Unreal Engine Spotlights the Evolution of Virtual Production with Dimension Studio

August 27, 2024 • 2 minute read

Epic Games interviewed Dimension Studios for its Unreal Engine Spotlight series to explore the evolution and future of virtual production.

Dimension spoke to Epic Games to discuss how virtual production has now matured to the level where it’s much more accessible to any filmmaker who comes to use it. Everyone from a traditional filmmaking discipline can bring something to virtual production.

Dimension has been at the forefront of virtual production and the filmmaking technique has become integrated with the traditional production workflows. In recent years, we joined forces with DNEG to set up DNEG 360—a new division that provides a range of services including visualization, virtual production, and content creation.

"We work directly with directors and client-side VFX supervisors who are becoming ever more comfortable with working with Unreal Engine, recognize its capabilities, and often approach projects with a virtual production mindset from the off”

Neil Graham

Executive Producer, Dimension and DNEG 360

For Roland Emmerich’s series ‘Those About to Die’, Dimension and DNEG 360 provided virtual production filmmaking techniques, alongside live action and traditional VFX to recreate Vespasian’s Rome. We relied on a production pipeline centered around Unreal Engine to create Rome on an LED volume and capture final scenes in-camera.

"It’s the core tool for the environments we build, the camera simulations, and the motion capture. All of these live events are directed in real time, with performances streamed, directly into Unreal Engine.”

Ed Thomas

Head of Real-time at Dimension and DNEG 360

We took a detailed model of ancient Rome into Unreal Engine, this virtual replica was used for everything from previsualization to shooting the final pixels, allowing Director Roland Emmerich and VFX Supervisor Pete Travers to explore ideal shoot locations on a 16k-resolution, ten-screen LED wall.

Working on an LED volume offers significant advantages, particularly the shooting schedule. Scenes can be planned without the unpredictability of live locations, leading to time and cost savings. Actors also benefit, as they can perform against a detailed LED stage—rather than in front of a blank background.

“What matters to the wider production team is consistency. The director could shoot at ‘golden hour’ all day with virtual production.”

James Franklin

Virtual Production Supervisor, Dimension and DNEG 360

Merging Virtual Production and Traditional Filmmaking

As more filmmakers realise the cost savings and creative possibilities of virtual production, we expect to see a broader range of film and TV adopting a real-time production approach “It’s no longer the domain of big-budget sci-fi,” says Franklin. “Advancements in Unreal Engine’s stability, visual fidelity, and lighting make it the most mature virtual production engine on the market.

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