Brompton Technology runs Epic Games’ processing
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Whilst UE has been at the forefront of Virtual Production (VP) since the first workflows began to emerge, it is the first time that the company has introduced its state-of-the-art virtual studio, working with partners such as Brompton Technology, ARRI and creative technical production company 80six, ‘to bring the magic of virtual production to life’.
“Our initial conversations with Brompton took place at this year’s ISE, where we met with several other vendors to discuss our needs to create a virtual production studio at our Innovation Lab in London,” says Epic’s technical artist, Ben Kidd. “Brompton’s Tessera processing ticked all our boxes, so we were very keen to go ahead and test the full LED solution in situ.”
The arrangement was made between teams at 80six, Brompton and Epic to have demo ROE LED screens and Brompton Tessera S8 LED processors delivered to the Lab facility. However, due to the lockdown the project had to be postponed until late April. Following eased restrictions, the equipment was finally shipped to Epic and further tested by Kidd and his team on site for over a month.
“Following the initial testing phase, we were very pleased with the ROE and Brompton combo and its performance, and so it was an easy choice to make the full investment,” continued Kidd. “We acquired three of Brompton’s latest Tessera S8 LED processors to drive the entire Volume.”
The complete LED fleet - including 144 ROE Black Pearl 2 LED panels, 38 CB3 Carbon 3 full-size and eight half-size panels - has been calibrated with Brompton’s Hydra advanced measurement system to take full advantage of Dynamic Calibration features and Brompton HDR (High Dynamic Range).
The space is a mix of lighting emitted by LED panels and also traditional lighting fixtures that one would normally find on a professional film set, with all of the traditional fixtures provided by ARRI. Additionally, the company offered its high-end AMIRA camera system with various lens packages for the studio.
“At ARRI it’s been clear to us for some time that Virtual Production with LED will be a key part of many of the projects we see and work on going forward and the interplay between cameras, video and lighting is crucial to the success of these projects,” says ARRI’s regional business development director, David Levy. “We have seen our cameras work brilliantly with Brompton processors in the most demanding environments and this project has been no exception. It’s been a pleasure to work on the London Lab with Epic, Brompton and 80Six to deliver a facility which can be a proving ground for more ground-breaking developments in this field and we are excited to see the content it will produce.”
