Virtual Production
UNCSA is fortunate to be one of the first universities in the world to have access to virtual production technology. The special effects department has built three LED screens across campus. We have spent the last few years troubleshooting the rigging of these systems and how practical and visual effects can interact in-camera.
This film took place on a boat, but was a stage build and thus required virtual backgrounds of the ocean for the portholes and upper deck exteriors.
The story ends with a character going overboard and being eaten by mermaids. To achieve this, we digitally sculpted and rigged three mermaids, shot motion capture of the fight sequence, and assembled it all in Unreal Engine. I managed a team of myself and two other technicians to accomplish this all and meet our deadlines.
Belly of the Beast
dir. Mary Louise Renegar
Role: Virtual Production Supervisor / Volume Mechanical Supervisor
Testing…
Various renders from lighting, animation, and level design tests in Unreal Engine
Experimenting with LED screens and poor man’s process to find the most realistic parallax and interactive light techniques