The combination of Unreal Engine and LED volume stages has taken virtual production to another level, but have skillsets kept pace? IBC365 learns more about the UK’s first dedicated certificate in virtual production.
The use of CGI in film and television production has moved from being a long, slow process undertaken in the postproduction stage involving shooting in greenscreen studios and actors emoting to a ‘tennis ball on a stick’ to an interactive environment that allows performers, directors, and cinematographers to see and move through computer generated environments in real-time. Alan Thorn, a video games industry veteran runs the Virtual Production Course at the National Film and Television School (NFTS) in the UK. The course offers the industry’s first dedicated certificate in Virtual Production.
Virtual production (VP) merges real-time CGI with traditional filmmaking techniques using giant LED walls and systems originally designed for use in video games such as Unreal Engine, to create immersive environments that seamlessly blend the physical and digital worlds. As Thorn explains, the industry is in need of professionals who can navigate this complex, hybrid landscape...
You are not signed in
Only registered users can read the rest of this article.
NAB 2026 technology round-up: “The biggest shifts in media are no longer theoretical”
The 2026 NAB Show has wrapped after welcoming more than 58,000 registered attendees and a host of new tools and technologies intent on shaping the future of media.
NAB 2026 review: “Live immersive production is here, and it’s extraordinary”
If there is a single takeaway from NAB 2026 it’s that the broadcast media industry is rebalancing. The centre of gravity is shifting, the customer base is diversifying, and the definition of “media” is expanding across sectors.
Volumetric humans: The next frontier of immersive broadcast storytelling
Volumetric humans are moving from experimental captures to live, broadcast-ready assets, reshaping the creative opportunities and practical challenges of immersive storytelling and established production workflows across virtual and hybrid environments.
Spatial computing: “Instead of showing people a story, you’re letting them inhabit it”
Leveraging generative AI, computer vision, and data from real environments, spatial computing has opened the door for cutting-edge systems that blend the physical and digital worlds into a new frontier of human-technology interaction.
NAB preview: Automation, reinvention and politics to steal the show
NAB 2026 looks set to bring a raft of creativity and technological innovation, yet serious political and environmental questions remain.
.JPG)
.jpg)