Did you know that Norway had a nuclear power plant in Halden?
It is no longer an active nuclear power plant, but the previously used radioactive material must be disposed of safely and efficiently. NND (Norwegian Nuclear Decommissioning) is already well underway with this process.
To explain this important task, Netron was tasked with developing an explainer video in collaboration with NND. To simplify the process, we utilized our brand-new Virtual Production studio for parts of the production. Here is how we did it👇
Set prepping
Virtual Production (VP) is an exciting new technology for filmmaking, and perhaps challenging for many, but is it really that unknown?
You’ve probably heard of greenscreen, but maybe not VP? In short, VP is a gigantic TV screen showing an image, animation, or 3D environment – a digital backdrop.
The digital backdrop is captured directly in-camera along with the real objects and actors standing between the TV screen and the camera. Instead of changing the background in post-production, as is traditionally done with greenscreen, everything is shot live, in-camera. This requires preparation and planning, in return, it provides many advantages, creative benefits, and flexibility for the studio production.
For NND, many of the scenes were planned to be shot outdoors. To gain control over the execution, surroundings, weather, transportation, and lighting, we chose to use a TV screen—or an LED wall, as it is called in industry terms—for some of the scenes. We developed a realistic 3D environment (in Unreal Engine) that we play back in real-time on the LED walls. The camera on set is tracked to ensure we get the correct parallax in the 3D environment as we move through the “forest”.
To better sell the depth and realism of our digital backdrop, we set up some real trees in front of the screens. By hollowing out the tree trunks and adding support beams, we could easily move the heavy trunks. We also had to ensure that our digital trees and nature matched what we physically had on the studio floor.
Shooting
A major advantage of VP is that you quickly get a clear idea on the monitor of what looks good and what doesn’t. You can then make immediate changes, such as moving the vegetation in the 3D model, to achieve a better image composition. These adjustments are made in collaboration with the director, cinematographer, lighting designer, production designer, and first assistant director, and are executed by the team in the “brain bar”. This is where all technical and creative changes to the digital backdrop take place.
The shoot lasted for two days, and thanks to a great team and solid planning, we reached our goal. Even though many on set have previous film experience, not many have been in a VP studio before.
It was really fun to see both the team and the client with a twinkle in their eye, eager to explore new ideas when they saw the possibilities with VP.
