Sony Announces Virtual Production Tool Set Version 2.0

Coming this winter, the virtual production software update will deliver Camera and Display Plugin and Color Calibrator improvements for a better broadcast and cinema workflow; both apps are free with select features available under a paid license.

Sony Electronics announced Virtual Production Tool Set Version 2.0, the latest version of its virtual production software, set for release winter 2024. The Virtual Production Tool Set consists of the Camera and Display Plugin and the Color Calibrator, which improve the virtual production workflow for broadcast and cinema. Both applications are free to download while select features will be available under a paid license.

The Camera and Display Plugin allows users to simulate a specific camera’s movement and settings on screen in a virtual space, prior to physical production with a LED wall. Version 2.0 of the Camera and Display Plugin expands the list of supported broadcast and cinema cameras to include BURANO, FR7, HDC-3500, HDC-5500, and HDC-F5500 adding to VENICE series. In addition, it allows productions to plan shots as well as leverage the tool’s improved custom Moire alert tool. Version 2.0 also supports Epic Games' Unreal VCam, to intuitively control cameras in virtual space using an iPad. Additionally, Sony offers a paid license for Live Camera Sync, which can instantly read changes in the settings of VENICE cameras and lenses on set and reflect them in the Unreal Engine Sony virtual camera settings.

Color Calibrator is a Windows 10 application that creates correction LUTs iv to achieve high color reproduction in Virtual Production stages and performs color correction (color calibration) of the installed LED walls. The LUTs calibrates the LED wall to the Sony camera color space to ensure that the colors visualized before filming match the colors captured while filming. Color Calibrator Version 2.0 supports color calibration via the newly added camera models as well as a user guide function that makes it easier to perform relevant adjustments. The Color Calibration tool is free but creating and exporting calibration LUTs is available through a paid license.