Compositing On TV

While looking for examples of compositing to help inspire me for the next project, I found this virtual backlot reel from Stargate Studios. The video shows how green screens are used in various films and shows. While we all know that they are used much more often than people realize, this video shows just how much can be added to the scene with the use of the green screen. The video also shows just how realistic some of the compositing is. Halfway through the video, I started trying to guess what was real and what was composited later, and at times I was surprised by the effects.

Pan Am: Using Visual Effects to Create Different Worlds

One of the new shows that I've really enjoyed so far this season is ABC's Pan Am, which centers around a group of Pan Am stewardesses in the 1960s. The show is shot in New York but takes place all around the world. In the past four episodes alone it has taken place in Hong Kong, Paris, Jakarta, London, New York City, and Berlin. The show has done a great job of portraying these different locations and is very convincing. A lot can be attributed to the visual effects team and art department.They are able to build entire cities without ever leaving their studio in New York. This is especially important for a show that's main focus is the different cities the

flight attendants go to.

Even the scenes that take place in the Pan Am terminal in New York are extremely convincing and well done. The sets are huge and you can tell that the production doesn't hold back, especially when it comes to its visual effects. I found this article that describes the making of the pilot episode. I found out that Stargate Studios, the visual effects company I posted about a few weeks ago is the company behind the visual effects of Pan Am. The article goes into detail about how the Pan Am features one of the largest virtual sets ever created, the main airport terminal set. Rather than build the entire set, an area of 150 square-feet was covered in green screen and used for shooting.

The production used Stargate's VB-live real time compositing system, which requires the studio to pre-build all of the virtual sets so the actors can see them on monitors as they are filming. After shooting, they fine-tuned the shots in Maya and After Effects. The results are stunning in my opinion. Pan Am is beautifully shot and so much of that can be attributed to the visual effects team. I definitely recommend you all check out the pilot! Here is the trailer:

Stargate Studios: Virtual Backlot

A friend of mine recently told me about Stargate Studios, an international production company that specializes in advanced production services and state-of-the-art postproduction. They have developed Virtual Backlot Live, which is one of the best, low-cost alternatives to shooting on location. Virtual Backlot Live has a library that includes hundreds of virtual environments from around the world. If a show is shooting on a backlot in Los Angeles but takes place in New York, productions can use a green screen and video from the virtual library to make it appear that the scene is in New York.

On their website you can browse their stock library which has tons of different locations. I definitely recommend exploring the website and checking out their gallery. They've posted a few reels that show some of the work they've done and there is a section on their website called "Before and After" that has a lot of cool behind the scenes interactive pictures. They have done a lot of work for shows such as Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty, The Walking Dead, 24, and Mad Men.

Here's their backlot reel from 2009: