Phil Galler is a true virtual production guru. From the nuts and bolts of LED screens to the 3D software that provides the imagery to the business decisions and financial trends that help fund this new wave of VFX filmmaking, Phil understands it all.
In this podcast, Phil talks about his history in virtual production, beginning with the innovative projections used to make Oblivion’s sets come to life and continually evolving the tech via Tomorrowland, House of Cards, Solo: A Star Wars Story, The Mandalorian, and Bullet Train. Never one to sit still, Phil is leveraging his knowledge of real-time solutions and content to help define the next generation of storytellers. Phil’s holistic understanding of digital entertainment makes this podcast a must-listen.
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0:04:35 Electrical engineering, film, and ballet: Phil's childhood
0:08:39 Why and how "Oblivion" used projection
0:13:48 Pushing projection forward with "Tomorrowland" and "House of Cards"
0:19:40 Getting involved with "The Mandalorian"
0:24:35 Building virtual stages and "Bullet Train"
0:29:05 COVID, the metaverse, crypto, Web3 - and virtual production
0:34:25 Significant evolutions in virtual production technology
0:34:31 Helping gamers tell stories
0:44:49 Where do LED walls fit into the picture?
0:46:39 Phil's thoughts on Project Arena
0:52:10 The evolution of storytelling
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.