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CASE STUDY Exploring virtual magic DOP Migue Amoedo gives an inside look at Netflix series Berlin, sharing how using an LED volume was crucial in enhancing virtual production scenes IMAGES Tamara Arranz for Netflix
W ith narratives unfolding across multiple locations, shooting optimisation was a key priority for DOP Migue Amoedo during the creation of heist drama Berlin . Always keen to innovate, he and the team at Vancouver Media fully embraced the creative opportunities presented by virtual production (VP). “The series was the perfect playground to test the technology and train our crews in this new environment,” he explains. “We were lucky to find ourselves accompanied by the best supporters and partners we could have for this new adventure.” While the team had experimented with VP technologies on previous projects, this was their first foray into using an LED volume in production. The decision was driven by the opportunity to introduce
elements otherwise more difficult and expensive to shoot in traditional set- ups. But while the world of VP opens up new storytelling and visual possibilities, “there’s a learning curve everyone has to overcome,” Amoedo notes. “The series’ complexity and final product’s exigence made me focus more on the VP aspects, especially during pre-production. This technique requires meticulous planning and decision-making in advance.” For Amoedo, the ultimate goal in VP is to generate a solid illusion of reality; this should be the focus of DOPs. That means treating backgrounds in the volume with the same rigour you would in traditional scouting. “Whether filmed or generated by synthetic imagery, it’s essential to care for the direction of the light, time of day and weather effects,” he explains. “The
camera must be positioned and moved around as if it were in a real environment. The lighting should appear naturalistic, with the volumetrics found in reality, and focus on providing the correct levels of light contrast. Now more than ever, these decisions must be taken with cinematic intention, ensuring each visual element reinforces the narrative and authenticity of the scene.” His lighting strategy on virtual sets focuses on using the existing force, ‘like in the Japanese Aikido technique’. The starting point is relatively straightforward: illuminating the scene using only the light from the LED volume itself. “To achieve this, we generate ‘light rectangles’ within the volume, brighter than the background and usually placed above and out of the camera’s frame. We
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