Virtual Production

Create virtual sets for filmmaking without limits

Real-world cinematography meets virtual world-building

Give cinematographers and directors the space to create new worlds and explore their vision. Blend real sets and props with virtual backdrops to create without limitations. Help artists to create freely with a smart system that adapts with them.

Revealed at NAB 2023, the Virtual Production Tool Set improves pre-production and on-set workflows as well as the total colour management. Sony is committed to moving virtual production forward in close collaboration with industry leaders and partners like Epic Games and Lux Machina.

A virtual partnership for cinematic excellence

Our VENICE cinema cameras, Crystal LED panels and Virtual Production Tool Set work in harmony for limitless productions. Synchronise VENICE and VENICE 2’s sensor with our Crystal LED panels, as part of a complete virtual production system. Then enjoy natural, lifelike cinematography.

The Ultimate Guide to Working with Virtual Sets

Find out how you could create incredible virtual sets for any film. Discover how our VENICE cinema camera and Crystal LED panels work in perfect harmony for the highest possible image quality.
Crystal LED for Virtual Production brochure

A smart, adaptive film set

Go beyond the green screen. Combine the realism of location shooting with the flexibility of a virtual background. Crystal LED panels show any background image in vivid detail. With every camera move, that background automatically adjusts for perfect angles and perspective, thanks to camera tracking systems that work with Unreal Engine. Directors can get exactly the shots they want—again and again.

Total freedom for cinematic creativity

Let directors record stunning locations, or create new ones, then explore them with total control. Give actors stunningly detailed surroundings to react to. Help the art department create the perfect balance of virtual backdrops, props and real-life scenery. Always shoot in exactly the right weather and light conditions, whatever the time of day—and record multiple takes in a row.

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Bring VFX into the camera

Protect the artistic vision behind every production. Help directors and DPs to capture more in-camera and add less in post. Make sure the shots that appear on production monitors are closer to the final image. Avoid the need for lighting and colour adjustments in the edit, with the ability to create fine-tuned virtual surroundings. And with LED screens, objects appear clearly in the surface reflections of props and costumes, instead of being added in post.

Sony, Plateau Virtuel and Studios de France reveal inside story of Europe’s first Crystal LED virtual studio. A state-of-the-art 90m² screen offers world-leading image quality for premium film, commercial and TV production.

Save production budget for creative work

Productions can save time, money and their carbon footprint. There’s no need for crew and gear to travel to locations abroad. The weather is no longer a factor in shoot planning, helping to avoid schedule disruptions. With more captured in-camera, post-production budgets are controlled too. And it’s easy to switch between any number of locations in minutes.

View Comparison of GHG Emissions for On-Location and Virtual Productions [209Kb, PDF]

Icons showing savings for CO2, Money and Time

The ultimate cameras for virtual cinematography

Capture remarkable colours and exquisite detail, in real-world and virtual shooting. Choose between our VENICE and VENICE 2 cameras for up to 8K recording and 16-bit colours that perfectly match the colour space of our Crystal LED panels. High speed sensors provide a phenomenal 16 or 15+ stops of latitude, while helping to capture natural tones in any lighting conditions.

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VENICE 2 Cameras with 6K and 8K sensors
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Full-frame flexibility

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Wide colour gamut

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High-speed readout

Perfect your films before you arrive on set

Our Virtual Production Tool Set is a unique solution to solve current pain points in virtual production and to support quality of In-Camera VFX.  The Camera and Display Plugin for Unreal Engine lets you design the picture you need for your VENICE-powered virtual production, then save these settings in our Virtual VENICE for Unreal Engine. It includes a Moiré Alert feature for Pre-Visualisation and On-Set shooting that can detect moiré patterns that can’t be seen by the naked eye. The Color Calibrator tool ensures that the colours you visualize before the shoot day match the colours that will appear in your dailies.

Virtual Production set with monitor showing Color Calibrator UI
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Transfer Settings

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Moiré Alert

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Colour Matching

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Virtual VENICE

PCL Crystal LED Virtual production Studio with camera and car plus SID 2022 logo

Displays designed for virtual production

Our Crystal LED panels offer exceptional colours, resolution and HDR capability. Specifically developed for virtual production, our B-Series panels have an incredible pixel density delivering a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio – far superior to conventional LED array systems. Anti-reflection coating avoids unwanted glare from lights or props, while energy efficient Micro LED panel technology allows for silent, fan-less operation. Reality Creation technology can upscale lower resolution images, for sharp detail. All so cameras can get far closer than with other displays, giving directors far more shot choices.

Key technologies to display bright and rich colour imagery in any environment

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High brightness
High contrast

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Wide colour gamut

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Anti-reflection coating technology

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Fan-less for silent operation

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A refined package, built to work in harmony

Choose a complete solution, built for cinematic excellence. Combine VENICE/VENICE 2 and Crystal LED panels with our controllers, frames, software and UI to create a full virtual system. Easily integrate essential third-party components you need into your solution. Then capture smooth, natural tones and lifelike detail, using a package designed in partnership with world-class cinematographers and technical partners.

Interested in learning how a Virtual Production stage could enhance your studio?

Trust in Sony

Enjoy peace of mind with our premium support, available for all our virtual production products. Take advantage of Prime Support Elite for our Crystal LED Panels and VENICE family of cameras.

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