Mo-Sys Engineering has successfully supplied its LED content server solution, VP Pro XR, via regional partner Cgangs for a major esports championship production in Asia.
Cgangs was selected by American games developer Valve to handle the production of the opening sequence and top-four team player introduction videos for the International Dota 2 Championships, a major esports competition held in Singapore during October 2022, with a reported prize pool of $18.9 million.
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The integrator was introduced to the Dota 2 project in July 2022 and shortly after welcomed the Valve software team to its studios in Singapore. After shooting a sample video based on an animatic demo provided using green screen virtual production, Valve was able to decide on the same day to work with Cgangs.
“The project made extensive use of Live AR, and it all needed to be shot in a single day without post-production," Alvin Lim, Cgangs strategic partnership and business development director explained. We only had about 1.5 hours per team to shoot and capture the opening and intro videos, which meant we were shooting real-time ICVFX and needed rock-solid camera tracking and a powerful LED content server solution that wouldn’t let us down.”
Cgangs utilized VP Pro XR, its LED content server solution designed specifically for film and broadcast production, and combined with Mo-Sys StarTracker camera tracking, delivered high-quality Live AR. The entire system was integrated with real-time DMX controlled lighting and an LED ceiling to increase the production value and to assist the cinematographer by providing real-time ‘scene spill’ on the talent. Mo-Sys also introduced Garden Studios who provided expert on-site technical support.
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“We had limited time on-set so needed to work quickly," Lim added. "We were able to do this after ample pre-production planning and selecting products that would enable rapid ICVFX production. StarTracker and VP Pro XR were perfect for this project, both in terms of set-up, workflow and reliable performance. It was also a great pleasure to work with the DOP from Valve, who was using LED virtual production for the first time. He had a very clear vision and worked collaboratively with our technical team to achieve it, and this was essential to making the project a successful one, with very happy clients.”
“It has been a great pleasure to support Cgangs, and it’s fantastic to see virtual production together with StarTracker and VP Pro XR utilized for such a high-profile eSports project," said Stephen Gallagher, Mo-Sys' marketing director. "VP Pro XR is enabling more and more projects to achieve exceptionally high production value through its cost-effective and dedicated feature set for film and broadcast.”
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Following the DOTA 2 project, Cgangs has announced plans to position itself as a technology enabler to support and train media students and industry professionals. The company plans to set up a permanent LED VP Studio to enable local production companies to have the opportunity to learn and apply VP for their own projects, as well as to become the leading VP technology production company in the Asia region.
