This new tech is changing how movies get made. So @mkbhd and I tested it out…
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I’ve been obsessed with sci-fi movies since I was a kid. I love being transported to another world. But lately, I’ve been wondering: How do those worlds look so… REAL? The tech behind movies has exploded in complexity and realism, changing how stories come to life on screen.

Luckily, at the same time, those tools are becoming more and more available to more people telling stories. It’s not just blockbusters like Avatar 2 or Avengers or Dune. It’s also smaller budget films like Everything Everywhere All at Once or even… YouTube creators?

In this video, Marques Brownlee and I test out 3 movie-making tools that are changing how movies, shows, and maybe even YouTube videos (??) get made. We’re at ZeroSpace Studios in New York to show you how each of these crazy technologies work – and how you might be able to use them. Along the way, we hit big questions like: What is the future of video? Can actors stop aging? Can WE? Do you care if an actor has a digital double? Should the audience choose where the camera goes? Most of all, what we discover is a new world of video creation, hopefully open to more and more people’s creativity.

Chapters:
00:00 How do movies look so real?
1:18 The future of green screen?
3:31 The problem with green screen
4:33 How was The Mandalorian filmed?
6:11 How to shoot two scenes AT ONCE
8:39 How motion capture works
10:06 Why was Avatar 2 filmed underwater?
11:05 What happens if you can be… anyone?
13:51 What is volumetric video?
15:33 What’s the future of video?

Thank you to the entire team who helped make this video possible! They are:
From ZeroSpace:
– Creative Director: Kevin Peter He
– Head of Research: Evan Clark
– Technical Director: Eric Chang
– Producer: Elena Piech
– Mocap Operator: Sammy Sords
– Mocap Asst./ PA: Kimani Reid
– Disguise Asst. / PA: Omar Jones
– 3D Modeler: Maya Lila
– CEO: Jon Kreutzer
– CTO: James Tunick
From 4Wall Entertainment (a joint partnership on the XR/ICVFX Stage):
– VP of Special Projects: Ben Danielowski
– VP of Special Projects: Mathew Leland
– L1: Zach Sager
From Scatter Depthkit (a joint partnership on the volumetric video):
– CEO & Co-Founder of Scatter, creators of Depthkit: James George
– Lead Technical Producer: Cory Allen
From Cause + Christi Immersive XR Design:
– Co-Founder: Austin Caine
– Co-Founder: Christi Fenison
From Scheimpflug:
– Photogrammetry Lead: Joachim Pfefferkorn

You can find me on TikTok here for short, fun tech explainers: https://www.tiktok.com/@cleoabram
You can find me on Instagram here for more personal stories: https://www.instagram.com/cleoabram
You can find me on Twitter here for thoughts, threads and curated news: https://twitter.com/cleoabram

Bio:
Cleo Abram is an Emmy-nominated independent video journalist. On her show, Huge If True, Cleo explores complex technology topics with rigor and optimism, helping her audience understand the world around them and see positive futures they can help build. Before going independent, Cleo was a video producer for Vox. She wrote and directed the Coding and Diamonds episodes of Vox’s Netflix show, Explained. She produced videos for Vox’s popular YouTube channel, was the host and senior producer of Vox’s first ever daily show, Answered, and was co-host and producer of Vox’s YouTube Originals show, Glad You Asked.

Additional reading and watching:
– ZeroSpace Studios: https://www.zerospace.co/
– Scatter Depthkit Volumetric Video: https://www.depthkit.tv/
– Cause + Christi: Immersive XR Design: https://causechristi.com
– Quantum Computers, explained with MKBHD (our previous collab!): https://youtu.be/e3fz3dqhN44
– Avatar Scenes Without CG, The Things: https://youtu.be/Cimy6T1nczw
– Why ‘The Mandalorian’ Uses Virtual Sets Over Green Screen, Insider: https://youtu.be/Ufp8weYYDE8
– VFX Artists React to Avatar 2 CGi (ft. Weta FX), Corridor Crew: https://youtu.be/c4Gd0bR2kb4
– Did We Just Change Animation Forever? Corridor Crew (I love Corridor Crew): https://youtu.be/_9LX9HSQkWo
– Why volumetric video matters, by James George: https://medium.com/@obviousjim/expressing-our-true-likeness-in-the-metaverse-with-volumetric-video-8ed3bea7c6d0

Vox: https://www.vox.com/authors/cleo-abram
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10108242/

Gear I use:
Camera: Sony A7SIII
Lens: Sony 16–35 mm F2.8 GM and 35mm prime
Audio: Sennheiser SK AVX

Music: Musicbed

—
Welcome to the joke down low:

What do you call security guards at Samsung stores?
Guardians of the Galaxy.

Use the word “galaxy” in a comment to let me know you’re a real one 🙂