A Chat With: Virtual Film Production Masters at Racquet Studios
Following their talk at Eastbourne DigiFest 2023, we were intrigued to learn more about the new technologies being used by Racquet Studios, based in the Devonshire Quarter in Eastbourne. Aside from their mind-blowing virtual film production work, they have been working hard on creating digital twins using photogrammetry and 3D modelling techniques. What does that actually mean?
We caught up with the Racquet Studio Directors, Simon Skinner, Josh Lewis, and Rob Ruardy to discover more and share some of this cutting-edge technology with you, in their own words…
Creating digital twins with photogrammetry
“Whilst there is a breadth of applications for the work we do at Racquet Studios, it boils down to activities around virtual production (or VP). The main difference between traditional film sets and VP is the ability to (largely) avoid the physical building of sets in sound stages or travelling to locations. With VP, we can create environments artificially.
“When we first started out, we wanted to make our virtual sets look hyper-real. For us, it was all about creating assets that exactly replicated real-world objects and environments. When designing anything from scratch, digitally, it’s much harder, (and takes a great deal longer) to capture all of the realistic and tiny imperfections and textures that you’ll find on everyday objects. This is where photogrammetry comes in.
“Photogrammetry is the process of creating a digital twin of a real-world object. It involves capturing thousands of images of the object or location and then, after various post-production processes, transferring those images into a game engine to recreate and re-light them digitally. The education we’ve been through in order to generate convincing results has been lengthy but essentially, we just started off by scanning objects with accessible means, such as mobile phones, testing and refining our photogrammetry processes as we went.”
Our first commercial applications
“We had a friend in a local artist, Nic Webb, who we knew before we had started to test these processes. He was extraordinarily interested in the work we were doing and was curious as to how it could apply to his work in the art and craft world. The timing was serendipitous, as this opened the door to some commercial photogrammetry projects in partnership with Nic, which allowed us to develop our processes and upgrade the equipment we were employing. For Nic, we were able to use photogrammetry to create digital twins of some of his incredible lighting pendants and demonstrate what they would look like in someone’s home, gallery or concept space - ultimately helping buyers to pre-visualise or to create legacy content. Our work with him has evolved and recently we were able to recreate a group of pendants that had been commissioned from plans for a house that has not actually been built yet.
“The lighting element is key to making the images look hyper-real. We can programme lighting to a position on the earth at different times of day, allowing for different weather conditions. And in terms of creating spaces, we can recreate either from an existing location or from an architect’s plans. We can build something digitally to the correct specification, allowing an architect to see a finished project before they have even stepped foot on site.
“With the pendants, this was incredibly useful on all counts, as we could work with the artist to plan how they should be installed in advance. We were able to provide 2D references for the installation team that were precise to the millimetre and represented the exact requirements from the artist and the client.
“Around the same time as working with Nic, we were also asked to create a digital twin of the Martello Tower in Seaford. The architect commissioned the work through English Heritage to document the physical state of the building for reference and future maintenance planning. The main thing they wanted was detailed imagery of the exterior and boundary walls, so we shot these in high resolution using a handheld camera and drones. We also provided ‘onion skin’ images of the interior of the building, so they also had these for reference. We made lots of references and measurements on the day, so we could assess the accuracy of the twin and modify it if needed. We always aim to get the model to 99.9% accuracy in terms of scale. We provided flattened 2D sections of the building that gave a clear reference, showing intricate details such as the deteriorating paint on the walls, and every little crevice in the brickwork.
“As we have been refining our photogrammetry processes, we’ve also been working with a handful of specialist manufacturers as strategic partners to give feedback on their pre-released equipment before they take new products to market. We suggest improvements to equipment as we refine our processes that are helpful for everyone as the tech evolves. We hope to create in-house software solutions as we progress, carrying out even more R&D and innovation.”
Applications
“Our photogrammetry work is fast becoming its own division within the overall business and, in time, may further separate as we apply it to different industries and sectors. Aside from applications in creating highly detailed virtual film sets, we have seen real potential in the heritage, architectural and arts markets, where we are being asked to document and build locations (amongst other things). The applications we’re finding with arts institutions are a great deal of fun and the possibilities are endless. We are currently recreating paintings and are able to ‘fly’ inside, following the brush strokes and/or creating a flyaround piece that gives the viewer access to every aspect of the art. Essentially, opening up an experience that isn’t possible in a gallery environment. We can create a digital representation of a piece of art, 3D print the texture of it at any scale and then project the image back onto it. This would enable the public to get up close and touch it. Something that just isn’t possible in a traditional setting.”
Next steps
“Whilst photogrammetry is a well-established process in game development, it’s reasonably unheard of in many other markets. It is now for us to ‘nudge’ it into some of the lateral markets that we are seeing open up. Through word of mouth, more and more institutions, establishments, and artists are seeing what we are doing and starting to think about how it could benefit their work.
“Being able to meet the demand, should it snowball, comes with its own challenges, of course. This will involve recruiting more people and we intend to recruit from our local area wherever possible. It’s a challenging task given that the techniques are relatively new. There is no established education pipeline currently, so we are sharing and developing skills within our facility. It’s hugely exciting and we’re keen to further develop the coast into a hotbed for digital skills in the UK.”
Catch up and see their work in action!
The team at Racquet Studios, along with artist Nic Webb and the team from Recursive Digital, presented a demonstration of their work using some of the techniques detailed above at Eastbourne DigiFest in 2023.
If you’re intrigued to learn more, watch it below:
