BMW China breaks into the world of virtual production for car commercials
Virtual Production
Brand Experience
When BMW China made its first foray into virtual production for a television commercial for its i3 electric Sedan, they enlisted the help of Beijing-based BLUEBOX xR Studios with its highly-equipped virtual studio and expertise. In this case study you will learn how the Disguise VP workflow, featuring two vx 4 media servers and four rx II render nodes served as the entire control system for the groundbreaking commercial shoot.
Summary
The spot showcases the making of the commercial itself and features the luxury vehicle against animated graphical backgrounds which include a cityscape, night sky and a vast desert. Virtual production was chosen as the best option to relate the commercial’s narrative and integrate the values and performance characteristics of the BMW vehicle into the unusual storyline.
BIG BLUE, owner of BLUEBOX xR studios, uses virtual production as the go-to for automotive advertising. With it, they can design many kinds of virtual spaces in the studio and capture better ambient reflections, real-time sky lighting, and WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) shots, for more efficient shoots.
With the Disguise workflow delivering the virtual content created in Unreal Engine, the BIG BLUE team knew their tried-and-true technical approach would not encounter any difficulties during the project’s short turnaround.
The challenge
During the project planning stage, BIG BLUE provided the client with technical previews and some creative suggestions, as well as advice about how to use the characteristics of virtual production to better fit the needs of the product.
With BMW China expecting ultimate quality and reliability, the team initiated a testing phase to prove the viability of the VP equipment complement, which, in addition to Disguise, included a 26 x 7-metre ROE BP2V2 LED panel, Brompton processor, a 16 x 8-metre LED canopy, two Sony CineAltaV2 cameras, a variety of lenses and ARRI lighting. The commercial was shot in 4K 10-bit SDR for maximum quality.
The solution
Disguise China provided BLUEBOX xR Studios with technical training together with technical and hardware support. Although BLUEBOX xR Studios was founded in April 2022, the core team has used Disguise for more than 40 virtual shoots in the last two years as a complete technical solution for virtual production. BIG BLUE CTO and Virtual Filming Technical Director, Vno Hu, has been a Disguise user for seven years and counting.
Disguise's excellent stability and quick set-up for adjustment were important guarantees for BMW’s virtual shoot, the results of which gave viewers a completely new visual experience.
CTO and Virtual Filming Technical Director, BLUEBOX xR Studios
Results
Together with Disguise, BIG BLUE is constantly updating and optimising its technical solutions in the hope of providing better results for clients. The BMW shoot was the team’s second commercial shot in 4K 10-bit SDR, and the studio was more than satisfied with the results.
Success
1
week for Unreal Engine content production
2
days for live build
2
days of shooting
BMW China’s first venture into virtual production went without a hitch, with all teams satisfied with the results of the shoot. BLUEBOX xR Studios continues its success since its establishment, with one more shoot under its belt, forming a total of 10 virtual shoots done since they opened their doors in April 2022 for brands like Gaohe, Audi, Volkswagen and more.
