The virtual frontier: Getting stuck in
Posted on Apr 15, 2025 by Admin
VP is fairly new and rapidly evolving, so organised training courses help filmmakers stay afloat
Words Katie Kasperson
A sword is only as good as the one who wields it, and virtual production technology is no different. Arguably no longer in its infancy, VP is a field that balances creative and technical expertise, brings VFX processes forward in the production pipeline and saves time and money on location scouting, stunts and the like. Touted for their efficiency, VP tools like LED volumes and Unreal Engine are making their mark, but few in the industry have truly mastered them.
A balancing act between camera, lighting and VFX teams, a basic understanding of VP can benefit any filmmaker, whether they’re fresh out of film school or a long-standing pro. To avoid creating a chasm between those trained and untrained in VP, several organisations have launched educational programmes, offering hands-on studio experience, crash courses in content engines and more. Like any new tech, it pays to learn early – it could mean the difference between getting on board or being left behind.
Barriers to entry
While there are technical barriers to working with VP, the main obstacle is psychological – even veteran filmmakers can find the process daunting. There’s a fear of the unknown at play, as well as a resistance to change, and until filmmakers experience a virtual set first hand those doubts will only persist.
That’s why it’s crucial to receive hands-on training, even if brief. While some courses – like MetFilm School’s BA in digital film practice – are full-on university degrees, many are designed to accommodate working professionals. Disguise, for instance, offers the VP Accelerator programme, available around the globe. Mo-Sys Academy runs three- and five-day introductory sessions as well as the more comprehensive ten-day foundational course.
“The use of VP is booming in film, broadcast and beyond,” begins Florian Gallier, strategic partnerships manager at Mo-Sys. “It’s essential to experiment with all of these technologies. Everyone involved in the filming process must engage in testing, trials and learning,” argues Gallier, from ‘emerging talents’ to ‘established crews’.
Mo-Sys Academy “provides a comprehensive understanding of VP tech from planning to implementation,” Gallier continues, “ensuring the best outcomes. Hands-on training is crucial for upskilling talent in this rapidly growing field.”
The nitty-gritty
Once filmmakers get a taste for VP, the real challenge begins: learning the ins and outs of the hardware and software present on a virtual set.
Courses such as ROE Visual’s ROE Academy and Disguise’s Masterclass series focus on specific elements of VP, like LEDs, volume calibration, colour charts, compositing and so on. While these classes might not provide as thorough an overview of the entire production pipeline, they dig deep into a single area, suiting professionals who’ve already claimed a speciality.
What makes VP unique – and potentially intimidating – is its highly technical nature. Programming lighting cues, calibrating a camera or developing 3D objects in Unreal Engine don’t tend to appear in most filmmakers’ everyday skill sets. Those with backgrounds in animation and VFX might feel more at home than folks who aren’t as comfortable with computers.
Yet mastering VP requires more than just practical knowledge – it’s also about working well with others. As jobs like VP supervisor or VP director continue to crop up, it’s essential to grasp which soft skills are needed, such as communication, organisation and team management. For those seeking a long-term career in VP, MARS Academy’s Introduction to Becoming a Virtual Production Supervisor will be right up their street.
Back to school
While VP expertise holds value for everyone, it’s ideally something that should be learnt as early as possible – like in film school. “It’s becoming increasingly valuable to know about VP as an industry professional – the use cases, how to light for it and what it means to budget for a production that includes this new technology,” begins Kasey O’Brien, programme administrator at the NYU Tisch Martin Scorsese Virtual Production Center (VPC). “With popular media turning towards this technology to expand the possibilities of visual storytelling, we feel it’s crucial to train young professionals for real-time advancements in the field.”
NYU now offers a master’s degree in VP, ‘aimed at professionals who’ve had some industry experience and want to get an edge’, according to O’Brien. Much like the courses offered by studios, ‘the focus of the programme is how to integrate visual storytelling with the latest technology through hands-on learning’.
At MetFilm School – which offers a VP specialisation pathway within the BA digital film practice – it’s largely the same. “Story is at the heart of everything we do at MetFilm School, and we saw an evolving industry need for a course that teaches these technical skills in combination with the narrative, business and industry education which we know we do better than most,” claims Jonny Persey, director at MetFilm School. The VP programme addresses skills gaps that exist ‘not just in the UK but also beyond’.
No matter their experience or specific role on-set, everyone should learn the essentials of VP, whether to change paths or simply get familiar with cutting-edge tech. Sign up today and take the industry one step closer to closing the skills gap.
Learn about the companies offering virtual production training in this article.
This article appears in the March 2025 issue of Definition
