Supporting
Virtual Production
Adjust, Control, Communicate:
From Livegrade Studio to the LED Wall.
Involved products:
NEW
New version available: Use the Pomfort Virtual LUT Box plugin with Unreal Engine 5.1 or newer! Get the Free Plugin
Integrate With New
On-Set Systems
Livegrade Studio connects the camera department to a range of new systems that became part of the film set in virtual production.
Leverage Established Concepts
Translating established interaction and communication for maintaining the digital looks to virtual production technology helps the camera department realizing their creative intent.
Make the Change
Where Needed
Sometimes a small change makes the difference. Enabling the responsible roles to perform these changes without interfering with other departments is a challenge worth taking.
Why Virtual Production?
Latest advancements in large-scale LED panel technology enabled new workflows for “in-camera” visual effects. Instead of filming actors in front of a green screen and replacing the background later in post-production with computer-generated images, an LED wall already displays interactive content on the background while shooting. This brings a range of new technology and systems to the film set – as well as new challenges.
Why Livegrade Studio?
Livegrade Studio is Pomfort’s state-of-the-art software catering to all digital imaging-related requirements of the camera department. The software is usually operated by the DIT and supports a broad range of daily shooting activities. As the role and responsibilities evolve with the fast-growing field of virtual production, the latest development efforts focus on various integrations with existing virtual production technology provided by Brompton and disguise. The plugin "Pomfort Virtual LUT Box" connects Livegrade Studio to an Unreal Engine system, enabling real-time adjustments of the LED wall’s image.
Integrating Live Grading With Virtual Production
Blend Foreground and Background Grade to One Look.
DPs and DITs communicate and interact based on established grading terminology and methodologies. Adding a virtual LUT box to Unreal Engine allows to tweak the colors of the scene as a post-process tool and extends the orchestration of the on-set color pipeline from camera to wall. That allows Livegrade Studio to tie together on-set monitoring and look decisions in one “source of truth”.
Fine-Tuning Color Balance
When Matching Complex Combinations of Screen and Lights.
In a virtual production context, all systems in the content signal chain are calibrated and configured to conform to one consistent color workflow for getting content onto the LED panels. Yet, the resulting color balance between the LED wall's image and the actors and objects on set illuminated by additional light sources may not always look perfect on the DP's monitor. Livegrade Studio allows adjustments to the color balance in the Brompton processors' image pipeline right from the DIT cart.
Dedicated Color Adjustment Tools
Color-Managed Control Over Looks, Curves and Color Balance.
Controlling the appearance of the LED wall's image also from the DIT cart requires a clear distribution of responsibility and authority. The DIT is already trained to work within the given limits of interconnected systems – for example, when balancing camera exposure settings and CDL-based grade. Livegrade Studio adds new color controls specifically tailored to the interaction with a virtual LUT box or processor system.
Contribute Your Feedback
Get Involved With the Further Development of Livegrade Studios’ Virtual Production Capabilities.
If you’ve tested the Pomfort Virtual LUT Box and have ideas for further improvements, let us know! How can we best support your workflow? Which feature would be great to have? What doesn’t work at all? Let’s shape the next evolution within digital film production technology - together.
Build Your Setup
This Workflow Requires the Application and Plugin Below.
Photo credits: All images displaying a virtual production environment were kindly provided by Greg Ciaccio.