SixTONES, YouTube limited performance project 4th "Resonance" released Taken with virtual production at Kiyosumi Shirakawa BASE

SixTONES – Resonance [PLAYLIST -SixTONES YouTube Limited Performance- Day.4]

Comments from SixTONES

How was it when you took a picture with Kiyosumi Shirakawa BASE this time?

Like an attraction, the background moves in conjunction with the camera, so there was a sense of realism and it seemed like it would be captured in the video. Unlike when I used a greenback to shoot, it was refreshing to be able to see images that were close to the finished product on the spot. It was very easy to understand that the exit side could see the completed form. It was very easy to grasp, such as moving according to the movement of the background, thinking "If this is here in the background, let's do it", or moving in consideration of my height. I also felt that it was an advantage that it was easy to unify the image of the world view with other members and staff. Also, when I watched this video, I was surprised at how beautiful it was and felt like I was really there.I thought that the beauty of this image could be used in various places in the future, and there are various possibilities.

What are the points and highlights that you especially want fans to see in this shoot?

The highlight is how our performance and cutting-edge technology match. The MV for "Resonance" was shot with a full-length greenback, and a lip-sync was inserted from there, an image cut of his own was interwoven, and CG processing was performed to move the characters in a dizzying manner. There was a unique fun of "editing and making". This time, we're shooting in a way that's more like a one-camera show, so it's easier to see our appearance and performance, and the backgrounds and situations that make it stand out are unique. I think that you can enjoy it from a different perspective.

What would you like to challenge using virtual production in the future?

Because of this kind of time, I would like to use it for live concerts with no audience or live broadcasts. Even if you can't come to the live venue, I thought that you could deliver a performance that you couldn't enjoy before. By superimposing our live performance on virtual production, I felt the possibility of expressing things that could not be expressed until now. By using virtual production, I thought it would be possible to create a lot of productions that can only be achieved with live distribution.

Interview with Director Okawa

Virtual production (hereinafter referred to as VP) itself has experience in several works in the past. Since VP is a shooting method that largely depends on the capacity of both hardware and software, I feel that it is very important to understand "what can be done" and "where is the bottleneck". I am. So, I started by hearing the specifications of the studio, and thought about "where to put the win as an expression" with creators in various places. A large, ultra-high-definition Crystal LED is permanently installed in Kiyosumi Shirakawa BASE. Furthermore, VENICE can be used for the camera. It was very expensive as a spec, and I felt that we as users should not test "how well we can use it". If the base specifications are high, the range of choices from the beginning is wide. That is why I was able to discuss various things innocently and positively. Since you can also select the brightness of the LED, you can take pictures using the LED itself as a light source, or you can darken it and create a lighting on the front side to express it. And with VENICE, you can depict the gradation of dark areas and the environment of low illuminance properly. It was really nice to be able to select the machine specs according to what I wanted to make, and to be able to verify and decide while doing it. The technologies used in virtual production, such as game engines and tracking systems, are evolving rapidly, and his workflow and expressions are constantly evolving, but this studio has the depth to accept it. I felt that. I'm really looking forward to what will happen in the future. When I usually make music videos, he often breaks the cuts while improving the quality of one work, but this time, along with the fun of the picture unique to VP, SixTONES We aimed for a long-take composition so that you can watch the dance performance firmly. The difficulty with VP is how to balance and balance the height as an expressive effect with the machine load, and where to set up a drop-off point. Even in a high-spec environment, how to optimize the heavy expression of processing was a big issue. His biggest challenge was to express the rapidly changing space in one-shot, such as changes in lighting, changes in shape, and the collapse of the stage itself. The merit of the basic VP is that you can shoot while watching the completed form on site, unlike shooting with chroma key. Opinions may differ if the perceptions of the worldview that is later synthesized by chroma key are slightly different for each staff member. Normally, I am always conscious of communicating firmly so that there is no discrepancy in recognition and values, but with VP, it is actually visible, so "sharing the direction you want to go" is more important. You can do it smoothly. The actors and performers who actually stand in front of the camera as subjects can also take a take with a clearer image, so I think it is very significant in terms of improving his performance and the skill of the play. I think it is a great merit that both staff and performers can communicate smoothly one step ahead to enhance their creativity. When I make a work with VP, I'm always excited about its advancedness, but this time, even if I knew it, there were many times when I thought, "Oh, it's amazing!" I strongly feel that this is due not only to the newness of the technique, but also to the high environmental standards of the studio such as hardware and software. You can jump big with your imagination and respond. I would like to continue to pursue this technique, which has a deep nostalgia, so that I can make use of it in my works.

Comments from Sony Music Entertainment representatives

I thought it was important for artists to feel the possibility of new expressions by introducing this technology, but this time I will challenge the SixTONES team and new performances in this way. I was able to. By combining the merits of real and virtual at a high level and making it possible to express things that were not possible before, customers who are looking forward to the work will enjoy a world they have never seen before. I hope he can do it.

Comment from Daisuke Kobayashi, General Manager, Visual Solution Business Department, Sony PCL Creative Division

Kiyosumi Shirakawa BASE aims to be a place where creators and cutting-edge technology meet. She hopes that when they meet, she will explore the possibilities of video production and create new expressions. Therefore, it makes sense for her to be a permanent studio, and I hope that various technologies will be gathered there. This time, as the first technology, we created a permanent virtual production studio. Virtual production is a technology that allows you to shoot 3DCG space as if it were real space. The biggest merit is that you can shoot images on schedule as if you were shooting in a place or situation where it is difficult to shoot in real life. You can create the video you really want to make on an efficient schedule. This time, I shot the music performance of SixTONES for the first time as a work to be released to the public. SixTONES, an artist belonging to Sony Music Labels, has the features of virtual production technology that allows you to freely express creative expressions due to restrictions such as time and place in conventional video production by realizing background composition with real time. This project was realized by the fact that the new visual expression that the "PLAYLIST" we are working on and the fusion of artist performance matched. There were many "static" backgrounds that tried to reproduce the real space, such as CMs, movies and concept movies that I had produced so far, but this time, the laser beam will be included in the background itself displayed on the LED. It was a virtual production with a "dynamic" background that included new challenges as a musical expression, such as a lively feeling. When I saw the video of SixTONES performing in front of the background, I felt a new possibility as a virtual production. 2 "Virtual production" is a technology that digitizes the space and shoots using a digital set instead of a real set. It requires a technology that "utilizes high-quality CG in real time", and there is a need for it. The game engine is used. By acting in front of the screen, directing with props, and shooting together with lighting, it is possible to express realistic images that are indistinguishable from shooting on a real set or location. increase. In addition, it is illuminated and rendered from the camera's point of view, providing real-time parallax for greater reality. It is also possible to create a virtual set of the future, the past, and the appearance of a different world and use it in the video.

■ Event Information "Virtual Production Day 2022" Date: Thursday, February 24, 2022 Venue: Online Contents: Virtual Production Day 2022 specializes in his virtual production based on LED WALL and In-Camera VFX. Online conference. * 10: 40-11: 30 "Future opened up by virtual production" Stage: Seiichi Saito, Film Director Keishi Otomo Sony PCL Inc. Creative Division Visual Solution Business Department Sota Koshino Details: https://events.nikkei. co.jp/46068/ Delivery URL: https://expo.nikkeibp.co.jp/vpd/2022/livestream0224/