Creative firm XR Studios was among the first to incorporate disguise’s new xR workflow for an immersive performance by Katy Perry for Malay e-commerce platform Lazada’s annual Super Party. The new workflow, released to the general public in April 2021 through disguise’s new r18 software, includes a feature that extends the virtual scene to allow cameras to zoom in and out of each scene.
With these capabilities, the community of disguise users can now build even more exciting and elaborate scenes that mix the physical and virtual worlds.
[Disguise Launches r18 Software with xR Capabilities]
“The virtual zoom allowed us to work outside the box because we can now simulate shooting in a space that is ten times larger than ours,” said J.T. Rooney, chief creative officer at XR Studios.
Silent Partners Studios were the xR content designers on this project, and by partnering with XR Studios, they were able to create worlds that went beyond the limits of the physical screens. Perry performed against a giant Pierrot statue, Escher-inspired architecture, swan sculptures, and a fireworks display, with the camera zooming in and out on her in the virtual space—creating a huge sense of scale.
Of course, using this kind of technology for the first time isn’t without its challenges. Not only were there tight turnarounds and short deadlines, but there was the added challenge of incorporating a brand-new input into the workflow.
“As always, creating worlds and content in xR is challenging, but it’s consistently a rewarding adventure to figure out the virtual space,” Rooney said. “This new workflow is something that has been discussed for a long time and the XR Studios team was excited to see how we could help push it further, give suggestions, and test and develop it in a live show environment.”
By using the new virtual zoom feature, XR Studios was able to achieve shots that were previously unattainable. “Adding the virtual zoom to the workflow meant we could creatively see more of the scene and build a more elaborate environment,” Rooney said.
“Over the past 12 months, XR Studios has been trailblazing the use of our xR workflow,” said disguise CEO Fernando Kufer. “From their early days delivering Katy Perry’s first xR-powered performance on the American Idol season 18 finale, to, nearly a year later, pioneering our latest software features in their third collaboration with the artist. We love seeing them constantly break boundaries in xR production.”
