Real Time Rendering Technology

The capabilities of Real Time Rendering Technology – the ability to see virtual sets live – are very much present, affordable, and achievable in most major city centres worldwide for production. In this interview with Canadian President of Stargate Studios Canada, Kris Wood shares an in-depth discussion of the possibilities and opportunities of using this technology in live-action productions. Aside from several recent TV series adopting this in their production process, many global examples also exist in avenues such as: game design, news, sports, live events, and game shows.

“The idea of the virtual sets holds a lot of promise, not just in terms of saving the expense of building large, elaborate sets, but also in terms of being able to incorporate virtual elements (such as audience interactivity or other data) that are otherwise difficult to incorporate in a real set,” said Paul McGrath Interactive Executive Producer at CBC.

Another advantage to consider is that audience engagement can now be adopted in real-time for live broadcasts and the viewing experience can be more valuable and unique for the viewers because of the relationship of data integration in the content. The power of this technology isn’t just innovative in terms of structural production conveniences, but also creating more reasons for audience members to want to watch TV in a more present manner.

See more recent links and examples on this topic here:

• “We creative types can enter into a new partnership with the technologists and say, we know your box can do this thing, so let’s push it. Let’s get it to do the next level of creativity” - Wired magazine predicted this from an article in 2009
• Earlier in Jan 2013, InnovaTV captured this post on real-time rendering:presented by Pietro Gagliano from Secret Location who was specifically talking about this innovative technology.
• Sept 2013 Ubisoft article about some of their latest work on Splinter Cell
• Article & video demonstrating Lucas Films doing real-time rendering technology for Star Wars – Sept 2013
• Article about CNN’s virtual studio – April 2013

Victoria Evans

Victoria is a strategist and content producer with over a decade of experience in traditional media and digital interactive content. Her work with several media agencies, including five years spent co-steering as partner of Stitch Media Inc. has seen her recognized with 20 awards to date including a 2010 nomination for Canadian Producer of the Year with NextMedia. She is also a prolific speaker at major events and has educated and mentored media professionals transitioning to the digital realm at Centennial College.

Read Bio