This course has been put together in consultation with our partners Warner Bros. Discovery Access, Screen Scotland and StoryFutures Academy and is designed to give students a grounding in the core skills, knowledge and understanding required for VP technical setups, and key on-set roles and activities.

Students will learn the fundamentals of virtual production and explore the key underlying technologies; including the core functionality and more advanced elements of Unreal and its role within the VP process, a walk-through of the LED Wall set up and merging digital and physical props and design workflows.  Students will learn about the key roles and their functions within virtual production, including the roles of Production Designer, Director of Photography, Technical Artist, and the Virtual Art Department. Case studies and group exercises will put these core elements into practice.

On completing the course, students will be ready to take on roles such as an entry-level trainee, assistant, junior position on set within the VP Technical Department (often referred to as the “brain bar”) and be able to assist in a hardware/software pipeline Engineering role.

Further professional experience, complemented by self-taught technical learning, will enable applicants to progress further and focus on a specialism, such as a Technical Artist, Lighting specialist, Colour specialist or VP hardware engineer (camera/LED/software).

MODULE 1 - Introduction to Virtual Production
An exploration of the different types of VP and key underlying technologies, and introduction to on-set roles and workflow. Includes a demonstration at the NFTS LED Wall. Will also include a practical workshop on the key roles of a VP film set.

MODULE 2 - Unreal for VP 1
Introductory level workshops covering core functionality of Unreal and its role within the VP process - including the basics of scene design, lighting, sequencer and animation, along with art and art pipeline. Includes remote lessons and hands-on introductory learning. 

MODULE 3 - Unreal for VP 2
An introduction to some of the more advanced elements of Unreal needed within VP, including optimisation techniques, blueprints programming, technical art and VFX, followed by a design exercise

MODULE 4 - LED Stage Technical Setup
A walk through the setup of the LED Wall and camera tracking technology, including talks from a Virtual Production Supervisor’s perspective and analysis of technology solutions.

MODULE 5 - Design for Virtual Production
A look at colour science and tutorials on lighting in-engine, followed by individual and group multi-user shared design practical exercises

MODULE 6 - Practical LED Stage Workshop
Group exercises putting the learned knowledge and experience into practice, including hands-on setting up and colour matching digital and physical assets, on-set modifications to lighting and placement of props, identifying and rectifying common artefacts and issues.