Post Production

Real-Time In-Camera VFX Could Be the Green Screen Future

Posted by Jeff Loch on in blue screen, green screen, Matt Workman, News, Post Production, Real-Time In-Camera VFX, Unreal Engine, vfx
During the Unreal Engine User Group at SIGGRAPH 2019, the team at Unreal Engine showed an impressive real-time in-camera VFX technology that could change how films are made. While this term is often overused, this technology could be a game-changer and kill the green/blue screen in the near future. Let’s take a closer look.

Unreal Engine

Unreal Engine is a game engine developed by Epic Games which is out since 1998. Indeed, you can use it to build video games like Fortnite. But, you can also use Unreal Engine’s real-time technology for architecture purposes, VR and AR, and even cinematography. The Unreal Engine is an eco-system of tools and applications. The entire source code is available for free, so everyone can modify it and expend the various engine features. If you are not a “code guy,” don’t worry. It’s easy and intuitive to try and create whatever you want in the Unreal Engine without having to write a single line of code. The kind of photorealistic graphics or videos you can pull out of the Unreal Engine are stunning.
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Image credit: Unreal Engine.

Real-Time In-Camera VFX

The team at Unreal Engine has revealed an exciting collaborative project with Lux Machina, Magnopus, Profile Studios, Quixel, ARRI, and Matt Workman. I like to see people like Matt Workman involved in this kind of project. To make it short, Matt is a cinematographer and founder of Cinematography Database. Also, he is the creator of Cine Designer, which is one of the most potent pre-production and lighting tool for DPs available on the market.
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Matt Workman during the Unreal Engine User Group at SIGGRAPH 2019. Image credit: Unreal Engine.

During their Unreal Engine User Group event at SIGGRAPH 2019, the whole team experimented around real-time in-camera VFX. Here is the setup:
  1. A studio with four giant LED panels (three walls and a ceiling) to act as a background.
  2. All four LED panels are powered by nDisplay to render the Unreal Engine Project simultaneously on all four displays.
  3. Various engine-controlled ARRI SkyPanels all over the studio. That way, the team can match in real-time the lighting of the “real subject” and the lighting of the background.
  4. A couple of sensors on the camera that are linked to the Unreal Engine. That way, the Unreal Engine 3D background moves accordingly to the camera position (and focal length) in the space.
The results in the video at the beginning of this article are impressive. The actor and the props are perfectly blended into the environment/background. All of that happens in real-time in-camera without the need for green screens.
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Image credit: Unreal Engine.

The End of Green Screen Shooting?

The beauty of this system is that everything in the background is CG. If you don’t like something in the scene, or something is not in the right place for a specific camera angle, move it out of the way. In Unreal Engine’s example, you can see how easily they pick a rock and displace it in real-time. However, you could also do it in post-production if you shoot your film on green/blue screen, right? It’s true, but it means you would have to modify your 3D scene and render it again.
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Image credit: Unreal Engine.

The main advantage of this technology is that everything is happening in real-time in-camera. It can save you a tremendous amount of time in post-production. However, the major drawback of this technology is that once the shooting is over, you can’t change your mind on what’s happening in the background. In this “prototype” stage, I think that this Unreal Engine technology could be helpful for commercials or short lengths projects. Of course, it’s not ready for multi-million dollars feature films, yet. But the VFX future looks exciting for sure. What do you think of this Unreal Engine real-time in-camera VFX technology? Do you think it could replace green/blue screen shooting in the next years? Let us know in the comments down below!  

Pinnacle Studio 23 Update For Prosumers Editors

Posted by Jeff Loch on in Corel, editing, nle, pinnacle, Pinnacle Studio 23, Post Production, Software, video editing
Corel Corporation has introduced an update to its popular video editing software: Pinnacle Studio 23. This new version features loads of new tools typically found on much more advanced NLE such as Multicam editing, video masking, 360 video editing, color grading keyframing, and so on. Let’s take a closer look at it.

The Easy-To-Use Video Editor

If you’re not familiar with Pinnacle Studio, it’s a Windows-only video editing software initially designed for beginners and prosumers users. The idea behind Pinnacle Studio is that everybody should be able to do simple video edits. The previous Pinnacle Studio versions are easy to use and feature fundamental video editing tools: import, cut, modify your footage a bit, and hit export. It is straightforward and doesn’t feature a ton of sophisticated tools made for professional video editors. In the end, if you want to edit a family holiday video, you want to get the job done as fast as possible. Indeed, you have other things to do in your life. Most of my friends that need short video edits for a birthday video don’t want to mess with too many tools and features they don’t need/want/understand. They want a video that looks great, they want to get it done quickly, and that they can edit in their spare time. To do so, you need an affordable NLE that features intuitive tools: this is what Pinnacle Studio is all about. PinnacleStudio23_Featured

Pinnacle Studio 23

The new Pinnacle Studio 23 update comes in three different versions: Studio, Studio Plus, and Ultimate. Each version has more tools than the other, and the Pinnacle Studio 23 Ultimate is their flagship video editor. Pinnacle Studio 23 Ultimate features a lot of new powerful editing tools like:
  • Over 2,000+ effects, titles, and templates included, including effects from NewBlueFX.
  • Three- and Four-Point Editing for more flexibility and precision over your edit.
  • Compatible with HD, 4K, and 360 video footage.
  • You can now have an unlimited number of video/audio tracks.
  • It now has a video masking tool. You can easily enhance or remove elements in your video, blur faces, clone subjects, selectively apply effects to any portion of a clip, layer footage with text or shapes, and so on.
  • Clip Nesting allows you to group multiple clips. Also, you can use the new Multicam tool.
  • You can export the Alpha Channel only.
  • They improved the color grading panel. It’s possible to apply LUTs to your footage and even keyframe your color adjustments. With the “selective vectorscope” you can also key specific area in your video for adjusting skin tones only, for example.
  • And finally, it supports more formats and resolutions.
PinnacleStudio23_01 For a complete list of all the Pinnacle Studio 23 features, you can visit Pinnacle’s website.

Pricing and Availability

Pinnacle Studio 23 is available right now at Pinnacle’s website. One of the significant advantages of Pinnacle Studio 23 is that it’s relatively inexpensive: the Pinnacle Studio 23 version retails for €59,95, the Studio Plus version is 99,95€, and the Studio Ultimate is 129,95€. No subscription plan, you pay it once, and it’s yours. Have you ever used Pinnacle Studio to edit a video? What do you think of this new Pinnacle Studio 23 upgrade? Let us know in the comment section!