Virtual Sets
 | The term Virtual Set has become blurred somewhat after a while, originally meaning to use a computer and a camera tracker to generate a background in realtime to chromakey talent into, Virtual Sets now encompass both live and post, tracking and trackless solutions, and it is even used to reference simple blue/greenscreen work where talent is keyed in to a studio. There are many different forms of virtual sets; I'll let you know that these are commonly used:
Virtual Sets Standard Definition, High-definition, and 4K are used with Post Production programs like editors and compositors. They are available as layers letting you create the illusion that the talent is standing behind a desk which video is playing inside the monitors. NewTek's Tricaster SD and Tricaster XD versions run on their proprietary hardware, but make operating a live virtual set very simple, scaling the talent in the set, placing the B Source in the screens and adding reflections. The visible difference between the two is resolution, the XD to be able to produce in High Definition and that the XD are able to do virtual camera moves like zooms. The 3D Studio MAX version is optimized for realtime rendering, it's really a 3D version uniquely situated for usage with realtime rendering platforms but with it's lighting baked into the textures, it is not very editable. NewTek's Lightwave 3D version is easily the most powerful and flexible, but the most technically demanding to make use of giving you full treating every aspect of the set as well as a true 3D environment for use tracking markers. Virtual Set Production falls into two main categories, Live and Post. The first kind giving you feedback in realtime to what your greenscreen composite seems like, the later giving you more flexibility and control to produce decisions at your leisure. The other main difference being price, you may get into virtual set post production for hundreds of dollars vs. thousands of dollars for live productions. Live Production Long the domain of the six figure budgets virtual sets took an unexpected turn in the late nineties with all the release of Play’s Trinity. With a built in chroma keyer and several unusual virtual set features it turned the industry’s notion of what a virtual set was on it’s ear. Years later NewTek released it’s Video Toaster system which in version 5 had similar functionality, enabling realtime keying, scaling, and reflections of talent and a B source. That technology followed onto their Tricaster line and matured with their XD products; an HD switcher with virtual set abilities including a trackless zoom. The Tricaster products have been very popular due to their comparatively low pricing, multiple functionalities, and different virtual set abilities not seen in other products at any price tag. Post Production Any program having a chroma keyer can create the illusion of your virtual set with a far lower cost than live production. These will include a few better editors for example Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro, Sony Vegas, and similar. These can be as simple as keying your talent more than a background, or as complex as tracking markers and layering together a complex scene with camera motion. www.videovirtualsets.com also provides virtual set design services to switch any of their existing library of virtual sets as well as to create a virtual set custom yourself, examples and pricing is available on their website. Some productions require changes towards the set, or the client prefers to have a unique identity, regardless of the need the ability to modify sets in your client’s designs is available. With amazing network quality productions appearing out of garages and classrooms because of modern computing power, innovative software, and inexpensive virtual set backgrounds it’s difficult to imagine what will come next. Now in beta testing, intensiKey's post production virtual set software promises to offer the power of the true 3D program with no complexity. Virtual Sets |
