Even the most skilled visual effects artists are currently facing challenges in their profession. Technicolor, a renowned name in the movie industry, recently went into administration, which is a reflection of the struggles faced by the British film industry due to budget cuts and competition from overseas. However, a startup in London is about to introduce cutting-edge technology that could revitalize the UK’s film sector.
Joseph Steel, co-founder of Visualskies, which has worked on films like “Paddington in Peru” and “Napoleon,” along with his team, has developed technology that allows camera operators to see on-screen graphics while filming in the real world. For example, if a dragon is landing on a beach, the operator will be able to react to the animation they see instead of having to imagine it.
Computer-generated imagery has already transformed TV and movies. The HBO show “House of the Dragon” filmed many of its scenes in front of a wall of LED screens, enabling actors to react to flying through the air rather than guessing in front of a greenscreen. However, such virtual production is less feasible for larger scale scenes or aerial shots.
Visualskies plans to showcase its solution this month at a reservoir in London. Marty Waters, a VFX supervisor, believes this technology will save time and money by preventing the need to reshoot scenes or use expensive post-production techniques if the camera operator hadn’t focused correctly.
The Visualskies technology is funded by a £250,000 grant from Innovate UK, as the VFX industry faces a crisis. The UK film industry experienced a significant boost as streaming services like Netflix sought subscribers after the Covid lockdowns. However, production was cut back in 2023 due to strikes by Hollywood writers and actors.
OpenAI recently launched its Sora tool in the UK, allowing subscribers to generate realistic video footage from a prompt. Neil Hatton, the chief executive of UK Screen Alliance, supports the advancement of AI but believes the current generation of AI is difficult to direct.
Technicolor, known for its color movies, is not the original visual innovation. Georges Méliès’ 1902 film “A Trip to the Moon” is considered the first major film innovation. The Visualskies technology relies on creating 3D models of real objects and places, which can be manipulated using computers. These scans serve as an insurance policy for the movie industry, as they can fulfill shoots even if circumstances change or something is forgotten during filming.
Overall, Visualskies’ technology has the potential to enhance the film industry’s ability to create visually captivating content by bridging the gap between real and virtual worlds.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/mar/02/cgi-visual-effects-uk-film-industry-on-screen-graphics
