4DR Studios and volumetric video help out Studio 100
Rollercoaster, roller skates … money shot!
Studio 100 is one of Belgium’s main export products of the last quarter of a century. With concepts such as Samson and Gert, Kabouter (Gnome) Plop, and House of Anubis, the media company of initiator Gert Verhulst is a significant player in the global market of kids’ entertainment. But sometimes, even players of international stature need a bit of help to materialize their ideas. For the youth series Gamekeepers, Studio 100 sought the support of 4DR Studios to deliver a spectacular money shot. This extraordinary experience whets our appetite for more!
In early November of this year, 4DR Studios made its television debut in Belgium. Granted: we did so behind the scenes, but still! The Ketnet series GameKeepers is all about gaming. Long story short: teenagers Sari and mats find themselves caught in yet another game in each episode. The duo must win them all to save humanity from the power-hungry Game Master on the hunt for world domination. Quite the challenge for both the heroes as Studio 100. Especially the shot with Mats roller skating across a rollercoaster caused some stress.
Virtual action on a rollercoaster
In the episode ‘Rollercoaster,’ aired early November, Gamekeeper Mats must complete a rough course. On a rollercoaster, wearing roller skates. Studio 100 couldn’t get the shot right in its in-house television studio. Makes sense, as Mats obviously isn’t really roller skating across a rollercoaster. Theoretically, a green screen could do the trick for this digital production. However, finding the right camera angle, the proper lighting, and the right spot on the rollercoaster proved only to burn up money and (production) time. Seemingly a mission impossible, Studio 100 searched for an alternative solution for the virtual production.
That solution lay in the volumetric capturing stage of 4DR Studios. Volumetric video allowed us to create the crucial money shot precisely as desired. Dozens of cameras and lights ensure the action is shot from all angles in the most flattering light. Leaving plenty of room in postproduction for creative adjustments in viewing angle and lighting. A prop specially designed for the production brought even more realness to the shot. The actor playing GameKeeper Mats moves very naturally by placing on this movable standard. As if he’s really speeding up and down the rollercoaster.
Frame by frame
After the shoot, 4DR Studios polished the volumetric video footage in postproduction using the Holosys system. Next, editor Guy Meel processed the volumetric video with Unreal at Studio 100. The footage was then added to the production. Frame by frame, fundamental matters such as the precise lighting and zooming options were determined and every movement of Mats meticulously fitted in each fragment. How well that worked out? See for yourself in GameKeeepers’ episode Rollercoaster.
Unique user case
4DR Studios considers this collab with Studio 100 a fascinating debut. Until now, we mainly aimed our volumetric video technology at augmented and virtual reality. This unique user case proves that 4DR Studios can create priceless money shots with relative ease and speed. And it also whetted our appetite for more. That’s why we’d love to research this new field of application in other joint projects with the world of television. Are you a TV producer with a brilliant yet complex idea for a money shot? Let us know at info@4drstudios.com. We like to explore all volumetric video possibilities that can bring your vision to life.
behind the scenes
