By TREVOR HOGG There was a time when the audience was left to fill in the visual gaps with their imagination when attending live events, but this is no longer the case as stage productions have become technologically sophisticated and proficient in incorporating visual effects as part of the performance. This also applies to broadcast [...]

By TREVOR HOGG Real-time software programs are being developed by Chaos, such as the ray tracing renderer Vantage and Arena, which does ray tracing for in-camera effects. (Images courtesy of Chaos) Virtual production could not exist without real-time rendering, customarily associated with game engines such as Unreal Engine and Unity. Still, real-time technology is also [...]

By TREVOR HOGG Preparing for a virtual production shoot of a Vertibird featured in Fallout. (Image courtesy of All of it Now) Has virtual production revolutionized filmmaking, beginning with The Mandalorian in 2019, and accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic a year later? The answer is ‘no,’ but the methodology has become an accepted alternative to [...]

By TREVOR HOGG Images courtesy of Arenamedia Pty Ltd. and IFC Films. Along with being surrounded by snail memorabilia, Grace finds herself responsible for an ever-growing population of frisky guinea pigs. Making the most of the global shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Australian filmmaker Adam Elliot mapped out what would become an Oscar-nominee favorite [...]

By TREVOR HOGG Denis Villeneuve converses with DP Greig Fraser while making Dune: Part Two. (Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures) In the digital age, where photorealism is achievable virtually and is getting further refined with machine learning, the visual effects industry finds itself being viewed as a double-edged sword. When used properly, visual effects are [...]