Technology for television and film production
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On-set virtual production (OSVP )[ a] entertainment technology for television andfilm production in whichLED panels are used as a backdrop for a set, on which video orcomputer-generated imagery can be displayed in real-time. The use of OSVP became widespread after its use in the first season ofThe Mandalorian Unreal Engine , developed byEpic Games .
Australian film directorClayton Jacobson first had the idea of improving thegreen screen that was then in use when filming a TV ad for detergent in 2003. Watching his son playingvideogames and seeing the 3D technology used in them gave him the idea. Eventually, in 2016, Jacobson and his son made one of the prototypes for a virtual production stage in their shed, using a set of LED screens. However, he could not get anyone to take an interest in developing the technology further, so gave up on it. Other filmmakers had also caught on to the idea though, and in 2018 an Australiancinematographer ,Greig Fraser , used the technology to film theStar Wars spin-off series,The Mandalorian (released 2019). Instead of using the green screen during the filming stage, the team combinedpost-production with the production stage of the series. They installed huge LED walls linked to powerful computers that ranUnreal Engine gaming software (used forFortnite visual effects techniques take place.[ 1]
Since its inventive use inThe Mandalorian , which usedILM 'sStageCraft , the technology has become increasingly popular. Miles Perkins, industry manager of film and TV forEpic Games and maker of theUnreal Engine , estimated that there were around 300 stages by October 2022, increased from only three in 2019.[ 2] COVID-19 pandemic , whenlockdowns meant thatproduction studios had to find ways to produce films without traveling to other locations.[ 1]
In March 2023, the world's largest virtual production stage was opened at theDocklands Studios Melbourne , in the city ofMelbourne , Australia.[ 1]
On-set virtual production (OSVP) is also known as virtual production (VP), immersive virtual production (IVP), In-Camera Visual Effects (ICVFX),[ 3] [citation needed
With careful adjustment and calibration, an OSVP set can be made to closely approximate the appearance of a real set or outdoor location.[ 4] extended reality . OSVP contrasts with virtual studio technology, in which agreen screen backdrop surrounds the set, and the virtual surroundings arecomposited into the green screen plate downstream from the camera, in that in OSVP the virtual world surrounding the set is visible to the camera, actors, and crew, and objects on set are illuminated by light from the LED screen, creating realistic interactive lighting effects, and that the virtual background and foreground are captured directly in camera, complete with natural subtle cues likelens distortion ,depth of field effects,bokeh andlens flare . This makes it a far more natural experience that more closely approximateslocation shooting , making the film-making process faster and more intuitive than can be achieved on a virtual set.[citation needed
To render parallax depth cues correctly from the viewpoint of a moving camera, the system requires the use ofmatch moving of the background imagery based on data from low-latency real-timemotion capture technology to track the camera, such systems as Stype and Mosys which track camera position within the volume and equate this position within the Unreal scene - so that any movement is reflected within the scene as well .[citation needed
Industry organizations includingSMPTE , theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , and theAmerican Society of Cinematographers have started initiatives to support the development of OSVP.[ 4] [ 5] [ 6] [ 7]
Stages that use OSVP include the various StageCraft stages,Pixomondo 's Toronto-based LED stage, which has a long-term lease fromCBS , ZeroSpace's Volume in New York City,[ 8] [ 2] Toei Company for itsSuper Sentai showsAvataro Sentai Donbrothers [ 9] Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger Sony PCL Inc.[ 10] Heated Rivalry, Gen V and Netflix' BET.[ 11]
Productions using the technologies [ edit ] ^ Also known asvirtual production (VP ),immersive virtual production (IVP ),virtual production technology (VPT ), orIn-Camera Visual Effects (ICVFX ), and often calledThe Volume . ^a b c Purtill, James (22 March 2023)."Virtual production studios are replacing green screens as world's largest opens in Melbourne" .ABC News . ABC Science.Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved24 March 2023 . ^a b Giardina, Carolyn (19 October 2022)."Too Much Volume? The Tech Behind 'Mandalorian' and 'House of the Dragon' Faces Growing Pains" .The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved4 February 2023 . ^ "In-Camera Visual Effects (ICVFX)" .www.nepgroup.com . Retrieved4 February 2023 .^a b "2021: The On-Set Virtual Production Initiative" .www.smpte.org . Retrieved22 February 2022 .^ "Partnering to Develop Advisory Group of the On-Set Virtual Production (OSVP) Initiative" .systemscontractor . 18 January 2022. Retrieved22 February 2022 .^ "SMPTE Hollywood To Explore Lighting and Color Science For Virtual Production" .SHOOTonline . 14 October 2021. Retrieved22 February 2022 .^ "AMPAS Science & Technology Council Presents Virtual Production Primer - The American Society of Cinematographers" .theasc.com . Retrieved22 February 2022 .^ Abram, Cleo ."We Tested Sci-Fi Movie Tech (MKBHD)" .YouTube . Retrieved12 March 2023 .^a b VFXアナトミー インカメラVFXによる特撮をTVシリーズで実現！ 『暴太郎戦隊ドンブラザーズ』 ^a b 新番組「王様戦隊キングオージャー」の背景CGがハイクオリティーと話題に グリーンバックを使わない最新撮影技術とは？ ^ Casemore, Jamie."Dark Slope unveils expanded 75,000-square-foot campus" . Retrieved10 January 2026 . ^ Gartenberg, Chaim (20 February 2020)."How The Mandalorian teamed up with Fortnite creator Epic Games to create its digital sets" .The Verge Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved20 February 2020 . ^ Lane, Carly (9 June 2021)."Exclusive: Here's When 'The Mandalorian' Season 3 Is Filming; New Details on 'Book of Boba Fett' Connection" .Collider Archived from the original on 9 June 2021. Retrieved9 June 2021 . ^a b c d Giardina, Carolyn (19 October 2022)."Too Much Volume? The Tech Behind 'Mandalorian' and 'House of the Dragon' Faces Growing Pains" .The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved4 February 2023 . ^ "ILM STAGECRAFT HONORED WITH ENGINEERING, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EMMY® AWARD" .Industrial Light & Magic . Retrieved29 July 2022 .^ Peterson, Karen M. (29 April 2022)."How 'Our Flag Means Death' Designers Mixed History With Broad Theatricality" .Variety . Retrieved16 July 2022 . ^ Bui, Hoai-Tran (17 June 2020)."The Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ Series Will Use the Same Technology as 'The Mandalorian' ./Film Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved18 June 2020 . ^a b c "StageCraft | Industrial Light & Magic" .www.ilm.com . Retrieved4 February 2023 .^ Hogg, Trevor."Virtual Production Now and Going Forward" .The Magazine of the Visual Effects Society . Retrieved14 October 2025 . ^ Dominguez, Noah (14 November 2022)."Andor Actually Used StageCraft Technology Despite Early Reports" .ComicBook.com . Retrieved25 November 2022 . ^ Vegvari, Steve (26 June 2024)."Being Transported by Amazon Studios Virtual Productions at Stage 15" . iPhone in Canada. Retrieved7 November 2024 . ^ "HOUSE OF THE DRAGON MAY LOOK TOTALLY DIFFERENT IN SEASON 2 FOR ONE CONTROVERSIAL REASON" .Inverse . 19 October 2022. Retrieved25 October 2022 .^ "Inside Dark Bay, the spinning LED volume at the heart of Netflix's upcoming '1899' .TechCrunch . 10 February 2022. Retrieved20 November 2022 .^ Brooks, Dan."How ILM Brought Its Own Christmas Magic to The Santa Clauses" . Industrial Light & Magic. Retrieved24 September 2025 . ^ "Silo" .Lux Machina . Retrieved27 June 2023 .^a b "DNEG 360 Shows" . DNEG. Retrieved7 November 2024 .^ Failes, Ian (31 May 2024)."See Eyeline Studios' volumetric capture rig in action for 'One Piece' . Befores and Afters. Retrieved4 September 2024 . ^ Failes, Ian (25 March 2024)."How Eyeline Studios' new volumetric capture tech was used on 'Yu Yu Hakusho' . Retrieved4 September 2024 . ^ Giardina, Carolyn (28 June 2022)." .The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on 28 June 2022. Retrieved28 June 2022 . ^ "MoTA = @cary_fukunaga" .www.instagram.com . Retrieved4 February 2023 .^ "Magnopus brings Amazon's Fallout series to life with virtual production powered by Unreal Engine" .Epic Games . 13 May 2024. Retrieved30 June 2024 .^ Tantimedh, Adi (14 May 2024)." .Bleeding Cool . Retrieved27 June 2024 . ^ Fisher, Jacob (24 June 2021)." .DiscussingFilm .Archived from the original on 30 June 2021. Retrieved30 June 2021 . ^ Hogg, Trevor."Virtual Production Now and Going Forward" .VFX Voice . Retrieved14 October 2025 . ^ McPherson, Chris (5 May 2024)." .Collider Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved27 June 2024 . ^ Basso, Por Iván (3 May 2025)."La magia del virtual production en El Eternauta: "Desde Argentina se pueden hacer cosas muy grandes desde la tecnología" .infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved5 May 2025 . ^ Jones, Tamera; Weintraub, Steven (10 June 2025)." .Collider . Retrieved6 August 2025 . ^ Failes, Ian."VFX Breakdowns A sneak peek at how Christopher Lloyd's Professor Orloff scenes were filmed for 'Wednesday' .Befores & Afters . Retrieved27 August 2025 . ^ Shield, Brian."Last Summer I spent time in Toronto on the new HBO series IT: Welcome to Derry as the Virtual Production Producer for some car process work. I can't wait to see how this turned out. I couldn't have done it without the amazing crew we had. Steve D. it was such a pleasure working with you and the whole VFX team on this. Looks killer!" .LinkedIn . Retrieved20 July 2025 . ^ Casemore, Jamie."Dark Slope unveils expanded 75,000-square-foot campus" . Retrieved10 January 2026 . ^ Casemore, Jamie."Dark Slope unveils expanded 75,000-square-foot campus" . Retrieved10 January 2026 . ^ Casemore, Jamie."Dark Slope unveils expanded 75,000-square-foot campus" . Retrieved10 January 2026 . ^ "Autodesk, Lightstorm Entertainment and Weta Digital Drive Virtual Production Forward" . Autodesk, Inc. Retrieved7 April 2025 .^ "Oblivion" .Lux Machina . Retrieved4 February 2023 .^ Desowitz, Bill (14 November 2014)."How the 'Interstellar' VFX Team Built Wormholes, Black Holes and Alien Planets" . Indiewire. Retrieved17 July 2025 . ^ Bardini, Julio (14 August 2022)."Industrial Light & Magic's Digital StageCraft Technology: What We Know About the Volume" .Collider . Retrieved4 February 2023 . ^ "Lux Machina Consulting on Instagram: "We had a great time working with Director of Photography Jess Hall on Ghost in the Shell to provide LED green screen replacement for some of the driving scenes in the movie. Contact us for help with any film or television projects! We specialize in capturing realistic environments in the camera as part of the visual effects workflow! Pictured: Pilou Asbaek and Scarlett Johansson in Ghost in the Shell from Paramount Pictures and Dreamworks Pictures." .Instagram . Retrieved4 February 2023 .^ Desowitz, Bill (15 October 2018)."Beyond Christopher Nolan: 'First Man' Redefines In-Camera VFX" .IndieWire .Archived from the original on 3 November 2018. Retrieved2 November 2018 . ^ Desowitz, Bill (12 February 2019)." . Indiewire. Retrieved7 April 2025 . ^ "How Cutting-Edge ILM Technology Brought 'The Mandalorian' to Life" .No Film School . 5 February 2020. Retrieved26 June 2021 .^ "The Irishman" .Lux Machina . Retrieved4 February 2023 .^ "Lux Machina Consulting on Instagram: "Congrats to @starwarsriseofskywalker and @theirishmanfilm for the many Oscar nominations this week, including for Visual Effects! We are so grateful to have been a part of both productions. Looking forward to the big night, Feb 5 live at 8e | 5p! . . . . . . #virtualproduction #incameravfx #vfx #film #technology #videoproduction #led #projection #videoscreens #luxmc #luxmachina #consultants #engineers #programmers" .Instagram . Retrieved4 February 2023 .^ "The One and Only Ivan" . Technicolor Group. Retrieved4 September 2024 .^ Mike Seymour (21 January 2021)."The Midnight Sky's Virtual Production using StageCraft" .Fxguide . Retrieved26 June 2021 . ^ Filippo Magnifico (23 December 2020)."In Vacanza su Marte: il film con Boldi e De Sica realizzato con una tecnologia simile a quella di The Mandalorian" .Blog Screenweek the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved30 May 2022 . ^a b c d "DNEG 360 Shows" . DNEG. Retrieved7 December 2024 .^ "The Next Generation of Extended Reality Sounds Stages" .Lux Machina . Retrieved4 February 2023 .^a b "Projects - Eyeline Studios" . Eyeline Studios. Retrieved4 September 2024 .^ Giardina, Carolyn (19 October 2020)." .The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on 19 October 2020. Retrieved19 October 2020 . ^ "Lux Machina Consulting on Instagram: "Congratulations to @topgunmovie "Maverick" on its six @theacademy nominations, including Best Visual Effects and Best Picture! It was an honor for @luxmc_ to be part of such an iconic project by providing in-camera virtual backgrounds and working closely with "Maverick's" overall VFX supervisor Ryan Tudhope and Director of Photography @claudiomirandadop We are thrilled at how much the fans, the critics, and now the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have responded to the film. The Oscars will be handed out Sunday, March 12, 2023. Get your popcorn ready! (@luxmc_ is part of @nep_group) #vfx #visualeffects #luxmc #awards #oscars #nominations #academy #topgun #NEP #NEPVS #topgunmaverick #sequel #ICFVX #film #photography #directorofphotography" .Instagram . Retrieved4 February 2023 .^ Carolyn Giardina (10 September 2020)."Industrial Light & Magic Expands Virtual Production Services, Supports 'Thor 4' .The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved26 June 2021 . ^ "Lux Machina Consulting on Instagram: "Wishing Eddie Alcazar the best of luck as he heads to #Sundance to premier his newest film "Divinity." A portion of the film was shot using the #LuxMC LED volume, and Junaid Baig, VP of Research & Development for #NEPVS, used AI to provide slow motion footage of already animated stop motion sequences on the film." .Instagram . Retrieved4 February 2023 .^ Villaverde, Noah (8 June 2022)." .Heroic Hollywood . Retrieved19 July 2022 . ^ "Devotion" .DNEG . Retrieved27 June 2024 .^ Kadner, Noah (24 April 2023)."Virtual Production—When The Fabelmans Met The Mandalorian" .Frame.io Insider . Retrieved26 April 2023 . ^ "Virtual Production In Action" . Virtual Production Malta. Retrieved7 April 2025 .^ Erao, Math (17 May 2021)."Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Director Shares Photo From The Mandalorian's Virtual Set" .Comic Book Resources Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved17 May 2021 . ^ Failes, Ian (29 August 2023)."How those twinning/doubling shots in 'The Flash' were done" . Befores and Afters. Retrieved4 September 2024 . ^ "Barbie" .Lux Machina . Retrieved27 June 2024 .^a b "Our Work" . DNEG. Retrieved17 July 2025 .^ "Inside ILM: The Making of The Creator" .YouTube ^ Kadner, Noah."Steven Shulgach on LinkedIn: Adapting to new virtual production tech while implement traditional…" .Linkedlin . Retrieved30 June 2024 . ^ Failes, Ian (10 January 2024)."How ILM's StageCraft was used on 'The Marvels' .befores & afters .Archived from the original on 10 January 2024. Retrieved27 June 2024 . ^ "Amazon Studios Debuts AWS-Powered Virtual Production Mega Stage" . Amazon MGM Studios. Retrieved4 September 2024 .^ Kadner, Noah."LED Wall Evokes Early-Cinema Effects for Poor Things" .American Cinematographer . Retrieved30 June 2024 . ^ "Behind the VFX of J.A. Bayona's Society of the Snow | Netflix" .YouTube . Retrieved30 June 2024 .^ "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom: Volumetric Capture Technology by Eyeline Studios" . Art of VFX. 2 April 2024. Retrieved4 September 2024 .^ Szalai, Georg (30 April 2024)." .The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved4 September 2024 . ^ " . Medium. 31 July 2023. Retrieved5 June 2025 .^ "Christy Hall Shot Daddio Entirely Inside a Taxi Cab" . 12 September 2023.^ "Transforming the Origins of Optimus Prime: Christopher Batty on His Role in Transformers One" .ProductionHUB . Retrieved27 August 2025 .^ Couch, Kim Masters, Scott Feinberg, Aaron; Masters, Kim; Feinberg, Scott; Couch, Aaron (9 January 2023)."Francis Ford Coppola's 'Megalopolis' in Peril Amid Ballooning Budget, Crew Exodus (Exclusive)" .The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved4 February 2023 . {{cite web }}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link )^ "Joker: Folie à Deux" . Industrial Light and Magic. Retrieved7 November 2024 .^ "Venom: The Last Dance" . Industrial Light & Magic. Retrieved7 December 2024 .^ Wells, Chris."How virtual production transformed the latest Robert Zemeckis film 'Here' .Red Shark News . Retrieved17 July 2025 . ^a b c McGowan, Chris."Welcoming the Cultural Shift to Virtual Production" .VFX Voice . Retrieved14 October 2025 . ^ "On-Set Visual Effects Services" . The Eisley Company. Retrieved17 July 2025 .^ Sharf, Zack (5 December 2024)."Barry Jenkins Says All-Virtual Filmmaking 'Is Not My Thing' After Directing 'Mufasa'; Disney Sent Him a Note Worrying That One Long Take Was Too 'Slow' . Variety. Retrieved7 December 2024 . ^ Zoller Seitz, Matt (5 December 2024)."Moonlight in the Lion's Den: Why Barry Jenkins gave up his improvisational shooting style to spend four years making 'Mufasa' on a soundstage" . Vulture. Retrieved7 December 2024 . ^ Chapman, Rob."MPC, Snow White, Virtual Art Department FX Artist / TD" .ArtStation . Retrieved5 June 2025 . ^ Priestley, Jenny (9 May 2025)."Providing the virtual production building blocks for A Minecraft Movie" . TVB Europe. Retrieved20 July 2025 . ^ Hooper, Simon (21 May 2025)."How they made the skyview restaurant disaster in Final Destination Bloodlines" .Any Good Films? . Retrieved5 June 2025 . ^ "James Gunn Unveils Behind-the-Scenes Glimpses of 'Superman,' Soaring with Virtual Production at Trilith Studios" .PeachPopFive . Retrieved27 August 2025 .^ "Eyeline Studios and Scanline VFX recently hosted a screening in Los Angeles to celebrate their work on Happy Gilmore 2. After the screening, Eyeline's Virtual Production Supervisor Tarik Thompson shared how volumetric capture technology and virtual production stages were used to help create the world of Happy Gilmore. He also highlighted the collaboration between Eyeline and Scanline, led by VFX Supervisor Dann Tarmy, to deliver a film that balances nostalgia for longtime fans with fresh energy for a new generation. Congrats to all our artists and technicians who worked on this film. From tournament mayhem to flying golf balls and Happy flashbacks, the teams at Eyeline and Scanline brought their A-game to every frame. #eyelinestudios #scanlinevfx #happygilmore #golf #sports #tournament #adamsandler #netflix #streaming #visualeffedts #virtualproduction #screening (photos by Alex Chun)" .LinkedIn . Retrieved27 August 2025 .^ "A Big Bold Beautiful Journey" . Industrial Light & Magic. Retrieved6 September 2025 .^ "The Lost Bus | Industrial Light & Magic" . Industrial Light & Magic. Retrieved22 September 2025 .^ "Tron: Ares | Industrial Light & Magic" . Industrial Light & Magic. Retrieved5 June 2025 .^ "Tour Amazon MGM Studios' virtual soundstage that's revolutionizing movies and TV shows through the power of AWS" . Amazon. 20 June 2024. Retrieved4 September 2024 .^ "Campbeltown '69" . Dimension Studio. Retrieved7 November 2024 .^ "WWII thriller filming on Melbourne's cutting-edge virtual production stage" .FilmInk . Retrieved6 September 2025 .^ "Lux Machina Consulting on Instagram: "What does it take to make an award winning film? We're glad you asked! Watch the new behind the scenes video and find out how the creative artists were able to seamlessly blend live action video with stop-motion for @eddiealcazar 's #VimeoBestOfTheYear award-winning short film "The Vandal." In "The Making of The Vandal," you'll see how we used our #LUXMC LED stage and interactive lighting sources for the miniature photography. Watch "The Making of The Vandal" via the link in our bio." .Instagram . Retrieved4 February 2023 .
