ARWall, Soapbox Films Debut XR Virtual Production Tool

The partnership establishes a new virtual production studio for large-scale and indie filmmaking

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ARWall, Soapbox Films Debut XR Virtual Production Tool
Virtual RealityInsightsNews Analysis

Published: October 19, 2022

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Rory Greener

Los Angeles-based production studio Soapbox Films successfully installed a new virtual backdrop on Tuesday that displays real-time 3D (RT3D) in-camera visualisations, enabling the studio to host extended reality (XR) film productions.

Virtual production backdrops work like a greenscreen set-up, but the 30 x 12-foot LED panel enables a film production crew to render an RT3D environment live with in-camera visuals.

ARWall (augmented reality) delivered the hardware that provides Soapbox with a virtual production facility. The studio displays RT3D visuals at a high refresh rate with no striation artefacts or colour banding. Additionally, the device has a matte screen finish to remove light glares.

Unique Virtual Production Benefits

The Soapbox facility features an AX Pro 1.5mm by Absen LED panel purpose-built for in-camera virtual production. The panel enables a film production team to display visuals with advanced colour and cadence qualities at a 6K horizontal resolution.

The installation also features an integrated ARFX Pro Plugin and ARFX Launcher collaboration tools that increase efficiency by dramatically reducing downtime on set.

Rene Amador, the CEO of ARWall, says that the Soapbox installation is a “win” for LA production teams because an XR stage balances cost and quality.

Amador added,

“This solution was made accessible with LED tech and products 6 years in the making; that are now available on our site. This is a solution for a modern content industry that’s learning from past efforts, streamlining towards a focus on creativity, and capturing the opportunities available from this tech today”

The installation aims to promote virtual production tools and provide a new piece of filmmaking kit. Soapbox is inviting large-scale and independent film production to leverage the facility.

Leveraging RT3D Graphics for Film Productions

ARWall has experience working with major media partners like the Walt Disney Company to assist with Muppet Haunted Mansion, produced by Soapbox Films. ARWall has also worked with prominent industry partners such as Lucasfilm, Zenni, and 20th Century Studios.

Although the firm maintains that an independent production team can use its virtual film production tools to suit smaller budgets, the platform supports graphics powered by Unreal engine, providing an extensive library of easy-to-integrate RT3D assets.

In an interview with Showrunner, the Co-Founder of ARwall, Jocelyn Hsu, said,

“If you have a lower-budget film and your locations are not that specific or they match the assets that already exist in that marketplace, then it’s not too bad. What may get pricey is if you purchase some assets there, but need someone to light it and put it together, which still isn’t that bad because the assets already exist”

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