>> Companies that adopt a phased approach will be better positioned << capitalised operational requirements that either hamstrung them to massive technical labour costs just to perform a client demo, or required them to run disinformation campaigns to their teams about the technical capabilities of XR virtual production in an attempt to justify their over-investment. The solution in 2025 is a professionalisation of the virtual production expertise layer. These folks are a combination of a technical and creative monster. They’re the primary driver of value for media companies and should be brought in-house or engaged as consultants early to guide a campaign objective through the possible. Typically, these folks have been stuck serving narrow objectives as an appendage of hardware providers or XR stage sales teams. Their expertise should be unleashed as it’s the only effective way to keep costs low, with an eye on scalability. Every business is different, and there’s no one fit that will work for every media company. More than ever, planning is the secret sauce.
including rental options or cloud-based virtual production tools that reduce upfront costs. Media organisations can also explore multi-use applications of XR sets, utilising them for a wide range of content like news, entertainment and advertising, thereby maximising return on investment. Investing in energy-efficient LED displays and optimised processing systems can also help reduce long-term operational costs. Additionally, as the technology matures, costs are expected to decrease, making XR a more accessible option over time. Companies that plan strategically and adopt a phased approach will be better positioned to integrate XR without straining resources. RENE AMADOR: Now, roughly nine years into the XR virtual production industry that we helped pioneer, ARwall’s partners are witnessing a massive spectrum of variation in market costs, while quality has converged toward industry standards. That has resulted in a massive inequality of business outcomes mirroring many of the traditional narratives in the VFX world, where successful teams go financially insolvent while receiving awards for their stellar work. A rough estimate suggests that 75% of XR stages around the world have failed to adapt to the pressures of content production. What sunk them? In my opinion, the main reason was under-researched and over-
CAN YOU OFFER AN EXAMPLE OF XR IN BROADCAST OR STREAMING THAT STOOD OUT TO YOU – AND WHY?
MIGUEL CHURRUCA: I can think of several pieces from large broadcasters: the Olympics coverage of RTVE for instance, or some of the fantastic 2024 elections coverage in different countries, which combined virtual content, real-time data-driven AR graphics and more. However, it is important to point out how smaller broadcasters in many places – some unfamiliar to us – can achieve great results using virtual content and real-time graphics. An example of this is Central Television, the
public television of Mongolia – not a typical broadcaster we see mentioned – that created a compelling virtual show for its coverage of the Paris Olympics. The production company Fury crafted a visually stunning and immersive environment using Unreal Engine 5 and powered by Brainstorm’s Infinityset. It recreated iconic Parisian streets and locations, integrating these hyper-realistic background scenes with camera movements. Also, all data-
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