1 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:10,640 Speaker 1: Welcome to Strictly Business, the podcast in which we talk 2 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:13,080 Speaker 1: with some of the brightest minds working in media today. 3 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 1: I'm Andrew Wallenstein with Variety. While the pandemic has made 4 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,759 Speaker 1: making movies and TV shows pretty difficult, a set of 5 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:24,360 Speaker 1: innovations known as virtual production has enabled many shoots to 6 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 1: continue even when the actors are in a different location 7 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:30,319 Speaker 1: than the director. And a big part of who's keeping 8 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 1: Hollywood at the cutting edge is actually a gaming company, 9 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:38,280 Speaker 1: creator of the global phenomenon Fortnite. Joining me today from 10 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 1: Epic Games. From business development for film and television is 11 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 1: Miles Perkins and the head of its l A lab, 12 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:48,640 Speaker 1: Connie Kennedy. It's all coming up today on this episode 13 00:00:48,720 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 1: of Strictly Business. Welcome back to Strictly Business, where my 14 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:05,319 Speaker 1: guests are Miles Perkins and Connie Kennedy of Epic Games. 15 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 1: We're gonna talk in a bit about Epics Unreal Engine, 16 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:11,760 Speaker 1: the software that is the secret sauce powering a lot 17 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: of the virtual production that has been put to use 18 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 1: for TV shows like HBO's Westworld, His Dark Materials and 19 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 1: the film John Wick three. But before we get to 20 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 1: Unreal I want my guests to help me break down 21 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:27,679 Speaker 1: for the listeners and as jargon free a manner as possible, 22 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 1: just what virtual production is, because as I've studied it, 23 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:34,559 Speaker 1: it's it's not any one thing, and it has many 24 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 1: implications for transforming the traditional production process. So Miles get 25 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:43,400 Speaker 1: us started. Can you sort of lay out a uh 26 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 1: an idea of what virtual production is? Sore? Yeah, I 27 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:50,280 Speaker 1: think that the techniques that have been behind virtual production 28 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: have been around for a long time. Whether we're talking 29 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 1: about pre viz um, animal attics, UM, we have some 30 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: pitch biz kind of things, all of these things where 31 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:03,559 Speaker 1: how do you visualize how do you very quickly get 32 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 1: to a visualization of an idea, but you kind of 33 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:10,679 Speaker 1: start to fast forward. And what what essentially happened is 34 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:15,040 Speaker 1: between hardware and software, things started lining up in such 35 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 1: a way where you no longer had to wait for 36 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:21,079 Speaker 1: things to render. So we've gotten to a point where 37 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: we can have and and this is kind of what 38 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:26,960 Speaker 1: I say virtual production is. It's a bridge between what 39 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 1: is physical and what is virtual. The two things can 40 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 1: live in the same space. You can start in a 41 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:37,679 Speaker 1: virtual and transitioned into the physical in the way that 42 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: you would use your normal filmic vocabulary. UM and you 43 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 1: don't have to switch all of these modes all the time. 44 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:48,680 Speaker 1: So that to me, that's virtual pretendent and it encompasses 45 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 1: pre vis. There's of course pitch biz there, stunt viz, um, 46 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 1: there's the in camera visual effects that are there. Um, 47 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:00,880 Speaker 1: there are people who are doing post viz or final pixel. 48 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:03,919 Speaker 1: All of this is a part of virtual production. And then, 49 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 1: as you pointed out, the amazing ability to do these 50 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,800 Speaker 1: things remotely yet feel like you're in the same space 51 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 1: as if you're actually on a physical set, but you're 52 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 1: actually operating in a virtual set. That that's what virtual 53 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 1: production is. So let's ground this in in some actual examples. 54 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 1: Let's talk about a production that happened I don't know, 55 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 1: a month ago, six months ago, Uh, that employed some 56 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 1: part of virtual production tools. Yeah. Absolutely. So one of 57 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: the things that happens is you start to shift where 58 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:46,119 Speaker 1: instead of everybody in in the past, the crew would come, 59 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 1: they get to the set and they would shoot, for example, 60 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 1: green screen, and the DP has no idea what the 61 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 1: lighting is going to be, like, nothing has really been 62 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 1: decided about this shot, so they light it flat and 63 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: they move forward. Work well, in a virtual production scenario, 64 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 1: what they're gonna do is they're going to create the 65 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:10,160 Speaker 1: content that they would have created in post. They're going 66 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 1: to create that in pree. They're going to create that 67 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 1: right up top. Just as they're setting uh there, you know, 68 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:18,919 Speaker 1: designing the stage, they're going to be also designing the 69 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 1: virtual environment so that when they get onto the stage, 70 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:26,280 Speaker 1: the director of photographer fee and the director are actually 71 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: interfacing with the actor as if they're actually they're in 72 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 1: a physical space. Yet if they're on an LED wall 73 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 1: or even if they're doing a live composite, they're actually 74 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:42,359 Speaker 1: seeing what this is going to ultimately be. UM. So 75 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 1: you know, in in the case of I use a 76 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 1: great example of some of the stunt biz people UM 77 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 1: and their ability to before they even get to the stage, 78 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:55,800 Speaker 1: they know exactly the measurements, they know exactly the lights 79 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:58,800 Speaker 1: that they're going to need, they know what they're going 80 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:01,120 Speaker 1: to do before they her got there, even to the 81 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:04,120 Speaker 1: point of they're able to lend things so that when 82 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:07,200 Speaker 1: they get onto the set they're just executing at that point, 83 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 1: or they're really starting to a little bit more explore 84 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 1: the performance rather than having to work about on all 85 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:18,360 Speaker 1: the technical issues. So this is happening today, and and 86 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:21,719 Speaker 1: and also happening in remote scenarios, you know, where you 87 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 1: have people who are in their own homes, yet they're 88 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:28,080 Speaker 1: acting as if they're actually on the set yet on 89 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:30,279 Speaker 1: their computer, so when they do get to the set, 90 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:33,479 Speaker 1: they feel like they've already been there before. So this 91 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 1: sounds like a quantum leap in the ability of production 92 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:40,880 Speaker 1: to do all sorts of things that nothing. They couldn't 93 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: do it before, but it's just so much more efficient. 94 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:47,120 Speaker 1: It sounds like it is a quantum leap. It is. 95 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:50,159 Speaker 1: This is I think, you know, to be honest with you, 96 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:54,320 Speaker 1: I early in my career, I worked at I l M. 97 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:58,679 Speaker 1: And I walked into the C Theater at the time 98 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 1: when we were doing the Jurassic Park test, the first 99 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:06,920 Speaker 1: test that showed that we could use computer graphics. Um uh, 100 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:11,240 Speaker 1: Spaz Williams, Steve Williams and Mark to Pay and West Takahashi, 101 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:14,520 Speaker 1: all these guys. Um they had kind of gone rogue 102 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:16,719 Speaker 1: and they put this up. And when I walked in 103 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 1: and I saw it, you know, your knees kind of 104 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:22,159 Speaker 1: buckled because you were like, Okay, this is gonna change 105 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 1: things forever, And in fact it did. I when I 106 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:30,479 Speaker 1: won the Mandalorian. When I walked onto that set, I 107 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:34,280 Speaker 1: had the same feeling. I had the feeling that this 108 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:39,919 Speaker 1: just changed the entire industry. This is a quantum uh 109 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 1: leap ahead. And and ultimately what it did is it 110 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 1: got rid of all the byproducts that came from c 111 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 1: G I, all the waiting, all the notes that get past, 112 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:54,360 Speaker 1: all the five dimensional chess that you have to play 113 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:58,160 Speaker 1: in order to to to get the ultimate in image, 114 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:01,080 Speaker 1: and not even being able to to rate on things 115 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:04,719 Speaker 1: as a whole rather in parts. So if we get 116 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:07,720 Speaker 1: rid of all that, now you're just able to interface 117 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:10,840 Speaker 1: with the image or with the story in the same 118 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 1: way that you would on set. That is just a 119 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:18,000 Speaker 1: mind blowing idea. Yeah, and I would add to that 120 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:20,880 Speaker 1: that I think one of the most important things is 121 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:25,200 Speaker 1: that we no longer have to complete mentalize the process. 122 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 1: We're able to put everybody in the same room. Now 123 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:31,640 Speaker 1: you used to have to wait for months in order 124 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 1: to find out what was happening in post whether that 125 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:38,600 Speaker 1: was going to work. Um, it was something that almost 126 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:42,960 Speaker 1: was like two separate movies. Um. Now everything's you're able 127 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 1: to iterate in real time, collaborate in real time with 128 00:07:47,120 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 1: everybody on the set at one time. And that's because well, 129 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:55,560 Speaker 1: we have the tools now, the technology to and the 130 00:07:55,640 --> 00:08:00,680 Speaker 1: software to bring everything together onto the stage. And that's 131 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 1: what's making this really exciting is that we can do 132 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 1: this in real time. Connie, you run the l A lab. 133 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 1: What is that? Uh? And and talk about what it's 134 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:16,080 Speaker 1: like nowadays in terms of evangelizing this kind of production 135 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 1: at a time due to COVID that so many people 136 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 1: are seeing the usual practice is disrupted. I think what 137 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:27,920 Speaker 1: this is done is it's you know, by by bringing 138 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:33,359 Speaker 1: people together virtually, which all of us are doing now, um, 139 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:37,280 Speaker 1: We've it's given us time for reflection. It's given us 140 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:42,320 Speaker 1: time to learn and to start to reassess the way 141 00:08:42,360 --> 00:08:47,720 Speaker 1: in which we're working together. And I think that there 142 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 1: you know, it used to be that people would think 143 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:55,800 Speaker 1: that this kind of technology was replacing something. It's not. Instead, 144 00:08:56,440 --> 00:09:02,120 Speaker 1: it's adding something to what we're doing. It's it's um 145 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:06,600 Speaker 1: giving us the opportunity, say, for example, if you do 146 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:09,920 Speaker 1: want go on location, and certainly as we get back 147 00:09:09,960 --> 00:09:13,840 Speaker 1: into production there's going to be some hesitancy with that. 148 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:17,160 Speaker 1: You might do some of your location work while you're 149 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 1: able to determine that it's it's safe and it's going 150 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:25,000 Speaker 1: to work. Um. And then you could take that onto 151 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:28,160 Speaker 1: an i CB effects stage and you could do all 152 00:09:28,280 --> 00:09:32,080 Speaker 1: your pickups. You could, you could do everything that you 153 00:09:32,160 --> 00:09:34,920 Speaker 1: might have to go back to that location to get. 154 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 1: There's all kinds of things that we're adding now to 155 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:44,120 Speaker 1: the tool kit to be able to create um, television 156 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:47,480 Speaker 1: and film and other kinds of media in ways that 157 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:54,200 Speaker 1: are providing an efficiency, cost effectiveness and just logistical solutions 158 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 1: that are helping everyone. I want to add on to 159 00:09:56,760 --> 00:09:59,320 Speaker 1: one thing that she just said, because I just saw 160 00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:02,959 Speaker 1: something just the other day. Um, it was a pickup. 161 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:05,599 Speaker 1: It was a pickup that they needed for editorial to 162 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:07,920 Speaker 1: make the story work, and they just needed to pick 163 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: up a few lines of someone who was in a 164 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:14,880 Speaker 1: car driving. And the image that I saw with someone 165 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:18,800 Speaker 1: sitting in a folding chair with the steering wheel of 166 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:22,839 Speaker 1: whatever the model was that they were actually driving. They 167 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:25,880 Speaker 1: had a door which was like from a you know, 168 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:28,319 Speaker 1: maybe they got it from the wrecking yard or something 169 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:31,320 Speaker 1: like that. And then they had two head rests on 170 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:34,560 Speaker 1: c stands and they were able to get that shot 171 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:37,880 Speaker 1: and and just have the and they could book it 172 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:40,320 Speaker 1: at any time any time. The actor could make it, 173 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 1: sat down in the chair, picked up those couple of lines, 174 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:47,400 Speaker 1: You're not going to know the difference between whether he 175 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:50,880 Speaker 1: was actually in the car or not. And that's just 176 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:54,560 Speaker 1: like to me, that's phenomenal. That's that's incredible that that 177 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:57,120 Speaker 1: we can do. And exactly as as Connie was saying, 178 00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:01,200 Speaker 1: it's just it's changing the paradigm. But when you change 179 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:04,440 Speaker 1: the paradigm, it sounds and I think Connie alluded to 180 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:08,600 Speaker 1: this that there's gonna be some disruption that people who 181 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:11,240 Speaker 1: are used to doing their jobs one way or companies 182 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:14,040 Speaker 1: who have vested interest in things going a certain way 183 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:18,440 Speaker 1: could have issues with that. So are we going to 184 00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:21,360 Speaker 1: see as we often see in Hollywood when new technology 185 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:25,600 Speaker 1: hits uh, that you know it's gonna take some smoothing 186 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:28,600 Speaker 1: over to get this to where it needs to be. Well, 187 00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 1: I'm eternally the optimists, So just so let me let 188 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:35,840 Speaker 1: me preface it by saying that, um, what I actually 189 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:38,800 Speaker 1: think is going on is you do have some people 190 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:41,360 Speaker 1: that like to paint by numbers, and the paint by 191 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:43,840 Speaker 1: numbers is going to be a challenge. You have those 192 00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:46,720 Speaker 1: other people that like puzzles and they like to figure 193 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:49,560 Speaker 1: things out and you know, that reminds me a lot 194 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:52,920 Speaker 1: of kind of the you know, eighties, nineties and things 195 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:54,840 Speaker 1: like that as we're trying to figure out what this 196 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:57,839 Speaker 1: can really be. So for some people, you're right, this 197 00:11:58,360 --> 00:12:00,080 Speaker 1: is going to be a bit of a challenge. And 198 00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:03,640 Speaker 1: um that you know, there's some people the creative process, 199 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:06,440 Speaker 1: some people can't make the decision in the moment, and 200 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:09,640 Speaker 1: so deferring it is better for them. Now that said, 201 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:12,120 Speaker 1: I want to say that being able to have a 202 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:15,920 Speaker 1: DP actually come and really light something, not have to 203 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:19,239 Speaker 1: just light it flat like they actually get to contribute 204 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:23,400 Speaker 1: to real lighting in the previous stage and as pages 205 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:27,360 Speaker 1: are coming off of you know, from the writer, they're 206 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:32,079 Speaker 1: actually able to start that visualization. And you know, the 207 00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:35,880 Speaker 1: the other part of this is, um, the barrier to 208 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:40,360 Speaker 1: entry is extremely low for this. The Unreal Engine is free, 209 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 1: so anyone can download it. Um there are assets that 210 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:47,800 Speaker 1: can use to to start to do kind of previous 211 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:51,080 Speaker 1: I'm hearing of dps right now that are taking this 212 00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:54,000 Speaker 1: up so that they can kind of visualize shots for free. 213 00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:56,800 Speaker 1: All they need is their gaming computer to do it right. 214 00:12:57,280 --> 00:13:00,360 Speaker 1: And and so what what this means though, is that 215 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:03,679 Speaker 1: I'm seeing people in other departments pick this up. So 216 00:13:03,760 --> 00:13:07,440 Speaker 1: set design, I'm seeing some set design people that you 217 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:10,680 Speaker 1: know have traditionally been collecting things that are in the 218 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:14,599 Speaker 1: physical space also having a person or two on in 219 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:19,199 Speaker 1: unreal creating that same thing that they have physically so 220 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:21,959 Speaker 1: that they can have but when they come to the stage, 221 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:25,400 Speaker 1: they're bringing both things to the stage and contributing in 222 00:13:25,559 --> 00:13:29,360 Speaker 1: the virtual space just as they do in the physical space, 223 00:13:29,400 --> 00:13:32,240 Speaker 1: and bringing that talent that they have because I mean 224 00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:35,560 Speaker 1: they have years and years of expertise and how to 225 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:38,440 Speaker 1: set up a stage and how to block something out. 226 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:41,720 Speaker 1: They're able to bring that talent now into the virtual 227 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:44,040 Speaker 1: space as well. And then the same thing for those 228 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 1: people who are have been typically on the in the 229 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 1: post production side, they're coming forward and now all of 230 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:54,880 Speaker 1: a sudden they're able to be on set in some situation. 231 00:13:55,280 --> 00:13:59,080 Speaker 1: It is a change, but I'm I am really optimistic 232 00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:03,320 Speaker 1: at the change that's coming. It's not more technical, it's 233 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:06,000 Speaker 1: it's less technical, so that we can have the same 234 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:10,080 Speaker 1: conversation that we've been having for a hundred years in 235 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:12,800 Speaker 1: how to make film and how to block out chopped 236 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:16,360 Speaker 1: And I think what's really important now is that we're 237 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:20,960 Speaker 1: kind of breaking down these barriers and and demystifying the 238 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:25,400 Speaker 1: process because there's so so much about the tools that 239 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 1: is uh making it possible for people who have been 240 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:35,200 Speaker 1: separated in production and post and they're now coming together 241 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:40,200 Speaker 1: and we're blending the two worlds. And what this means 242 00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:43,360 Speaker 1: is that, just like Miles is saying, say, a production 243 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:48,480 Speaker 1: designer has to design sets now that will blend from 244 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:53,480 Speaker 1: physical to virtual and that's something well, you need to 245 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:58,200 Speaker 1: understand how these assets are being built to a certain 246 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 1: extent in order to know how to create the physical 247 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:04,880 Speaker 1: set so that that it is a seamless process. And 248 00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:08,080 Speaker 1: I think what that's doing is just adding a level 249 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:12,760 Speaker 1: of creativity to the whole process. It's attracting people that 250 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:17,440 Speaker 1: that may have assumed that they will not able to 251 00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:20,560 Speaker 1: be in production and now they have a place in production. 252 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:24,040 Speaker 1: And it's really exciting that we're finally breaking down that 253 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:30,760 Speaker 1: barrier between posts and production. We need to take a 254 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:33,920 Speaker 1: quick break, but we back more with our guests Miles 255 00:15:34,040 --> 00:15:41,640 Speaker 1: Perkins and Connie Kennedy of Epic Games. And we're back 256 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:45,600 Speaker 1: with Miles Perkins and Connie Kennedy of Epic Games. UH. 257 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:49,640 Speaker 1: They referenced earlier work on the Mandalorian and back on 258 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:53,440 Speaker 1: this podcast in October, director Jon Favreau came on to 259 00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:56,440 Speaker 1: talk about his work on that Disney Plus series and 260 00:15:56,600 --> 00:15:59,760 Speaker 1: Epics role in it. Let's have a quick listen. Part 261 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:03,120 Speaker 1: of what were exploring is is using game engine real 262 00:16:03,160 --> 00:16:07,360 Speaker 1: time rendering, because with all the compositing that we're doing, 263 00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:09,960 Speaker 1: we could either do it in camera using video walls. 264 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:13,480 Speaker 1: Were were the first production to actually take advantage of 265 00:16:13,920 --> 00:16:16,000 Speaker 1: innovations that have been taking place. In this case, we're 266 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:20,040 Speaker 1: working with I l M and with Epic Unreal Engine, 267 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:22,280 Speaker 1: with Magnopus, a lot of people that I've worked with 268 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:26,240 Speaker 1: before on other projects, and we try to create a 269 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:28,520 Speaker 1: new way to use this real time rendering where you 270 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:31,560 Speaker 1: can actually do in camera effects on video walls with 271 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:37,800 Speaker 1: camera tracking and parallax miles. How did Epic come to 272 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:41,680 Speaker 1: get involved in this? I mean, did the company understand 273 00:16:41,680 --> 00:16:44,240 Speaker 1: from the very beginning in terms of its gaming engine 274 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:48,280 Speaker 1: what the implications were and and saw Hollywood coming from 275 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:52,120 Speaker 1: the second it was invented? Or how did we get here? Well, 276 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:56,480 Speaker 1: there's a there's a little secret here. Do tell So 277 00:16:56,680 --> 00:17:00,440 Speaker 1: the first part of this is the Unreal Engine was 278 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 1: used actually, um when I was back at I l 279 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:07,600 Speaker 1: M on AI back in ninety one, so you know 280 00:17:07,680 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 1: that's the Steven Spielberg movie exactly. Yeah, UM, are AI 281 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:15,920 Speaker 1: artificial intelligence? Yes, And it was just to kind of 282 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:18,760 Speaker 1: figure out what was going to ultimately be built on 283 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:22,480 Speaker 1: the in the model shop, UM to kind of visualize 284 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:25,040 Speaker 1: where he how he wanted to block out his shots 285 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:29,879 Speaker 1: in Rouge City. So there's always been this awareness within 286 00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:33,359 Speaker 1: the community that hey, wait a minute, this game engine stuff. 287 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:36,600 Speaker 1: Not only are you able to render fast, but game 288 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:40,080 Speaker 1: engines also have this if then kind of programming. If 289 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:43,280 Speaker 1: I moved this chair, that flock of birds is going 290 00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:45,399 Speaker 1: to fly away. So that's kind of been in the 291 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:49,040 Speaker 1: background now. The CTO of our company, Kim Liberry, is 292 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:52,000 Speaker 1: also someone who I've worked with for about fifteen or 293 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:55,520 Speaker 1: so years. He was a visual effects supervisor at Industrial 294 00:17:55,600 --> 00:17:58,600 Speaker 1: Light and Magic. He's actually one of the people UM 295 00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:01,480 Speaker 1: on the Matrix who the original matric came up with 296 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:05,000 Speaker 1: Bullet Time UM and has worked on numerous other films. 297 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:08,800 Speaker 1: Working with Kim has always been something else because Kim 298 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:12,640 Speaker 1: is always five ten years ahead of everybody else and 299 00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:14,879 Speaker 1: and in some ways kind of frustrated in that, like 300 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:16,640 Speaker 1: I want to I want to see it right now, 301 00:18:17,119 --> 00:18:20,640 Speaker 1: And so he landed at at at Epic Games as 302 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:24,159 Speaker 1: the CTO at this time, where he could take the 303 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:28,480 Speaker 1: game engine and make it look photo real. So naturally, 304 00:18:29,119 --> 00:18:32,159 Speaker 1: um as Kim is, you know, having conversations with Colin 305 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:36,560 Speaker 1: Wilson and and the other members of the team. UM 306 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:41,040 Speaker 1: there at Lucas film this idea. You know, why can't 307 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:43,439 Speaker 1: we do it this way? And Dave Felony also, you know, 308 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:45,800 Speaker 1: why can't we do this? So you know, the test 309 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:49,159 Speaker 1: got put together real quick, and the idea really is 310 00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:52,720 Speaker 1: not just as some sort of translate or something like that, 311 00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 1: but that it's actually wrapping around So so all of 312 00:18:56,680 --> 00:19:00,719 Speaker 1: the especially on a shiny object, all of the flections 313 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:05,280 Speaker 1: are accurate, the lighting is accurate, all of this stuff. So, um, 314 00:19:05,320 --> 00:19:08,280 Speaker 1: that's kind of how it started. And the engine and 315 00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:12,639 Speaker 1: the hardware and everything was up to the task. And 316 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:15,880 Speaker 1: now we find ourselves here with you know, at that 317 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:19,360 Speaker 1: time there was one such stage and now we're tracking 318 00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:23,439 Speaker 1: about a hundred and thirty five hundred forty stages throughout 319 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:27,400 Speaker 1: the globe. You know, it's it's just it's been amazing 320 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:29,720 Speaker 1: to see it take off. But that was really the 321 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:32,600 Speaker 1: germination of this and the other. The other thing I'll 322 00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:37,520 Speaker 1: say about John Favreau in general, Um, John Favreau is 323 00:19:37,560 --> 00:19:42,919 Speaker 1: one of those people who is willing, He trusts his 324 00:19:43,119 --> 00:19:46,600 Speaker 1: the people that he works with. He's willing to take risks. 325 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:49,359 Speaker 1: Not only that, but he knows that it's going to 326 00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:51,800 Speaker 1: be hard work and he knows how to get you there. 327 00:19:52,359 --> 00:19:56,240 Speaker 1: And that's a rare uh quality there. There are a 328 00:19:56,320 --> 00:19:59,520 Speaker 1: few filmmakers that have that. But the really neat thing 329 00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:04,320 Speaker 1: about this is that right now it's not just relegated 330 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:07,399 Speaker 1: to those people that are at the top of their field, 331 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:11,760 Speaker 1: like the John Favreau or the um or the Cameron 332 00:20:12,359 --> 00:20:16,240 Speaker 1: or you know, George or No, it's not actually right 333 00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:19,480 Speaker 1: now because of where we stand and because of epics 334 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:23,959 Speaker 1: approach to this, we are really trying to democratize as 335 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:27,719 Speaker 1: much as possible access to these tools. You know, our 336 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:32,080 Speaker 1: our founder truly believes that you really should not be 337 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:36,960 Speaker 1: setting brought barriers to creativity that should not exist. You 338 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:40,119 Speaker 1: should allow people to create and be the best that 339 00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:42,440 Speaker 1: they could be because the world is going to be 340 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:45,240 Speaker 1: a better place for that, and then there's opportunities to 341 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:49,000 Speaker 1: share in the success of great creations. And I think 342 00:20:49,040 --> 00:20:54,040 Speaker 1: that extends to education, of course, and that's something that 343 00:20:54,119 --> 00:20:58,440 Speaker 1: we've tried to add to services through EPIC is to 344 00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:03,199 Speaker 1: offer things a fellowship program that we started during the 345 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:09,240 Speaker 1: pandemic that had a huge response, and I think that's 346 00:21:09,359 --> 00:21:13,160 Speaker 1: because people are really ready for this. They can see 347 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:16,199 Speaker 1: the opportunity and they can see it working. They can 348 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:20,080 Speaker 1: see projects that are amazing like the Mandalorian, and they're 349 00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:23,679 Speaker 1: excited about trying to put it into practice. So we've 350 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:28,280 Speaker 1: combined the free access to the software with support and 351 00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:33,239 Speaker 1: education and UM. We're creating a curriculum that we can 352 00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:35,919 Speaker 1: start to teach all around the world to try and 353 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:39,560 Speaker 1: help people get going as soon as possible. And now 354 00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:44,040 Speaker 1: you're launching a new production hub in El Segundo. Tell 355 00:21:44,119 --> 00:21:46,200 Speaker 1: us a bit about that, Connie. We will have a 356 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:50,119 Speaker 1: demo stage for EPIC and UM and that will have 357 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:54,160 Speaker 1: a production stage, and a demo stage is where we'd 358 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:57,520 Speaker 1: like to bring in clients to look at the at 359 00:21:57,560 --> 00:22:02,320 Speaker 1: the tools that are used to explore the pipeline and 360 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:05,680 Speaker 1: to be able to have a hands on experience with 361 00:22:05,800 --> 00:22:10,000 Speaker 1: this new technology, so which will help people to to 362 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:13,919 Speaker 1: determine the type of production that they like to to 363 00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:18,840 Speaker 1: UM implement depending on the project. They are. All of 364 00:22:18,880 --> 00:22:23,880 Speaker 1: these tools are specific to different needs, so it takes 365 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:28,120 Speaker 1: a while to determine which ones are most appropriate depending 366 00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:32,520 Speaker 1: on the story and depending on the type of production. 367 00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:37,320 Speaker 1: So I think getting the opportunity to be hands on 368 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:41,439 Speaker 1: is crucial to being able to make those decisions. And 369 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:45,560 Speaker 1: recent announcement that came out about this campus, um so 370 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:48,639 Speaker 1: Next Studios has been someone who's been on the scene 371 00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:51,960 Speaker 1: that runs studios and everything. They're they're independent of us, 372 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:55,320 Speaker 1: but they're also an independent stage provider, which you know 373 00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:58,119 Speaker 1: we we um not only them, but there are others 374 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:00,720 Speaker 1: that are that are out there that the other parts. 375 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:06,720 Speaker 1: They were bringing this sense of a campus, a place 376 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:09,040 Speaker 1: where virtual production there could kind of be a hub 377 00:23:09,080 --> 00:23:12,800 Speaker 1: in Los Angeles, and so what we decided we wanted 378 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:17,600 Speaker 1: to collocate our our our labs there, and the reason 379 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:19,560 Speaker 1: being is you know that that is their business to 380 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:22,359 Speaker 1: run and everything like that, but being able to be 381 00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:26,679 Speaker 1: close uh to UH production stage. And then also as 382 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:29,040 Speaker 1: Connie was saying, you know, being able to have our 383 00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:32,239 Speaker 1: own demo stage where we can bring filmmakers by, we 384 00:23:32,280 --> 00:23:35,000 Speaker 1: can do training, you know, can really be a hub 385 00:23:35,040 --> 00:23:38,280 Speaker 1: of where the latest and greatest and virtual production, not 386 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:40,640 Speaker 1: to mention the fact that since this is a campus, 387 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:45,159 Speaker 1: it's also attracting other people who you know, virtual art 388 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:48,480 Speaker 1: departments or previous companies. There are all these different people 389 00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:51,560 Speaker 1: that are interested in being this area, and you know, 390 00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:56,000 Speaker 1: for me, it's exciting to see when you have these 391 00:23:56,119 --> 00:24:01,680 Speaker 1: independent companies coming together to kind of colocate, to create 392 00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:05,520 Speaker 1: a space um that is really where the best ideas 393 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:08,040 Speaker 1: are kind of coming out. And I think that when 394 00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:13,040 Speaker 1: that happens, the entire industry benefits from it because you know, 395 00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:15,240 Speaker 1: we get to go and we get to work on 396 00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:17,960 Speaker 1: the next latest and greatest, and we know that it's 397 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:20,240 Speaker 1: going to be production ready, so that when we're working 398 00:24:20,240 --> 00:24:23,119 Speaker 1: with the studios that they know when they have a 399 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:26,400 Speaker 1: tent pole film that they can rely on the technology 400 00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:28,679 Speaker 1: that's coming to them. And I think what's at the 401 00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:33,919 Speaker 1: core of that concept is that Epic is interested in 402 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:37,480 Speaker 1: helping everyone across the board. This isn't something that we're 403 00:24:37,600 --> 00:24:42,280 Speaker 1: focused on anyone company, and the opportunity to help create 404 00:24:42,320 --> 00:24:47,399 Speaker 1: a community around that notion is really implotant, like Miles 405 00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:50,960 Speaker 1: of saying, for the entire industry. So I want to understand, though, 406 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:54,360 Speaker 1: from a business perspective, what this means to epic are 407 00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:57,760 Speaker 1: are you out there are licensing the software and making revenue? 408 00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:01,240 Speaker 1: Is this material business? I'm sure it's not quite making 409 00:25:01,240 --> 00:25:04,160 Speaker 1: as much as Fortnite if it is, but I'm trying 410 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:06,320 Speaker 1: to understand that. You know, the fact of the matter 411 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:08,520 Speaker 1: is you you you kind of hit on something there 412 00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:12,240 Speaker 1: is that we're fortunate enough to not only have Fortnite, 413 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:16,359 Speaker 1: but Fortnite is built on the Unreal Engine, and so 414 00:25:16,720 --> 00:25:19,639 Speaker 1: as we make the Unreal Engine better for not only 415 00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:23,160 Speaker 1: UM for Fortnite, but also for other Triple A games. 416 00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:25,560 Speaker 1: You know, there are many other games that are built 417 00:25:25,600 --> 00:25:28,920 Speaker 1: on the Unreal Engine. UM. But I think what we 418 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:32,199 Speaker 1: we we see this future um and and we're starting 419 00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:34,439 Speaker 1: to see it play out in small part right now 420 00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:37,399 Speaker 1: where you know, if I look at my son, my 421 00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:41,480 Speaker 1: son doesn't necessarily pick up a remote control to consume 422 00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:45,680 Speaker 1: his media. He actually uses his gaming console whether he's 423 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:49,240 Speaker 1: watching linear content where he's playing with his friends, and 424 00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:52,640 Speaker 1: then he's also communicating with them. So I think what 425 00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:55,840 Speaker 1: we know is that you know, right now, there's games 426 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:59,440 Speaker 1: over here, and there's linear content here, and there's experiences 427 00:25:59,480 --> 00:26:02,800 Speaker 1: over here. Or I think the promise of the Unreal 428 00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 1: Engine is that you'll be able to create a world 429 00:26:06,640 --> 00:26:12,480 Speaker 1: that can have implications in linear content and experiences and 430 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:16,360 Speaker 1: in gaming using the same assets. And so for us 431 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:18,560 Speaker 1: with what what we're looking at is, you know, some 432 00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:22,320 Speaker 1: of the greatest ideas come out of film and television 433 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:25,080 Speaker 1: and and happen in the Los Angeles areas and in 434 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:27,320 Speaker 1: other areas as well, Don't get me wrong. I mean, 435 00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:31,040 Speaker 1: you know, we're seeing amazing stories coming out of some 436 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:35,240 Speaker 1: of these other countries. UM. And what we're trying to 437 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:39,320 Speaker 1: do is really create these tools whereby stories can be 438 00:26:39,480 --> 00:26:43,120 Speaker 1: told in all of these mediums. And we are fortunate 439 00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:46,640 Speaker 1: enough to have Fortnite, which is helping this. We're also 440 00:26:47,359 --> 00:26:49,879 Speaker 1: a private company so that we can look at the 441 00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:53,359 Speaker 1: long game and what this is. UM. And you know, 442 00:26:53,600 --> 00:26:58,400 Speaker 1: I think again back to what I was saying before, UM, 443 00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:00,600 Speaker 1: we just want more and more ple to be able 444 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:03,120 Speaker 1: to be creative. And we believe that when people are 445 00:27:03,119 --> 00:27:07,159 Speaker 1: successful in their creativity, everybody is going to be successful. 446 00:27:07,359 --> 00:27:10,560 Speaker 1: But are you making money on this yet? I want 447 00:27:10,560 --> 00:27:15,160 Speaker 1: an answer there, huh, So I would say that we're 448 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:19,080 Speaker 1: not making money anywhere near what we're making. So actually 449 00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:23,159 Speaker 1: I'll answer more directly. Our business model is with gaming. 450 00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:25,680 Speaker 1: If you use that n Real engine. The U list 451 00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:30,119 Speaker 1: is that you'll pay five. In the film and television space, 452 00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:33,119 Speaker 1: we get rid of that, and there are no marketing rights, 453 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:37,880 Speaker 1: so literally anybody can basically use the engine. We don't 454 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:42,000 Speaker 1: charge very much right now, So to answer your question, no, 455 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:44,760 Speaker 1: we're not trying to make a lot of money in 456 00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:48,320 Speaker 1: this area. We believe that the future is going to 457 00:27:48,359 --> 00:27:52,560 Speaker 1: be successful for everyone, and that that the future will 458 00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:55,760 Speaker 1: be that you're going to see some of these filmmakers 459 00:27:55,800 --> 00:27:59,760 Speaker 1: and storytellers not only tell linear stories, but they're also 460 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:02,440 Speaker 1: to be in the game space, and and we will 461 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:06,720 Speaker 1: continue to grow that the future is also Unreal Engine five. 462 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:11,919 Speaker 1: This next iteration of the secret sauce, Uh, what what 463 00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:13,520 Speaker 1: is that going to bring to the table? Is that 464 00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:16,560 Speaker 1: gonna When does that hit? When does that? What does 465 00:28:16,600 --> 00:28:20,920 Speaker 1: that change? I can't contain myself. It's so exciting. This 466 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:23,879 Speaker 1: next year is going to bring some of the most 467 00:28:23,920 --> 00:28:29,200 Speaker 1: amazing advancements. Um kind of across the board. Um so 468 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:32,400 Speaker 1: um what is it? Unreal five? What does it really mean? 469 00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:35,120 Speaker 1: It means that you're going to be able to do 470 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:40,040 Speaker 1: film quality assets and moving around in envirnus. You're going 471 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:42,280 Speaker 1: to be able to filmmakers will be able to in 472 00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:46,240 Speaker 1: essence play god um and do anything in the engine, 473 00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:50,040 Speaker 1: and you're not worried about the processing power or anything 474 00:28:50,080 --> 00:28:52,200 Speaker 1: like that in in some of these. So if you 475 00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:54,800 Speaker 1: saw the demo, you can see how close you can 476 00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:57,440 Speaker 1: get in on these assets and then it looks like 477 00:28:57,760 --> 00:29:01,959 Speaker 1: a feature film yet it's running and basically uh ps 478 00:29:02,080 --> 00:29:06,360 Speaker 1: five in that case. So it's it's gonna be fund 479 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:10,600 Speaker 1: It's gonna fundamentally shift the way um people are making 480 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:14,120 Speaker 1: content and how iterative they're going to be able to 481 00:29:14,160 --> 00:29:17,840 Speaker 1: be on a near final image and um miles. You 482 00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:21,200 Speaker 1: also recently completed work on a second edition of the 483 00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:25,280 Speaker 1: Virtual Production Guide What what does that do? And what 484 00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:29,040 Speaker 1: is new? Well, so when I kind of first came 485 00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:32,040 Speaker 1: into Epic, one of the things I noticed a lot 486 00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:34,640 Speaker 1: of the colleagues who I had worked with for a 487 00:29:34,680 --> 00:29:37,520 Speaker 1: long time, who are out there you know, the third floor, 488 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:40,760 Speaker 1: and and Halon and some of these other folks. We 489 00:29:40,800 --> 00:29:43,960 Speaker 1: had brought together a group, and I noticed that the 490 00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:47,840 Speaker 1: conversation they were talking about the same thing when they 491 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:50,800 Speaker 1: were talking about virtual production, but they were using different words, 492 00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:54,080 Speaker 1: they were using different ideas, And so it struck me 493 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:58,040 Speaker 1: that we needed something that could kind of have people 494 00:29:58,080 --> 00:30:01,160 Speaker 1: tell their stories, tell their variance is but we could 495 00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:04,280 Speaker 1: start to standardize on some of the ideas out there. 496 00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:07,200 Speaker 1: I also always knew that we're in the beginning, and 497 00:30:07,560 --> 00:30:11,000 Speaker 1: my experience when you're in the beginning of something, anything 498 00:30:11,040 --> 00:30:13,240 Speaker 1: that you printed last year is not going to be 499 00:30:13,280 --> 00:30:17,880 Speaker 1: accurate anymore about it next year. So, UM, this new version, 500 00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:20,520 Speaker 1: if that first one was, you know, roughly nineties some 501 00:30:20,640 --> 00:30:24,080 Speaker 1: odd pages, we're up in the hundred and fifty seventy 502 00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:28,320 Speaker 1: page range. Um, and a lot of a lot more 503 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:31,800 Speaker 1: stories from a lot more people who have actually had 504 00:30:31,840 --> 00:30:34,880 Speaker 1: experience with it, and we get into much more detail 505 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:39,360 Speaker 1: about how you employ some of the virtual production techniques. Connie, 506 00:30:40,160 --> 00:30:44,320 Speaker 1: I want you to look back at which of course 507 00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:48,240 Speaker 1: was shadowed greatly by the pandemic. Do you think the 508 00:30:48,560 --> 00:30:54,600 Speaker 1: arc of unreal engines work in virtual production would have 509 00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:58,560 Speaker 1: been different in a more normal year or is it 510 00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:02,240 Speaker 1: something that really drove the technology along. I think it's 511 00:31:02,320 --> 00:31:08,080 Speaker 1: really driven the technology along more so than um it 512 00:31:08,160 --> 00:31:11,880 Speaker 1: may have otherwise in some ways, because I think the 513 00:31:11,920 --> 00:31:18,520 Speaker 1: ability for all of us to trust virtual solutions has changed. 514 00:31:19,160 --> 00:31:21,720 Speaker 1: I think the fact that we've all gone to work 515 00:31:21,760 --> 00:31:26,400 Speaker 1: from home when that was looked at as possibly something 516 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:31,240 Speaker 1: that was detrimental to the productivity of many companies, has 517 00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:36,400 Speaker 1: been proven quite the opposite. And I think also UM 518 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:41,040 Speaker 1: you know, techniques of filmmaking have UM maybe been a 519 00:31:41,040 --> 00:31:44,400 Speaker 1: little resistant to some of these tools, and now I 520 00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:47,760 Speaker 1: think they're embracing them because it's a solution that's going 521 00:31:47,760 --> 00:31:51,680 Speaker 1: to get them back into production sooner. So I've noticed 522 00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:56,520 Speaker 1: a lot of people preparing their projects differently in order 523 00:31:56,560 --> 00:32:02,800 Speaker 1: to UM two increase LEWD, different aspects of virtual production 524 00:32:02,840 --> 00:32:07,080 Speaker 1: that they may not have decided to use otherwise. And 525 00:32:07,120 --> 00:32:10,800 Speaker 1: I think that has UM created a different kind of 526 00:32:10,840 --> 00:32:14,800 Speaker 1: community because everybody needs to support one another in this process. 527 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:18,360 Speaker 1: There everyone's had different experiences that they can bring to 528 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:21,560 Speaker 1: the table, and I think there's been a lot more 529 00:32:21,680 --> 00:32:25,960 Speaker 1: sharing of ideas and collaboration as a result, and I 530 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:29,840 Speaker 1: think UM I think we're going to see some really 531 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:33,760 Speaker 1: interesting stages set up in the next few months where 532 00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:37,000 Speaker 1: people are willing to take this risk because they can 533 00:32:37,040 --> 00:32:39,560 Speaker 1: see that there are so many opportunities to what it 534 00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:42,680 Speaker 1: has to offer terrific. Well, I'm really looking forward to 535 00:32:42,800 --> 00:32:46,400 Speaker 1: seeing the progress you guys make this year, and thank 536 00:32:46,440 --> 00:32:49,640 Speaker 1: you both for coming and talking about it. Thank you 537 00:32:49,720 --> 00:32:59,400 Speaker 1: for having it. This has been another episode of Strictly Business. 538 00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:02,800 Speaker 1: Tune in next week for another helping of scintillating conversation 539 00:33:02,920 --> 00:33:05,480 Speaker 1: with media movers and shakers, and please make sure you 540 00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:09,000 Speaker 1: subscribe to the podcast to hear future episodes. Also, leave 541 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:11,880 Speaker 1: a review in Apple Podcasts and let us know how 542 00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:12,320 Speaker 1: we're doing