I just spent a day filming a movie at the Pine Box Studios in Wilmington, Delaware. I had to sign an NDA, so that’s all I can say about it, except that I got to see one of those gigantic LED screen background widgets that display and move a 3-D background in sync with camera movements. Very cool.
Below, you can see how the volume works in a behind-the-scenes shot of Disney Studios filming The Mandalorian. It can create a 365° environment that, with the help of a 3-D design program (like Unreal Engine), self-adjusts to camera movements. Plus, if the background isn’t working for the director, you can tweak it in the design program and test your changes in minutes, rather than calling in the scenics to repaint or rebuild something.
I am no expert (this is the first time I’ve seen it up close and personal) but I imagine it’s a higher-definition version of the video billboards that have taken over the roadsides in America, a collection of 1′ x 1′ panels linked together to form the ginormous curved wall. Below are two views of the backside of the volume, with a massive amount of cabling.
Unfortunately, that was an unlucky day, and I didn’t make it onto the set to see what was being projected on the volume, but the check got cashed (direct deposit, actually), so 🤷.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say the volume showed an airport or clouds — maybe both.
Until next time.