Piotr Tałaj Is Pushing Virtual Production to New Limits
These are transformative times in filmmaking. Whilst virtual production and artificial intelligence have become so widely-discussed that they’ve become buzzwords in their own right, the hype is built on a foundation of reality. With virtual production, content creators of all shapes and sizes suddenly have access to filmmaking tricks enhancing both efficiency and quality. And thanks to artificial intelligence, those possibilities are only going to grow.
One year into his role as CEO of VuFinder, Piotr Tałaj is a man with a front row seat to this revolution. And as far as Piotr is concerned, we’ve only just started to scratch the surface of what’s possible in the realm of virtual production.
Whilst there’s an abundance of excitement regarding these new technologies, Piotr hasn’t forgotten the human element which is at the heart of what makes any production great. To reflect on how producers and creators can get the most out of the latest technology - and why they offer “a level of creative freedom unmatched in the history of filmmaking” - LBB caught up with Piotr…
LBB> Piotr, let's start at the beginning: Why did a career in production first appeal to you, and has it been everything you hoped it would be?!
Piotr> At first, I wanted to be an actor! But instead of acting, I started studying production at film school and got happily stuck. I love it, of course, there is lots of satisfaction after a well-produced piece.
What I didn’t know, however, is how stressful it can be sometimes. Even if you plan everything meticulously, there is always something that comes up at the last minute and you need to find the solution on the spot.
LBB> You've described yourself as "both a producer and a curator of life experiences". So, what counts as a "life experience" in the world of production?
Piotr> For me, it’s both the people you meet during each and every project, and the new technology when used for the first time. Producing, ultimately, is about gathering an extremely talented group of people to make something good together. The process is incredible - finding new ways of bringing a shot to life from the script will never get boring.
LBB> You're almost a year into your role as CEO at VuFinder! How has it been so far, and do you have any goals in mind as you look ahead to the future?
Piotr> We’re a technology-driven company, so we are constantly in the R&D stage. I’m focused on this direction as there is always a potential performance gain, or a new way of creating more photorealistic virtual backgrounds. I think the film industry only just managed to get a foothold in terms of what is possible with virtual production.
I don’t want to disclose the details just yet, but in the near future we’re going to hear about a big development effort here at VuFinder to create AI-supported virtual production tools.
LBB> 'virtual production' is an umbrella term that incorporates such a broad range of technologies and techniques. When you say 'virtual production', what are you talking about exactly?
Piotr> I’m talking about a giant LED screen that displays a 3D photorealistic background for filmed actors. That’s the shortest definition I can think of!
But honestly the true complexity - and potential - of VP lies in everything we do “behind the screen”. What I mean by that is directors, DOP’s and clients that work with us should be able to use this VP tool easily without needing to go down the rabbit hole of render nodes, camera tracking systems, ghost frames, Unreal Engine branches, level optimisations, etc.
Knowing that, for most of our clients, it will be their first time with VP, we developed a very shallow learning curve pipeline where we explain every step of the journey.
LBB> Are there any projects you've been involved with recently that you feel really do a good job of showcasing all this technology in the best way?
Piotr> Oh, there is plenty. For a great example of connecting LED wall with set build and reflections on the glossy helmet captured in camera, check out our work with Pluto.TV:
For Bank PKO, we developed a fantasy frozen world:
And for proof that you really don’t need to travel to a distant location, just watch our Bank Millennium spot:
And here’s a beach from your dreams:
For different reasons, all of these productions could have not been made without virtual production.
LBB> Can you tell us more about the kind of projects which are possible now which might have been impossible a few years ago, thanks to virtual production?
Piotr> Virtual production is just a tool in filmmakers’ arsenal, and you can use many different techniques to film a particular shot. It’s not about what is now possible, but rather what VP makes better, easier, faster and without breaking the budget.
With an LED volume you can shoot multiple locations during the same day, as you gain access to locations that are expensive or impossible to film in. You can create whole worlds like an alien planet without the set design budget limit. Sometimes the factor that makes VP a first choice is a lack of any bluescreen spill on reflective surfaces which require heavy post-production cleanup. With the fitting script, we can give a kind of creative freedom which is unmatched in the history of filmmaking.
LBB> VuFinder is all about blending the physical and virtual worlds. So what's the secret to keeping your productions feeling as real and tangible as possible when you're working with the most cutting-edge tech?
Piotr> Lots and lots of testing, and optimising hardware and software. It’s a process that starts quite early, sometimes even with just an idea for the script. Once we’re sure we have the hardware setup up to the task, we decide where the real set design ends and the virtual background begins. This is usually a result of a briefing with the director and production designer.
Light on set is also a crucial part that blends the two worlds together. We always do a virtual pre-light with the DOP to make sure the light in the virtual scene - that we display on the LED volume - will be matched perfectly with the light setup in the studio.
LBB> We're having this conversation at a time where the industry's favourite topic seems to be AI. Have you been using AI in your work? And does AI leave you feeling more excited or more concerned for the future?
Piotr> Yes, the AI buzz word. We’re using AI tools for pre-production and implementing it deeper into our pipeline.
Of course, virtual production is a natural candidate for trying out new AI solutions. We just recently did a commercial where all the backgrounds displayed on our LED wall were AI-generated, for example. They were plates, not full 3D VP environments, but the results are stunning!
When I think about the future of AI in film the only true answer is that I don’t know! If someone claims to be sure how the film industry will be impacted by AI in the next three years, then they aren’t being honest. The only thing I can confidently predict is a gradual increase in the use of AI-generated shots. But even in that instance, actors’ performances will need to be captured in-camera. This means LED volumes are in a good place, at least for a transition period.
LBB> Finally, imagine we were to have this conversation again in one year's time. What do you think we'd be talking about?
Piotr> I’m sure we’re still going to be talking about AI… and maybe about VP being a green, environmentally friendly production option as more and more clients consider this a priority. We’re also experiencing growing interest from feature films, so I can imagine discussing how big budget productions are using VP, as well.
