Title | Sony@CES 2024

Video Text Content

《A graphic animation of text appears on a black background with electronic music. 》

Voice Over
“We affirm our pledge to provide creators with a more flexible production environment empowered by our cutting-edge technology.”

《After a blurred image of building lights in a puddle on the ground, a man uses a camera to capture a car placed in front of a Crystal LED displaying an alleyway. On a monitor in the foreground, the camera cuts out the image in real time as if the car is parked in a real city. The Scene changing from the side of the LED to an image of a studio with a car with an illustration of a character on it. 》

Voice Over
“Sony first unveiled prototyping using Virtual Production at CES 2020, and only three years later, Virtual Production is now deployed in content production studios all over the world.”

《In the dimly lit studio, where the computer monitor, operated by a man, shows the same CG background asset projected on the Crystal LED. The scene switches from a camera to an overhead view of the studio as seen earlier, with a set of rocks and other objects in front of the Crystal LED, and the team is working on the computer and monitor screens.》

Voice Over
“In-Camera VFX, one of the technologies often used in Virtual Production, deploys a game engine to display 3DCG on a large LED display. By placing a subject in front of the display and capturing the scene with a compatible camera, this technology allows compositing to be completed in real time.”

《Motion graphics of the same LED emerges from the live-action Crystal LED shown earlier. A square line indicating the shooting area from a camera filming a person standing in front of the LED with a CG background. In the lower left-hand corner of the screen, a small window displays an example of the actual video footage taken. As the camera's movements change, the CG background in the display changes in tandem, so that the view of the actual filmed image also changes in real time.》

ONSCREEN TEXT: VIRTUAL PRODUCTION
LED WALL +In-Camera VFX

Voice Over
“Since the background 3DCG changes in accordance with the camera's positional information, the 3DCG space can be filmed as if on location.”

《The location of the background image on the LED changes to a view of an airport or buildings. The Unreal Engine screen is projected. On the left side of the screen, virtual images of realistically recreated cityscapes and shops, as well as images of the direction of shadows being adjusted. In the studio shooting set, with a dark-haired woman acting in front of a Crystal LED display showing colorful balls, suspended on a wire and waving her arms wide, a cameraman filming on a dolly, and the back view of the staff. A small monitor shows the actual filmed footage of her.》

ONSCREEN TEXT: BTS of Transforming Shibuya Spain-zaka into 3DCG
©︎ 2022 Sony PCL Inc.

Voice Over
“For example, by creating a 3DCG rendering of a real-world space and using it as a background, Virtual Production can create scenes that would be difficult to shoot at the actual location.”

《The name text of the studio appears from the center of the screen as the scene changes to a studio with a large LED and an elaborate set showing a castle-like space. From the profile of a man with tied hair operates a camera, the screen gradually becomes smaller and then switches to an animation of a blue colored world map. Line extend from the location of Los Angeles to the smaller window, while text gradually appears below the small window at the same time.》

ONSCREEN TEXT: Sony Pictures Studio “STAGE7”
ONSCREEN TEXT: LOS ANGELES

Voice Over
“Sony's Virtual Production studios are now pushing boundaries globally inspiring various new genres of innovative and exciting content.”

《A close-up of a monitor showing the behind the scene footage from “drive”. The name of the studio appears from the center of the screen. The scene from “drive” switches to full-length footage of a woman struggling with a driving mugger, and as the image gradually becomes smaller and smaller and a small window appears, it changes again to an animation of a world map. A map of Japan appears in the center of the screen, with a line extending from the location of Tokyo to the small window. 》

ONSCREEN TEXT: KIYOSUMI-SHIRAKAWA BASE
ONSCREEN TEXT: drive behind the scene
©︎ 2023 Sony PCL Inc.
ONSCREEN TEXT: TOKYO

《A woman in a black bodysuit with small sensors is dancing in front of a large LED display showing images of the sea and grasslands. The name of the studio emerges from the center of the screen. Cameraman films the woman. A large monitor showing a female avatar with brown hair who moves in the same way as the woman in the bodysuit. As the woman dances with her arms outstretched, the female avatar in the monitor also dances in the same way. As the image gradually gets smaller and smaller and becomes a small window, a line extends from the Shanghai.》

ONSCREEN TEXT:：Sony Gwantsi Studio
ONSCREEN TEXT:：SHANGHAI

《A Large LED and ceiling LED show a powerful, futuristic background asset image. The name of the studio emerges from the center of the screen. The image changes from a man making adjustments while using a computer to a man making adjustments in front of the LED in the large studio.》

ONSCREEN TEXT:：YTO-A

《In the different studio, the image changes to another studio and the name of the studio emerges from the center of the screen. From an image of a car and lighting equipment in front of orange LEDs, the car appears in the studio in front of LEDs showing rocks and other scenery.》

ONSCREEN TEXT:：YTO-B

《The scene changes to footage of the behind the scene in which a man and two women are being filmed in a car. A small monitor showing footage of a woman lowering the window glass of the car, the image gradually becomes smaller and changes to two small windows. The animated map reappears and a line extends from Toronto to each of the small windows.》

ONSCREEN TEXT:：TRONTO

Voice Over
“Within studios, collaboration among engineer, creator, and production teams has begun, transcending borders and regions, in order to rapidly develop new technologies that are urgently needed by creators
in the field of production.”

《The animation of the world map is zoomed out to reveal the whole picture, the five studios introduced earlier appear side by side on the world map. The name of the city in which the studios are located appears below each small window.》

ONSCREEN TEXT: LOS ANGELES, TORONTO, SHANGHAI, TOKYO

《The small window of the Tokyo studio on the right of the screen gradually enlarges and is shown in full screen. The image switches from an overhead shot of a slightly dark studio with Crystal LED on CG background of the moon and planets an image of staff adjusting the same display and set floor from below. The display shows an image with geometric pattern in green lines. the title text animation appears on the center of the screen. 》

ONSCREEN TEXT:：Develop Technology for Creator’s needs

《The camera cuts from a camera shot of a dark-haired woman walking towards an LED in a studio to a woman walking in front of an LED showing a station with a distinctive fan-shaped roof and a cityscape of buildings. The back view of three male staff members are seen on another monitor watching the footage of the woman, which was filmed and CG-composited in real time.》

Noriaki Takahashi
We do field tests about twice a month or so at KIYOSUMI-SHIRAKAWA BASE.
We develop technology while discussing what we would like to see evolve.

《A man wearing glasses and a dark blue jacket sits and talks against a glass wall. The man's name is shown from his left. 》

ONSCREEN TEXT: Noriaki Takahashi
Content Technology R&D Engineer
Sony Corporation

《The image returns again to a studio with large LEDs, the team adjusting the lighting and CG background, and a woman's back view on a monitor checking the CG background on a display. Cut to a man being interviewed while sitting in front of a white wall. On the left side of the man wearing glasses, his name is displayed.》

ONSCREEN TEXT:：Kazuma Endo
VP Producer
Sony PCL Inc.

Kazuma Endo
Collaborating with various technology teams has been driving progress, leading to the evolution of the studio. As technology upgrades, the studio continues to accumulate insights in the process.

《A man dressed in a black hooded outfit is taking photos of a café-like place with a small camera. On the right side of the screen, a 3DCG of the cafe is shown, generated from the photographs taken. The image switches from the café moving from left to right to a woman's rear view standing in front of a distinctive, partly glass-fronted building, two men walking side by side in the foreground of the screen, and a woman with long hair walking in the foreground in front of LED in the studio. As the cameraman moves the camera, the angle of the building in the display moves in tandem.》

Noriaki Takahashi
The advantage of us is that we can use the technology with creators. When it is still in its rough stage, and discuss with them what specifications are actually needed for the technology, and nurture the technology to bring it closer to practical application quickly.

《In a dark studio, LEDs glimmer reflecting a futuristic building. A monitor with the PXO logo is placed next to a man making a presentation in front of a display, and the backs of the people sitting and listening to him are also visible in silhouette. With fast-paced music, the video shows footage of people giving presentations in the studio from various angles.》

《The scene changes to the interview of a man wearing a khaki hat and a shirt with a small red floral pattern on a black background, sitting and talking. The man's name is shown from the right.》

ONSCREEN TEXT:：Phil Jones
VFX/ VP Supervisor on Star Trek

Phil Jones
We're very excited about our partnership with Sony because Sony is a big believer in this technology and they're very supportive and they want to advance the work as well.

《The shot changes from a man in glasses wearing a shirt and waistcoat talking to a monitor, people listening to a presentation, the word PXO on the monitor to the right, and to a woman in a white knit and a man in a black cape giving a presentation beside him.》

Noriaki Takahashi
Discussions have begun about the possibility of incorporating our specialty super-resolution technology and other high-resolution technologies into Pixomondo's virtual production workflow or into the workflow of VFX.

《A man in a dark blue shirt talking while using a monitor in the same venue is filmed from a distance, a close-up of a piece of equipment, and many people sitting and watching a man in a checked shirt explaining the equipment while it is being passed around. On a studio set, after a back view of staff using the same equipment and a monitor screen is shown, a man in a white shirt and a man in glasses wearing a black jacket are giving a presentation.》

《The shot changes from images of a large number of people listening intently to the presentation, taking notes, to the back view of three men listening to the presentation, to a male staff member adjusting a background asset in front of a display showing a forest background asset.》

Phil Jones
It's great to see that we all have a similar vision and we are now working together on expanding and improving all of the things that go along with virtual production from the technology to a lot of the R&D, which helps us create better imagery and having everyone together.
And we're all working towards the same goal.

《The image changes from a close-up of a staff member making adjustments with equipment to a close-up of two men talking in front of the LED in the studio; the LED show footage of what appears to be a car driving through a tunnel, with the car shaking as it is being filmed. The color of the light in front of the display changes from orange to white light in conjunction with the footage of the car going out of the tunnel. Various scenes are shown, from two men talking while looking at a monitor to a woman lying down in the passenger seat of a car with her legs slightly out of the window, touching her mobile phone.》

《After switching between different angles of a man walking towards a car with LED and headlights showing a forest landscape, a cameraman filming a woman sitting in the back seat, and a man filming with a camera, the image changes to a man pouring water on a window for effect. A small monitor shows the profile of a woman looking out of a car and a wet window pane; from a cameraman filming a woman getting out of her car seat while touching her mobile phone in a studio with a CG background of a grassy field on LED, to three men talking.》

Noriaki Takahashi
The Sony Group has solutions for the entire workflow from shooting to display, LED displays, and video cameras used for shooting and so on.

《The scene changes to a cameraman filming a woman swinging her arms wide while suspended on a wire in front of a Crystal LED. Cut back to the studio, where the LEDs show the streets of Shibuya and colorful balls with vivid color, and the team is discussing in front of the display. The image switches to a profile of a technician adjusting the display using a computer and an overhead view of the studio preparing for the shoot.》

ONSCREEN TEXT: BTS of Transforming Shibuya Spain into 3DCG
©︎ 2022 Sony PCL Inc.

Phil Jones
So we're a full service facility coming from designing the wall to building the wall, operating the wall and also building all of your environments. And our VAD (Virtual Art Department) team will build whatever is needed for whatever show needs to be shot.

《The scene switches from the actors in the Star Trek footage acting in a spaceship-like studio set to 3DCG footage of the set. As the camera moves downwards, changing angles, the white 3DCG footage becomes more and more colored, before returning again to the footage of the Star Trek being shot while actually using the set.》

《From the footage of two men are greeting each other in a café to the footage of a man wearing a hat and a man in a grey jumper walking shoulder to shoulder with a smile on his face. The scene switches to the making-of footage of a soccer match being filmed in front of LEDs showing the stadium bleachers, with a man in a red uniform filming the moment he kicks a football up to try to score a goal. The cameraman films the players from left to right on a dolly, and footage of the players actually playing football is shown.》

Noriaki Takahashi
Furthermore, I think it is a very good approach to have the entire workflow in one place, such as the virtual production studio, where production and creators work together to create a total work of art.
I think that would be a very good approach.

《Footage is shown of technicians adjusting a camera installed in an orange car, filmed from below in an upward direction. The scene switches to a running orange car with a camera installed, three staff members talking while watching footage taken by the car's camera, and the image on a monitor. The scene changes to a studio where staff are adjusting large LED and multiple lights, from a close-up of a computer monitor to a dimly lit studio with LED and lights behind the back of a man operating a computer; the LED shows the night cityscape filmed by the car earlier and the back view of the technician operating the image is shown.》

《A man dances in front of a set lit up with blue lights.》

Eva Mok
I think this is incredibly liberating for all creatives in so many different ways, you know, from a director standpoint, right. Obviously, your environments can take you anywhere in the world, in the universe, and you can create anything you want. And it just felt like it was on the cutting edge.

《Cut to an interview video of a woman with her hair tied up talking. The woman's name appears on the left; the marbled wall also changes color and glows in conjunction with the changing gradations of pale green, orange and purple on the LED. The film is accompanied by fast-paced music, showing a cameraman in a cap taking photos of a bearded man standing in front of the display, and a cameraman smiling and talking to two of the dancers and giving instructions to a female dancer.》

ONSCREEN TEXT: Eva Mok
Talent Cordinator

《After showing a desktop monitor adjusting the same image as the one on the LED, the scene switches to a powerful image of many replicated animations dancing in the LED. Back in the studio, male and female dancers dance in front of the blue and white gradient LED.》

Phil Jones
Now we can take the request from our clients and also our internal requests to push this technology
even further to create more vivid imagery and we can create things even faster.

《Footage is shown of several technicians talking and interacting together while looking at a monitor, people taking notes while listening to the presentation and images of the technicians giving the presentation.》

Noriaki Takahashi
If the technology is developed based on the creators' opinions, the final image deliverables will be visibly improved.

《Back again to the Tokyo studio, where a woman is seen behind her checking the images on Crystal LED and staff adjusting equipment and cameras, before moving on to an interview with a man wearing glasses, with a white wall in the background.》

Kazuma Endo
When we work in the studio with various teams on various productions at the same time, we make new discoveries each time. If we can update the technology together with the teams, this technology is not just about technological development. I think it can become something that is used properly in actual production.

《Crystal LED in the green background and the camera monitor in the foreground show a composite image of the CG background. The monitor screen shows technicians checking the CG background while looking at the monitor, actors standing by in front of the CG background of a futuristic blue building, and a cameraman shot from the side.》

ONSCREEN TEXT: “King-Ohger”
©︎ 2023 Toei Company, ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Voice Over
“Many projects have already been realized using Sony's ever-evolving Virtual Production systems.”

An animation of white text appears in the center of the screen. A Star Trek filming studio is shown in the background. A set resembling a spaceship is set up in front of large LEDs, showing cameras, monitors and other filming equipment on cranes. All actors in futuristic costumes are acting on the set.

ONSCREEN TEXT: Expanding creative possibilities

Mujia Liao
Together, guided by the filmmakers and the creative decisions in the room like the director, DPs
and production designers, we cohesively create worlds and take our audience to places where no one has been before.

《The image moves to Star Trek footage, a woman with long hair wearing a navy blue down jacket is being interviewed in front of an LED wall.》

ONSCREEN TEXT: Mujia Liao
Head of VAD/ Art Director

《The camera moves on through the studio. The image changes to staff and actors walking around talking to each other and staff adjusting the set. After showing a PC monitor adjusting the images on the large LEDs, the film once again shows several staff members holding and setting up the art set on the studio set, actors in red and black uniforms lined up and a cameraman filming the scene.》

《A woman in a silver space suit is shown in a futuristic building and the next scene shows Star Trek footage of the woman talking to a man in the same space suit. The screen switches to the scene being filmed and shows that it is being filmed in front of a large LED.》

《The image of a man in a khaki hat and a shirt with a small red floral pattern on a black background talking.》

Phil Jones
We want to be a creative partner with your production. We don't want to be just another vendor.
We want to be involved with you in your creative thought process right from the beginning.

《In a slightly dimly lit studio, the backs of four men are shown. The left side of the screen shows the back view of a man dressed in black and wearing a black hat, who is operating two PC screens. A car with lights is placed in a dark studio, with a large LED behind the car. Lights in passenger cars and LED lights go off at the same time.》

《In the same studio as before, a large LED wall shows a beach scene and a truck is placed in front of it, which is being pushed around by several film crew members. The image changes to an overhead view of the entire studio, showing various filming equipment and staff.》

《The images changes to an overhead view of another studio where performers and crew have gathered to prepare for filming. In the foreground, there is a PC monitor, on whose screen the LEDs are controlled. The angle of view is looking up at the LEDs, and in the foreground is a cameraman operating the camera. A man in a white shirt talking is shown against a white wall.》

ONSCREEN TEXT: Kazuya Kamihoriuchi
Director of King-Ohger

Kazuya Kamihoriuchi
The moment I shot the film, "Oh, my dream came true!" I thought.
I think it is because they offered us this speed that we were able to deliver that quality of content that we would broadcast every week for a year.

《After footage of several men and women discussing in front of a PC monitor, the footage of the director discussing with a cameraman. Shot of King-Ohger, showing a Sentai hero in kimono costume fighting five enemies in orange costumes in front of LEDs, and a cameraman filming them. Shot to an angle of view over the entire studio, showing red costumed Sentai heroes fighting five enemies in orange costumes.》

《A car drives through a highway tunnel and on the roof of the car is a man in a suit with a pistol in his hand. The film switches to footage from outside the motorway, with dynamic camerawork showing the car running from the front of the car around to the left.》

Koichi Tokuhira
I think the environment can be used more interestingly if it is used in such a way that it interacts organically with this environment.

《A scene of a two-car car chase is filmed in front of a Crystal LED. The white car in the front has a woman in it, while the black car in the rear has a man in a suit with a gun in his hand.》

《Changes to footage from inside the studio, which is being filmed in a motorway tunnel. A man is driving and a woman is in the passenger seat. A man in a suit wearing sunglasses and holding a gun clings to the passenger side window and attacks the woman in the passenger seat. Shot to a scene outside the tunnel, where the car bounces heavily and the momentum scatters money inside the car. Buildings can be seen through the windows of the car.》

Koichi Tokuhira
Something that moves people's hearts. I think it is something that shows the potential of this new technology.

《The image changes from a profile of a man wearing glasses and a khaki coat talking to a long shot of a man talking in front of a Crystal LED on a black background. The logo of Sony PCL Inc. and tyo in white logo on a red circle are shown on LED wall.》

ONSCREEN TEXT: Koichi Tokuhira
Director of drive

《A dark filming studio is shown. At the back, a light appears to be in the shape of a large flower. In the foreground, footage of a camera on a crane coming down followed by the full-length Iniko music video. Several women gather in front of a large light in the shape of a flower as seen earlier. The women and the black-clad figure begin to fight, and the back view of the crew filming the scene is shown.》

Voice Over
“The background data initially designed for Virtual Production was also used as a field in an online game, presenting an additional challenge.”

《The screen is split into two parts, with the footage of the shooting scene that was shown earlier on the right-hand side and the vertical in-game footage on the left-hand side of the screen. In-game footage shows characters running around in the same assets used in the background of the music video, indicating that the background assets used in the music video are used as the in-game field.》

Voice Over
“In addition, in a new undertaking to utilize game engines, a project to produce high-quality content using real-time rendering of an entire film is also underway.”

《The image moves Ghostbusters footage, with a large white ghost smashing through the building. The Ghost stomps the taxi. From a man in a checked jacket holding a camera and giving instructions, a screen is shown showing the white ghost from earlier, with its feet adjusted in the Unreal Engine.》

Voice Over
“Sony continuously strives to utilize our technology to expand the creative possibilities of video production.”

《Monitor shows a white ghost, a man adjusting the modelling of a white ghost on a game engine and a cameraman filming a man in a black bodysuit with lots of sensors. Behind a man in a black bodysuit acting expressively, a white ghost with a similar expression appears on a monitor. Back to Ghostbusters footage again, showing a ghost that seems to be peering into the building.》

《Back to interview of a man in a khaki hat and a shirt with a small red floral pattern on a black background speaking.》

Phil Jones
And with Sony, we're and the different groups within Sony, we're now able to push not just the technology but also the creative bills that we need to do for the future.

《The video ends with the Sony logo.》