The main difference is that 2D content is a pre-rendered image or video that is played back on the LED screen, while Unreal Engine creates a 3D environment that can respond to the camera in real time.

With 2D content, the camera position is generally more limited because the image does not change perspective as the camera moves. It works well for locked-off shots, simple camera moves, or shots where the depth of field is really shallow

With Unreal Engine, the environment is fully 3D, so the perspective changes as the camera moves, creating natural parallax and allowing the camera to move more freely around the scene. It also means that elements such as lighting, time of day, weather and individual assets can be adjusted during the shoot.

The right option depends on the type of shot and the level of interaction needed from the environment. For some shots, 2D content is more than enough; for more complex camera movement or interactive environments, Unreal Engine offers much more flexibility.

Camera tracking is the system that tells the virtual environment where the physical camera is and how it is moving. At Silvertown Studios, our optical racking system is connected to the Unreal Engine and LED screen, so the digital environment can move with the camera as you pan, tilt or move around the set.

This creates parallax, where objects in the digital environment appear to shift in relation to the camera moves, just as they would in a real location. This helps make the digital environment feel like a real space rather than a flat image or a video file playing in the background.

In most cases, yes. While the LED provides the digital environment, physical set elements are important for creating a convincing sense of depth and making the scene feel believable on camera.

A completely digital environment can look flat if there is nothing physical in the foreground or around the talent. Adding elements such as flooring, walls, furniture, props or other set pieces gives the camera real objects at different distances, creating natural perspective and depth within the frame. It also allows the talent to properly interact with their surroundings and creates real shadows, reflections and lighting that help connect the physical and digital elements.

You don't necessarily need to build a full traditional set, but having some physical elements in the scene is often essential to getting the most realistic result from virtual production.

Yes, it is possible to make changes to the 3D scene during the shoot. Assets can be moved or repositioned within the environment, while lighting, time of day and other elements can also be adjusted. For exterior scenes, this could include changing weather conditions such as adding or removing rain, fog, clouds or changing the overall atmosphere of the scene.

These changes can be made relatively quickly when they are planned and straightforward, but they do need to be kept to a reasonable level. More complex changes can take time to implement and test properly, particularly if they affect the lighting or the way the environment looks through the camera. For this reason, we recommend having the main environment agreed in advance and using on-the-day changes for smaller creative adjustments.

It is not essential, but having a DOP who has experience with virtual production can make the shoot much easier. Understanding how the LED stage, camera, lighting and virtual environment work together is important, as there are some differences compared with shooting on a traditional location or against a green screen.

A DOP who is familiar with the workflow will generally be able to get the most out of the stage and make decisions with the LED environment in mind. We can also recommend DOPs who have experience shooting on virtual production stages if required.