In this episode, Chris sits down with AJ Wedding, founder of Orbital Studios, to discuss how the Chaos Innovation Lab used his studio to film Ray Tracing FTW using Project Arena. AJ shares how his early fascination with virtual production, inspired by his work on The Mandalorian, led him to launch Orbital Studios during the pandemic. He explains the challenges of building a virtual production studio from scratch, perfecting LED panel technology, and saving productions like Snowfall significant time and money.
AJ also explores the advancements in virtual production, discussing AI tools and their impact on giving filmmakers real-time creative control. He highlights the importance of educating producers and DPs on how to maximize this technology’s potential. AJ’s insights show how virtual production is transforming the film industry, making it more accessible to filmmakers of all levels.
Links:
0:04:32 AJ's Journey into Visual Effects
0:07:28 Discovering Virtual Production on The Mandalorian
0:10:16 Founding Orbital Studios During the Pandemic
0:13:18 Saving Snowfall with Virtual Production
0:14:55 The Growth of Orbital Studios
0:17:12 Economics of Virtual Production
0:20:23 Flexibility & Control in Virtual Production
0:23:49 Supporting Independent Filmmakers
0:34:35 Filming Ray Tracing FTW with Chaos Innovation Lab
0:38:18 AI Tools in Virtual Production
0:45:33 Streamlining Filmmaking with AI
0:51:48 The Future of AI in Filmmaking
0:58:07 Future Projects at Orbital Studios
Chris is a CG industry veteran and Director of Chaos Labs. He can also be heard regularly as the host of the CG Garage podcast which attracts 20,000 weekly listeners. With a background in both VFX and Design, Chris has worked for Gensler, Digital Domain, Imageworks and Method Studios. His credits include Maleficent, Oblivion and Tron: Legacy.