Recently, HTC VIVE announced the launch of its first one-stop virtual production solution "VIVE Mars CamTrack", with an early bird price of $5,000.
According to HTC, VIVE Mars CamTrack allows actors to be integrated into any virtual background in real time during production, in many cases without the need for live set-up shooting to ensure that filmmakers reach their full creative potential. By integrating the position tracking workflow of a physical camera into a professional-grade real-time rendering engine, the entire virtual production process will be faster, simpler, and more economical.
The shooting mode of setting up virtual scenes through giant virtual screen walls and ceilings has long been applied in the film and television industry, and one of the biggest costs of virtual production comes from the lengthy and expensive physical set process. This solution streamlines the cost of location and giant sets, while reducing the difficulty of post-production, thereby increasing shooting efficiency and allowing small creative teams to shoot virtual scenes at a lower cost.
Leveraging industry-leading lighthouse tracking technology, VIVE Mars CamTrack will streamline complex workflows into a single integrated piece of hardware, delivering a simple, accurate camera tracking solution. Whether it's for small or large studios, Mars' portability makes shooting in different locations easier.
HTC's VIVE Mars CamTrack can track its position and orientation by attaching the Vive locator to the photographic equipment, which allows precise interaction between the image projected on the giant screen wall and the zenith, thereby enhancing the naturalness of the virtual scene shooting results and avoiding the occurrence of the wrong position or proportion of the actor and the virtual scene during the shooting process.
Yongzhe Bao, Senior Vice President of Global Enterprise Solutions at HTC VIVE, said: "Virtual production represents the future of content creation. It allows filmmakers to unleash their imagination beyond the limitations of the physical environment of reality. Through Mars, HTC applies its years of experience in developing VR technology to the field of virtual production. Film professionals no longer have to struggle to weigh factors such as time, cost, and quality. With the VIVE Mars solution, virtual production equipment can fit into a backpack while delivering professional-grade film and television effects. ”
The benefits of virtual production are not just ease of operation and cost savings. In addition to enabling filmmakers to more fully realize their creative visions, virtual production is also more environmentally friendly than traditional production methods. Traditional production processes generate significant carbon emissions, including sending cast and crew to set around the world, powering the sets, and finalizing unwanted props and other materials. With virtual production schemes, the creative industries will play an active role in environmental sustainability.