Requesting Virtual Production Support from a MAGIC PA for your Production
MAGIC has trained student staff available to answer your questions regarding virtual production and are here to help support your projects.
If you are a student or faculty in need of advisement or support for your virtual production, please review the information and request process below.
All requests for virtual production support must be submitted at least two weeks in advance and are subject to MAGIC student employee schedule, availability, and bandwidth. A meeting with the MAGIC VP team is required before all virtual productions.
Please have the Following Information Ready Before Submitting your Request
Identify a few time slots key players of your production are available for a meeting. This should include your Director, Director of Photography, Producer, and Virtual Art Department.
Prepare a script, shot list, and/or storyboard for your virtual production sequence. This will be helpful for the MAGIC team to understand the scope and requirements of your project (rough examples are acceptable).
It is important to understand the limitations of virtual production when designing your shot list. To avoid the “screen door” effect known as moire, the LED background must always be out of focus. More information will be provided at your VP meeting.
Consider if you will need a 3D or 2D backdrop for your production. Note that a 2D backdrop will suffice for many productions with limited camera movement and is less complicated than using a 3D backdrop. This could make your production more time effective.
We strongly advise against using Epic Marketplace Environments, as there are significant differences between building environments for virtual production and game design. Stay tuned for MAGIC provided templates and how-to resources.
Remember - it is okay if you do not have all the answers for your virtual production request. Our team is here to help you understand the possibilities and limitations of these systems.
Request Process & Required Information
Navigate to https://helpdesk.magic.rit.edu/new-ticket to begin a new request.
Be sure your Department is set to MAGIC Spell Studios, and under “Support Type,” select Production Support.
In the subject line, include “Virtual Production Request” with the dates of your anticipated production.
Ex. Virtual Production Request - 9/13/24
For “Location”, please specify Full Sound Stage or East Sound Stage.
Include the following information and answer the questions below in the “Message” field:
Faculty advisor, course, and project name requesting virtual production support.
Confirmed EMS reservation dates for the sound stage.
Do you or do any members of your team have any experience with virtual production in the past?
Will you be using 2D videos and photos as your virtual production backdrop, or are you using 3D environments with camera tracking?
If you are using 3D environments, have you or members of your team worked with Unreal Engine or other 3D software (such as Maya, Blender, Unity, etc)?
Do you plan to have fully synthetic (fully CG) shots, or composite shots in your sequence?
Please include names of Director, Director of Photography, Producer, and Virtual Art Department along with meeting availability in your request.
Once your Request is Submitted
A MAGIC Virtual Production PA will respond via email to your request to schedule a pre-production meeting.
You may follow up on your request using the same helpticket. Please do not submit multiple tickets for one request.
Remember, our virtual production staff are student employees and must follow all RIT employment guidelines, including taking a break if scheduled for more than 6 hours. Please keep this in mind as you plan the scale and scope of your production.
Requests can be declined if our team does not have the bandwidth to support your production.
Got General Virtual Production Questions?
We’re happy to answer your VP questions - even if you aren’t planning a film (yet)! Feel free to follow the submission steps above for a Production Support Ticket with general virtual production inquiries. Our team is eager to share their VP knowledge with you!