How will XYN changes the workflow of movie production. Daniel De La Rosa, Vice President, Post Production, Technology Development at Sony Pictures Entertainment, discusses his expectations for XYN.
- Daniel De La Rosa
- Sony Pictures Entertainment
Hello, my name is Daniel De La Rosa. I'm the Vice President, Post Production, Technology Development with Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Improve the accuracy of planning and preparation for shooting by leveraging XR and 3DCG technology
ー Where in the production process are XR and 3DCG techniques particularly useful?
Currently, the XR and 3D techniques are useful in the pre-production and planning process, especially with the pre-visualization and the art department teams who go in before physical production starts and are tasked with the challenge of having to plan out the production. XR technology is very useful in allowing those teams to be able to spatially visualize sets and environments in order to be better informed and ready for the start of physical production.
ー How XR technology is expected to be used in the field of production.
XR technology can be used in the field of production for production planning, especially things like location scouting, where you can send a smaller team out to a difficult to get to location. This smaller team can scan that environment and then allow the director and cinematographer and other crew members to virtually go into that environment to plan out their shots, which would definitely help them when planning for production. Likewise, they can also pre-visualize actual sets on the sound stage and be better informed of where certain props need to be placed as well as lighting.
The aim is to create an efficient production process using tools that are simple to get started with
ー What are the pain points of 3DCG creation or Spatial content creation in your production today?
Currently, the pain points are the “barrier to entry” items in terms of cost and location. A lot of the technology is either very expensive or it's in an actual location, like, for example, a mocap stage, where sometimes it's difficult to schedule a session. If there's sudden spontaneity of creativity that occurs and a creator needs to get to a mocap stage, they may not be able to flesh out their idea while it's still fresh. Some of these technologies that Sony is providing actually offer the opportunity for them to immediately explore their ideas organically as they inspiration happens.
ー Are there any technical issues in incorporating XR and 3DCG in the production process?
A technical issue with incorporating XR and 3D CG into production is the time that it takes to actually deploy the technology. I feel there's a need for a more efficient process, and part of that comes from developing an ecosystem of these technologies under one umbrella that would allow for an easier exchange of assets through the entire pipeline.
On the XR side, we primarily worked with it from an exploratory standpoint, testing out some of these new technologies and seeing how we can leverage them or how they would be leveraged in a creative environment. We've actually shown them to some filmmakers to get their feedback. The key with XR technologies, and any technology for that matter, is deploying something that's reliable, intuitive, and easy to use because the filmmakers need to have a tool that they can easily pick up and use right away without having to have any kind of issues with lag or setup.
New Dimension of creativity
ー What are your impressions of XYN?
I like the overall XYN ecosystem because it encompasses several facets of both XR and 3D CG technologies. I feel that we're moving into an era where we'll be able to start to leverage more assets that were used on actual productions, whether it be a feature film or television production, in other types of experiences, especially for promotion of these films and television shows from a marketing standpoint, being able to create interactive experiences that actually use the actual assets that were used on production. Being able to reuse these assets I feel will go a long way into adding that sense of reality for the consumer base that would like to enjoy them.
ー How are Headset of XYN used in Production or Pre-Production or expect to use?
I expect initially the headsets to be used for pre-visualization, allowing directors to go in and see the shot before it happens, as well as being able to plan the shots out.
It allows them to work with other members of the crew, like a cinematographer, as well as the art department, so they can all be in the space at the same time and help them work together to realize their vision.
ー How are mocopi Professional mode and XYN Motion Studio application used in Production or Pre-production or expect to use?
I feel that the mocopi Professional mode could help creators in the pre-vis process, especially when it comes to getting quick and more realistic animations to help animate those scenes. A lot of the pre-visualization scenes currently just use static characters with no animation, so it's hard for a director to really visualize the scene without seeing that motion.
And aside from going on to a full mocap stage, it's very hard for them to get that animation they need, even if someone goes in and manually animates it. The mocopi Professional mode would allow these creators to quickly capture the motion that they need for the scene, and it will allow the director, as well as the other filmmakers involved, to make better decisions before production starts.
ー How can XYN’s 3D capturing solution be used for production or expect to use?
I feel that currently it's difficult to get 3D capture on set because it's often a very time-consuming process. XYN actually helps speed up that process. It almost gamifies the process, so somebody can go in and quickly do a capture and know that they actually have all of the capture shots they need to perform a full render of a 3D model. I feel that this would go a long way to just quickly go in, especially since production time is really valuable, and they don't have a lot of time in between takes or on breaks to go and capture. XYN could help speed up that process and allow them to do a really high-quality capture in a shorter amount of time.
ー What are your expectations for XYN in the future? And how would it help creators to streamline their workflow?
I'm excited to see how creators embrace XYN from an ecosystem standpoint, because it does allow for the capture and the creation of 3D assets, as well as allowing them to be able to manipulate objects in XR space using the HMD and spatial reality displays. I feel that as an ecosystem, this will go a long way to helping creators better realize their visions from a volumetric and 3D perspective and make better decisions, as well as being able to use those same assets for other experiences. It could negate the need to recreate the assets for a game or some kind of XR experience used in the promotion process of the content.