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www.postmagazine.com 30 POST NOV/DEC 2024 s Hollywood adapts to new tech- nological demands and an evolv- ing audience, MRMC is poised to help filmmakers navigate 2025's cinematic landscape. We see several key trends shaping the industry, with franchise-driv- en projects; immersive experiences; and faster, more flexible production process- es taking the lead. One defining trend is the sustained focus on franchise films. It's predicted that as many as 70 percent of major studio releases will be based on es- tablished characters and universes, as audiences show a strong preference for familiar heroes and storylines. These IP-driven films, especially in fantasy and action genres, require complex visual effects and dynamic shots. Our high-end camera robots, such as the Milo and Bolt X, are built to meet this demand. These advanced systems can capture intricate VFX and in-camera effects with preci- sion, creating smooth, cinematic move- ments that add depth and scale. This year we introduced the Cinebot Max, a breakthrough in motion control. With its extended reach, precise move- ments and enhanced flexibility, it has quickly become a favorite among film- makers for its ease in capturing live-ac- tion scenes. With Push Moco, Cinebot Max lets users physically position the camera, speeding up programming time. Once the initial moves are set, our Flair software enables filmmakers to refine these motions, adding intricate adjustments and special effects for fully-immersive shots. This adaptability makes Cinebot Max ideal for seamlessly integrating VFX and CGI. The Cinebot Max has proven invaluable in tight spac- es, allowing crews to navigate compact setups without disrupting lighting or set design. Its versatility ensures quick resets, which helps keep up with the fast- paced schedules often demanded by franchise projects. As the film industry leans further into high-impact, visually-intricate franchise films, MRMC's motion-control technolo- gy, especially the Cinebot Max, is helping filmmakers push the boundar- ies of storytelling. By enabling directors and cinematographers to craft com- plex, engaging shots, MRMC is not just keeping pace with industry demands, it's helping redefining what's possible in cinema. Based in Surrey, UK, Mark Roberts Motion Control specializes in the field of motion control, broadcast solutions and product photography, with solutions that span all budgets and every brief. FRANCHISES CONTINUE TO DRIVE PRODUCTION BY DANIEL BROOKS HEAD OF MARKETING MRMC WWW.MRMOCO.COM A he virtual production (VP) market is projected to grow from $3.37 billion in 2024 to $10.07 billion by 2032. That means we can expect more VFX studios to adopt new virtual production toolsets in 2025, which is a strong indica- tion of what I call VP 2.0. Already, many creatives are realizing that while it's not a magic fix, VP — or specifically, ICVFX (in-camera visual effects) — can genuinely optimize a film's budget or timeline. With VP 2.0, virtual production will no longer just be used for driving plates. Instead, we'll see more large set pieces with expansive backgrounds shot entirely in-camera, rather than filled in with traditional VFX. A good example is Amazon's new series Every Minute Counts about the 1985 earthquake in Mexico and the inspiring rescue effort that followed. The rubble was built practically, however, the background of the city in ruins was projected onto an LED volume. VFX departments will also start to contribute to the filmmaking process much earlier, building a seamless bridge between principal photography and post production. More and more VFX companies will have realtime teams who specialize in photoreal world-building in Unreal Engine or even traditional, pre-rendered plates. As well as the increased use of in-camera VFX and realtime teams, I believe the convergence of VP and AI is something that will grow in 2025. We'll see AI toolsets that continue to improve using advances such as 3D Gaussian Splats. These will help with everything from dubbing to de-aging, where we will see continued experimentation and perhaps some adoption. The use of stable diffusion-based AI image generation is also promising. Tools like Cuebric, which can generate AI backdrops for ICVFX use, have been up- graded to incorporate 2.5D. This means anyone can create a 2D image, then use inpainting to separate it into multiple layers of depth. Each layer can be rep- resented by its own individual geometry and texture, and that is then brought into an LED volume using Disguise. This creates a very quick path to previs and techvis, allowing VFX teams to easily and cost-effectively generate a photoreal 3D world with realistic parallax. Finally, the convergence of traditional DCC tools and VP is another space to look out for in 2025. For example, VFX render engine Chaos V-Ray is now about to be upgraded for virtual production with a realtime version. This holds significant promise for VFX departments as the DCC toolsets would be the same for both VP and VFX, and so would the quality of the render. Disguise offers an integrated system of software, hardware and services for creating realtime virtual production environments. VIRTUAL PRODUCTION BY ADDY GHANI VP OF VIRTUAL PRODUCTION DISGUISE WWW.DISGUISE.ONE VFX TRENDS TO WATCH OUT FOR IN 2025 T CINEMATOGRAPHY OUTLOOK