Virtual Production Is Ready for Its Close-Up
Coming out of the National Association of Broadcasters show in Las Vegas last month, one thing is clear: Virtual production is no longer an emerging trend. Rather, it has become the driving force behind the next wave of storytelling.
As conversations buzzed around LED volumes, real-time rendering and AI-accelerated workflows, a deeper truth was clearly resonating: The future isn’t simply about technological bells and whistles, it’s about a new model of production that’s faster, more flexible and increasingly sustainable.
For decades, production followed a familiar pattern, with physical sets, extensive location shoots, post-heavy pipelines and all the VFX bolted on later. But that model is evolving, ushering in a transformative convergence of technologies that reshapes workflows from pre-production to final cut.
LED volumes, powered by real-time game engines like Unreal or Unity, are no longer novelties in film production. They’re fast immersing themselves as core tools in both cinematic and branded storytelling.
“Golden Hour” on Demand While some may recall the days of rear projection and early chroma key work — colloquially called green screen — what we’re seeing now is in a different league entirely. Today’s LED volumes create dynamic, photoreal environments that respond instantly to camera movement, lighting and actor interaction.
Instead of imagining a desert at golden hour or a neon-lit Tokyo street, creators can step inside those worlds on a soundstage and even change the weather with just a touch. It’s a real-time leap from illusion to immersion.
These advancements are streamlining production but, equally important, also reshaping how stories are conceived. The ability to capture complex scenes with integrated in-camera visual effects (ICVFX) collapses the traditional gap between principal photography and post-production.
Directors frame shots against the final look. Cinematographers sculpt the mood in real time. Actors engage with a scene that feels tangible rather than green-screened. The feedback loop is immediate, creative risks feel safer, and iteration becomes a part of the process, not a luxury.
And crucially, especially as the industry seeks to showcase sustainability and green production, virtual production offers a meaningful path forward in terms of environmental impact. A recent shoot that would have once involved flights, trucks and days of set building can now be captured in a single volume, with fewer people, fewer resources and less time.
By reducing the need for travel, shrinking physical set construction and lowering on-location emissions, studios and agencies alike can directly lighten their carbon footprint.
Smarter Spending With Smaller Budgets While virtual production is often touted as a cost-cutting breakthrough, the reality is more complex, as sets are not eliminating crew but rather shifting focus to new technologies, which still require careful calibration and creative finesse.
Still, virtual production isn’t just a creative leap forward, it has quickly become a fiscal lifeline for producers fleeing the rising costs of traditional shoots. Put simply, it reduces the unpredictable: weather delays, location logistics, travel time and schedule slips. In this sense, it can be cheaper — and frequently smarter.
And as tariffs and strains on global supply chains make importing set materials more expensive and less reliable, creating worlds virtually offers a way to sidestep mounting construction costs and delays.
The real financial advantage for producers lies in time compression, risk mitigation and long-term asset reuse. Shoots become more foreseen, creative decisions are made earlier and with greater clarity, and virtual environments can be repurposed across campaigns or franchises.
Productions often find that efficiencies stack up quickly by minimizing downtime and streamlining logistics. While the initial spending may shift, the cumulative savings will follow. It’s less about cutting corners and more about unlocking smarter, more sustainable ways to create content.
AI is another accelerant in this transformation. While Hollywood must continue grappling with important issues around AI ethics and consent, we’re already seeing creative uses that support, and don’t supplant, human ingenuity.
Tools including AI-assisted previsualization allow teams to scout digital locations, generate concept art, suggest shot compositions and build asset libraries before anyone even steps on set. It’s not about replacing creators— it’s about extending their reach.
Not a Trend but a Shift This convergence of virtual production, real-time rendering and generative AI signals more than a passing phase. It’s a fundamental shift in how stories get told, and the implications ripple across entertainment, advertising and branded content.
Agencies can prototype campaign concepts faster, while studios can greenlight ambitious scenes with more confidence, and creatives can explore bold ideas without being boxed in by budget, geography or time.
Productions are more nimble, workflows are more integrated, and the resulting footprint — both creative and environmental — is smarter. This isn’t about leaving traditional methods behind. It’s about expanding the toolkit and redefining what’s possible.
The walls of LED stages serve as surfaces for projection but additionally ably serve as canvases for a whole new kind of storytelling. In this landscape, creative ambition meets production efficiency. Here, technology doesn’t get in the way, it gets out of the way, and the entertainment industry can align innovation with responsibility.
That future isn’t on the horizon — it’s already here.
Scott Maiocchi, head of production at Door G, is an Emmy Award-winning creative specializing in virtual production. Passionate about harnessing emerging tech, he collaborates with global brands to push boundaries and deliver transformational results.
As conversations buzzed around LED volumes, real-time rendering and AI-accelerated workflows, a deeper truth was clearly resonating: The future isn’t simply about technological bells and whistles, it’s about a new model of production that’s faster, more flexible and increasingly sustainable.
For decades, production followed a familiar pattern, with physical sets, extensive location shoots, post-heavy pipelines and all the VFX bolted on later. But that model is evolving, ushering in a transformative convergence of technologies that reshapes workflows from pre-production to final cut.
LED volumes, powered by real-time game engines like Unreal or Unity, are no longer novelties in film production. They’re fast immersing themselves as core tools in both cinematic and branded storytelling.
“Golden Hour” on Demand While some may recall the days of rear projection and early chroma key work — colloquially called green screen — what we’re seeing now is in a different league entirely. Today’s LED volumes create dynamic, photoreal environments that respond instantly to camera movement, lighting and actor interaction.
Instead of imagining a desert at golden hour or a neon-lit Tokyo street, creators can step inside those worlds on a soundstage and even change the weather with just a touch. It’s a real-time leap from illusion to immersion.
These advancements are streamlining production but, equally important, also reshaping how stories are conceived. The ability to capture complex scenes with integrated in-camera visual effects (ICVFX) collapses the traditional gap between principal photography and post-production.
Directors frame shots against the final look. Cinematographers sculpt the mood in real time. Actors engage with a scene that feels tangible rather than green-screened. The feedback loop is immediate, creative risks feel safer, and iteration becomes a part of the process, not a luxury.
And crucially, especially as the industry seeks to showcase sustainability and green production, virtual production offers a meaningful path forward in terms of environmental impact. A recent shoot that would have once involved flights, trucks and days of set building can now be captured in a single volume, with fewer people, fewer resources and less time.
By reducing the need for travel, shrinking physical set construction and lowering on-location emissions, studios and agencies alike can directly lighten their carbon footprint.
Smarter Spending With Smaller Budgets While virtual production is often touted as a cost-cutting breakthrough, the reality is more complex, as sets are not eliminating crew but rather shifting focus to new technologies, which still require careful calibration and creative finesse.
Still, virtual production isn’t just a creative leap forward, it has quickly become a fiscal lifeline for producers fleeing the rising costs of traditional shoots. Put simply, it reduces the unpredictable: weather delays, location logistics, travel time and schedule slips. In this sense, it can be cheaper — and frequently smarter.
And as tariffs and strains on global supply chains make importing set materials more expensive and less reliable, creating worlds virtually offers a way to sidestep mounting construction costs and delays.
The real financial advantage for producers lies in time compression, risk mitigation and long-term asset reuse. Shoots become more foreseen, creative decisions are made earlier and with greater clarity, and virtual environments can be repurposed across campaigns or franchises.
Productions often find that efficiencies stack up quickly by minimizing downtime and streamlining logistics. While the initial spending may shift, the cumulative savings will follow. It’s less about cutting corners and more about unlocking smarter, more sustainable ways to create content.
AI is another accelerant in this transformation. While Hollywood must continue grappling with important issues around AI ethics and consent, we’re already seeing creative uses that support, and don’t supplant, human ingenuity.
Tools including AI-assisted previsualization allow teams to scout digital locations, generate concept art, suggest shot compositions and build asset libraries before anyone even steps on set. It’s not about replacing creators— it’s about extending their reach.
Not a Trend but a Shift This convergence of virtual production, real-time rendering and generative AI signals more than a passing phase. It’s a fundamental shift in how stories get told, and the implications ripple across entertainment, advertising and branded content.
Agencies can prototype campaign concepts faster, while studios can greenlight ambitious scenes with more confidence, and creatives can explore bold ideas without being boxed in by budget, geography or time.
Productions are more nimble, workflows are more integrated, and the resulting footprint — both creative and environmental — is smarter. This isn’t about leaving traditional methods behind. It’s about expanding the toolkit and redefining what’s possible.
The walls of LED stages serve as surfaces for projection but additionally ably serve as canvases for a whole new kind of storytelling. In this landscape, creative ambition meets production efficiency. Here, technology doesn’t get in the way, it gets out of the way, and the entertainment industry can align innovation with responsibility.
That future isn’t on the horizon — it’s already here.
Scott Maiocchi, head of production at Door G, is an Emmy Award-winning creative specializing in virtual production. Passionate about harnessing emerging tech, he collaborates with global brands to push boundaries and deliver transformational results.