Emmy for Muppets Haunted Mansion . The feedback so far has been promising, people want access to this tech at a price and quality that makes sense for now and the future. Additionally, we have something new we’re working on, currently in closed beta. Our new ARFX app is a desktop and mobile app bringing Mando -style effects to the home user with a starting price point of $79. There is no new hardware required, the software uses your existing TV and smartphone, and you can even dial down the scene complexity to work on older machines while still getting a
realistic smooth backdrop illusion. We believe, within five years, award-winning films will be shot in filmmaker’s homes on microbudgets without the audience knowing that’s how they were realised. HS: The cost of VFX depends on what it is for and the complexity required. There are open source technical solutions and tools available to help manage the budget on, say, a small independent production. Real time technology has the potential to reduce costs on productions of all sizes, but this depends on how it’s used and the type of production. Many independent productions use VFX, but the expectation of large productions will continue to raise the stakes and the bar will keep rising. There will always be new challenges and a demand for high-end, groundbreaking VFX as this is a technology-based creative industry. Naturally, we will keep pushing the envelope to produce more complex and ever-higher-quality work. LG: One of Digital Domain’s main goals over the last few years has been to offer our clients the same level of quality – regardless of the medium or platform. We use the same tools on episodics and new media experiences as we do on
feature films, and our teams are able to jump between projects based on their expertise, not the budget. Because of that, we can offer the highest level of quality for something like a game cinematic or network TV commercial, just as we can for feature films. The biggest factor in the budget isn’t the cost of the VFX, it’s that filmmakers on all levels are seeing there are no real limits to their vision any more. We’re seeing things on screen that weren’t possible even a few years ago, and that tends to lead to larger budgets. But we can work with productions of all budgets and offer great results. PW: VFX is often associated with high costs, particularly for big-budget films, due to the complexity and technical expertise required, as well as the cost of the specialised software and hardware needed to produce them. However, there are a few factors that may contribute to a decrease in costs in the near future. One factor is the development of more advanced and user-friendly software that can automate some of the more complex and time-consuming tasks associated with VFX production. This could help to reduce the labour costs and make it more accessible to smaller studios and independent filmmakers.
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