'The Batman' to use the same virtual production technology as 'The Mandalorian'

Jon Favreau's The Mandalorian used a brand-new form of visual effects when it shot the majority of its portion against a LED screen in the studio. This technique allows filmmakers to shoot against a virtual background created by the LED screens and catch the reflection of the light much better in order to move away from the usually bland green screen. Industrial Light and Magic's Chief Creative Officer Rob Bredow recently revealed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, that Matt Reeves' upcoming The Batman film will also be using the same technique. 

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The Batman virtual production

Virtual production is not a new term as it is used to describe the technique which enables a visual effects production in real-time. Motion Capture footage being converted into raw animation in real-time can also be deemed as virtual production. However, in recent times, the term has taken onto a new meaning ever since Jon Favreau has implemented the use of digital productions to the next level with The Lion King and The Mandalorian.

For the first season of The Mandalorian, Favreau worked with ILM to create a system which consisted of a LED screen wall which consisted of the Unreal real-time game engine. The same technology was made better with time by the company who has now coined a befitting term to the technology as 'StageCraft'. 

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As the film is still under production, Rob Bredow did not make any major revelations about where the technology is being used during the production of The Batman. ILM is the same company which worked heavily on both the Avengers films and was also aware of the closely-guarded secret script elements which were honoured by the company, thus, them not revealing any details about the sequences in The Batman does not come as a shocker.

However, Bredow revealed that practical sets were built in order to shoot some portions of the film, but, the virtual 'StageCraft' technology has been used around the sets to ensure that virtual production is carried out smoothly for the certain scenes. The Batman has the same DP as The Mandalorian, thus, making the collaboration between ILM and the DC film even easier. 

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