From battlegrounds to the Grand Canyon — the latest public service announcement for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs was shot almost entirely with virtual production
The Audio\Visual Crew collaborated with Meptik, the creative and technical services division of visual experience platform Disguise, to create a powerful public service announcement (PSA) for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The project, focused on veterans’ mental health, used advanced virtual production techniques and Meptik’s expertise in creating and delivering virtual environments to deliver a visually powerful and impactful message.
Veterans face a wide range of mental health issues affecting their daily lives. The goal of this PSA was to create scenes that authentically represent these struggles and encourage veterans to explore the mental health treatments available at the Veterans Affairs.
To convey this message in the most efficient way, the Audio\Visual Crew worked with Meptik’s virtual art department (VAD) to create five different environments and shoot them within the safety and comfort of XR Stage in Los Angeles. Each virtual environment, including a battleground scene, a backyard birthday party, an office setting, a community center and the Grand Canyon, was thoughtfully designed in Unreal Engine and tested on Meptik’s R&D stage before shoot day.
“I chose virtual production for this project because I needed a way to shoot many different scenes quickly. I knew that I would be in the battles of Afghanistan one moment and in the Grand Canyon the next, but I also wanted to make sure that I offered something that was cutting edge to my client,” says The Audio\Visual Crew’s director, Andy Vallentine.
Virtual scouting was a key component in creating the virtual environments. Using reference images, Meptik recreated the environments, allowing real-time adjustments based on team feedback. This approach ensured everyone had a clear, aligned vision of the virtual environments, with a chance to refine shot angles and lock in the lighting ahead of the shoot.
“We started based on the script and the storyboards that the client provided, and from there, we built all of the sets,” says VAD/VFX Supervisor Carlos Fueyo. “We worked with the production designer, the director and the director of photography to perfect the scenes to their liking. We even had interactive calls with them where they could move geometry around or change lighting.”
The production involved one day for setup, one day for filming on the LED Volume and a third day for shooting the remaining scenes on a practical set. Meptik worked closely with the production team to ensure an efficient transition from concept to execution and managed volume operations on set.
“We created all content in real-time, and the only post-VFX adjustments were painting out practical lights we used for sunlight and an LED panel,” says Meptik’s VAD Producer, Andrew Amato. “By working fully in-engine, we achieved photoreal, final pixel ICVFX, shaving possibly weeks off the traditional post-production process.”
The finished PSA provides a clear and effective message about support for veterans’ mental health while demonstrating the many ways virtual production techniques can improve the efficiency and quality of productions.
To learn more about the project or Meptik, visit www.meptik.com.
