Good Morning: In this weeks virtual production round-up, we have:
Cover Story: EPIC's latest release of Unreal Engine just landed. So what?
What's Hot: Taekwon-do, ‘Live’ AI image generation and the Netflix VP Playbook
Starting Pixel News: Genlocking, nDisplay freeze and what does 'indie' mean
Events & Training: Starting Pixel Live! 24 stats, SPL25 reg, Chaos and SXSW
Let's do this!
UNREAL ENGINE 5.5 HAS LANDED
Epic is on a roll, cranking out new versions of Unreal Engine at a frankly dizzying rate.
Unreal Engine 5.5 is out – and you might be asking yourself, "Why should I care?" Well, if you’re into gaming, there’s a lot of new stuff in there for you. If not... let's get to the good bits.
Now, if you’re part of Starting Pixel, you're probably more interested in what’s new for virtual production. So, what do we get?
Well, there’s a bunch of fancy techie virtual production updates (which we won’t bore you with). But the real superstar of the release, the one feature that might actually move the needle, is MegaLights. Of course, it is. Here’s why:
There are three rules to virtual production:
Lighting
Lighting
Lighting
Sure, that’s true of filmmaking in general, but we've all been complaining about the lights in UE being a bit... harsh. MegaLights look like they’re set to soften things up and, fingers crossed, fix this.
The best part? A lot of the add-ons that make virtual production magic happen get updated soon after these Epic releases, which means you'll start seeing – but ideally not noticing – those subtle improvements very soon.
Exciting times ahead!
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WHAT'S HOT IN VIRTUAL PRODUCTION
Taekwon-do instructor creates a VR training app using Unreal, Convai AI, Ready Player Me avatars, and custom animations.
Unreal Engine 5.5 introduces powerful updates for animation, virtual production, and mobile game development.
Netflix Production Technology Resources have shared an educational journey through the world of Virtual Production.
Samuli Homanen shares how he integrates ComfyUI into Unreal Engine, for ‘Live’ AI image generation, based on the viewport.
STARTING PIXEL NEWS
MERCH BABY!
Introducing the Starting Pixel Limited Edition Merch!!
Designed for Starting Pixel Live 24 and very limited, it's super cool and will make you cool, even if you're not.
Here are the 4 most discussed topics from our WhatsApp Community in the last week:
Genlocking and Synchronisation in Virtual Production
Genlock remains a prominent topic in VP, with discussions about its necessity for LED walls and setups using GPUs like the RTX 4090. Alternatives such as timecode synchronisation, video IO cards, and single-node configurations were explored, alongside the challenges of multi-node setups and achieving frame synchronisation across devices.
Indie vs. Professional Virtual Production
There’s a drive to establish clear standards for indie VP projects, balancing experimentation with maintaining quality expectations. Conversations emphasised managing client expectations, defining what “indie” means, and avoiding practices that blur the line between experimental and professional-grade productions.
Virtual Production Challenges and Solutions
Technical challenges like Unreal Engine 5.4’s nDisplay freezing were shared, with users troubleshooting potential solutions. The broader theme focused on achieving final-pixel quality, addressing technical limitations, and aligning creative goals with production realities.
Tools and Workflows for Virtual Production
Technical tools such as Disguise, Assimilate Live FX, and Unreal Engine were compared for managing rendering and LED workflows. Discussions included hardware like Blackmagic and AJA cards, as well as evolving VP workflows supported by updates in Unreal Engine and other tools.
STARTING PIXEL BLOGS
SPONSOR MESSAGE
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EVENTS
It's bee a whole month since Starting Pixel Live! so we thought we'd share some of the stats and feedback!
200 Attendees / 16 Sessions / 2 Tracks / 1 Student Showcase / 1 Demo Jam
Ave. N-Sat Score: 4.4/5 / Would Recommend: 100% / Would attend again: 100%
Some cool quotes:
“SPLive… a corker of an event. Interesting, informative, reaffirming, fun.”
“Starting Pixel provided a fantastic environment to catch up on all things AR, VR and Real Time. Can’t wait for next year!”
“Every moment sparked creativity and offered valuable takeaways for everyone involved!”
Event Listing:
20th Nov | Windsor College Launch Event | HERE
6-8th Dec | World VFX Day | HERE
11th Dec | London | Starting Pixel After Party @Focus HERE
4th Feb | Barcelona | Starting Pixel After Party @ISE HERE
6th Apr | Las Vegas | Starting Pixel After Party @NAB HERE
14th May | London | Starting Pixel After Party @MP&T HERE
2-7 June 2025 | SXSW London | Reg Live HERE
15th Oct | London | SPL25! | Reg your interest HERE
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