Brompton Technology and Faber AV Offer Sneak Peek into the Future of Virtual Production

	Brompton Technology and Faber AV offer sneak peek into the future of Virtual Production at Virtual Production Demo event. Photo: Nathan Reinds

A prominent player in the world of LED displays and audio-visual productions, the company says, as well as part of the NEP Worldwide Network, Faber Audiovisuals, hosted a Virtual Production Demo at Amsterdam Studios at the end of February. As part of the event, Brompton Technology was invited to present its HDR (High Dynamic Range) solution on LED screens set up as greenscreen replacements for film and TV. Enabled by Brompton's revolutionary Dynamic Calibration technology, HDR delivers images that appear perceptibly sharper, more vivid, detailed, and lifelike.

Though the use of LED screens in film has been slowly increasing over the past decade, the advances in resolution, brightness and color range (HDR) coupled with the growing affordability of these technologies in the last couple of years have made LED screens an increasingly attractive option for both high profile productions and more budget conscious applications alike. LED screens on camera can now provide immersive, realistic backdrops to filming. Shooting sets "live" in this way can also help to lessen the cost and time previously dedicated to post-production VFX work.

As part of their event, Faber Audiovisuals demonstrated Virtual Production (VP) as a new production process that merges physical objects, such as actors and real-world camera movements, into real-time CGI. They also showcased rendering solutions and the process of VP to create a digital world: beginning with the inception of the idea and ending with the final Visual Effects (VFX), centered around the real-time interaction on set.

Jasper Reijgers, senior sales executive streaming, TV and Film, at Faber Audiovisuals discusses how this new production process dramatically shifts the original way of filmmaking:

"Essentially, the order of production is no longer in order," says Reijgers. "The emphasis is now on pre- and on-set production, and VFX is no longer considered post-production. Real-time rendering helps support this new methodology and film production now includes everything from shooting to script adjustments to editing -- all happening at the same time and in a controlled environment like a studio."

The forward-thinking event was attended by over 200 guests, including VFX supervisors, directors of photography, content designers, directors and VFX/post-production companies, as well as broadcast production companies and large streaming services, with everyone thrilled to find out what the future holds for the sector.

Brompton deployed a complete set-up for the event, which included a three-year old ROE Black Onyx 2.8mm LED screen that had been re-calibrated with Brompton's new Hydra advanced measurement system, which is custom designed for use with LED panels fitted with a Brompton Tessera R2 receiver card. Profiling panels with this system facilitates Dynamic Calibration, the ground-breaking enabling technology for Brompton HDR, which offers a new approach to delivering better image quality without requiring finer and finer pixel pitches, whilst unlocking the full potential of the LED display.

"With the panels being recalibrated with Hydra, we ensured that the HDR content could be shown with higher contrast ratios, deeply saturated colors, and true-to-life color accuracy," notes Dries Vermeulen, business development manager Europe at Brompton Technology. "This resulted in beautiful, exceptionally realistic looking video footage, which proved just how effective immersive LED screens can be in filmmaking."

Reijgers concurs: "Brompton's technology has achieved a huge step forward in HDR possibilities, and it's definitely giving us a sneak peek into the much-anticipated future of Virtual Production."

With the team receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from the event, they consider it to be a huge success in every sense.

"It was a perfect platform for us to meet new people and exchange information with some of the most prominent industry leaders," adds Reijgers. "Presenting the future processes for streaming, TV, and film has definitely given us a great boost as a company, which is a frontrunner in the Virtual Production topic in the Netherlands and internationally."

Faber Audiovisuals sales manager Nils Pauwels shares his thoughts on having Brompton as their partner: "By using Brompton processing to control our screens, we are in full control of the panels. The ease of use combined with extensive options like HDR, Ultra-Low Latency, and High Frame Rate workflow make Brompton a reliable partner with future-proof technology that is perfect for the rapid development of virtual production workflows."