Sony Sets Up Virtual Production Studio In Shanghai

[Unchained]

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Me...sets-up-virtual-production-studio-in-Shanghai

Sony Group has set up a studio in Shanghai that will specialize in a new video production method called "virtual production" that allows the creation of realistic looking videos entirely indoors, eliminating the need to shoot on location and lowering costs.

The studio will be Sony's third virtual production facility, along with those in Japan and the U.S. The Japanese electronics and entertainment company aims to expand the business by meeting rapidly growing demand for video production in China.

Virtual production videos are made by projecting images onto a giant display behind the subject being filmed. The method has taken off in the U.S. since 2020, when shooting on location became difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Virtual production reduces costs by around 30%, on average, by eliminating the need for travel, although the savings depend on the scale of the production and the number of days required.

Sony set up the new studios in the U.S. and Japan last year. The company established its third virtual production studio in central Shanghai in March, in partnership with a local video production company. Full-scale operations are to begin later.

Sony hopes the new facility will help it meet demand for ads, movies, TV dramas and music videos. The company will also consider renting out the studio for "live commerce" events and concerts, which are both thriving in China, as well as for filming short videos, demand for which is growing rapidly.

 

[Satoru]

Seems kinda like what Disney has set up and uses for series like the Mandalorian.

 

[Zzero]

Seems kinda like what Disney has set up and uses for series like the Mandalorian.

They didn't want to say the D word but yes, that is what it is.

I guess purists will hate it but as long as its seemless its all movie magic to me. Maybe in a few years we'll know all the shortcuts to being able to tell what is and isn't on-site filming.

 

[Satoru]

They didn't want to say the D word but yes, that is what it is.

I guess purists will hate it but as long as its seemless its all movie magic to me. Maybe in a few years we'll know all the shortcuts to being able to tell what is and isn't on-site filming.

I find that what matters is results. Practical, CG, whatever, doesn't matter if the end results is seamless. Hell, lots of movies have CG and people don't realise it. An example is wolf of wall street. It has loads of CG in some scenes and you cannot tell.

This kind of tech marries what's great about CGI and what's great about having people on an actual set with visual queues and interactions. It cannot be used for large scope stuff that needs on site or massive CG sets, but it gets the job done in a lot of things.