Tech to Watch: Unreal Engine

The art of filmmaking is evolving at an incredulous rate and this short film shows us just how it is being done. The film showcases the capabilities of a new software called Unreal Engine, which is allowing for the real time rendering and editing of 3D environments. Especially fascinating is how this technology is now being used on films to do in-camera visual effects. The below film takes us through the ways in which the software is improving the process of visual production.

By allowing filmmakers to modify scenes in real time, the technology is transforming virtual production by making the process more efficient. Filmmakers no longer have to wait through the editing process for months. Rather, they can see and work with a genuine representation of their final product at a much earlier stage in the creative process than ever before possible.

Additionally, the software allows for a richer collaborative production process. Because several people can modify a scene simultaneously, the technology unites members of a team who would otherwise interact much less as a result of them working on a project at separate stages along its creation.

The software also allows for a more hands-on, interactive and authentic experience for the filmmakers themselves. Not only does the technology allow filmmakers to make changes to an environment in the moment, but it also works by convincing the camera that it is seeing something that is not actually there. By making the photo-graphics seem more real, the technology is giving filmmakers the sense that they are actually situated in the location they are filming.