The show is the first made for CBeebies using virtual production to blend traditional physical filmmaking with digital environments
Virtual Production technology has been used on a CBeebies show for the first time in The Great Ice Cream Hunt, a “musical adventure” filmed at Versa Studios in Manchester.
The BBC Studios Kids & Family Productions film blends traditional physical filmmaking with digital environments to deliver an imaginative and fully immersive storybook world, says CBeebies.
The project has been shortlisted in the ‘Best Innovation Project’ category at the Broadcast Tech Innovation Awards, recognising the ingenuity of the show’s production.
The predecessor to The Great Ice Cream Hunt, Christmas in Storyland, was shot entirely on green screen, while this production moves into a real-time, immersive storybook environment using virtual production. The performers interact directly with the world on set, while camera-tracking technology synchronises the on-screen environment with the camera’s movements, creating seamless, dynamic shots in real time and in-camera.
Working closely with BBC Studios Kids & Family Productions, Versa Studios partnered with virtual production specialist Nathan Newman of Immersion Science on the project.
Natalie Bolton, production executive, BBC Studios Kids & Family Productions said: “With The Great Ice Cream Hunt, we set out to create a vibrant, immersive world that felt like a storybook come to life. Thanks to cutting-edge virtual production technology, we were able to bring fantastical locations like Mermaid Falls, The Ice Cream Farm and a Fruity Festival to the screen with stunning detail designed to ignite young imaginations. Virtual production allowed us to blend live-action performances with richly animated environments creating a truly magical experience.”
Ed Harvey, head of studios at Versa Manchester, added: “Working with BBC Studios Kids & Family and our partner Immersion Science to deliver this virtual production project was such a rewarding experience for us here at Versa Studios. Seeing the production and performers embrace this new way of filmmaking has us excited for future collaborations that will inspire and engage audiences.”
Nathan Newman of Immersion Science, said: “From the outset, we were keen to put the ‘virtual’ back into virtual production while embracing a stylised look for our youngest audiences. Through a wonderful collaboration with our partners, children’s illustration was seamlessly blended with production design, focusing on set extension depth, physical-to-virtual set integration, and achieving a crafted sense of heightened immersion for the world of Storyland. We are delighted with the result and proud to have guided BBC Studios Kids & Family Productions into the creative possibilities that virtual production brings to filmmakers.”
The Great Ice Cream Hunt is out now on BBC iPlayer.
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