^{This case study is a port from Behance. We're still working on adapting and translating all the projects to this new web. Thanks and sorry!}

For my final high school project (in Catalan, Treball de Recerca), I decided to verify the difficulty of creating and the effectiveness of a virtual set, aimed at television with low budget or local, in order to determine if it would be a good alternative to a physical set.

To do so, I decided to create a newscast program (including branding, graphic package, etc.), create the virtual set of it (modelling it in 3D and importing it to specialized software), and record a video by putting it into practice.

Program creation

Branding

First of all, I created the brand of my program, based on the brand “anvun media”. In the end, I chose the name “anvun news”. The symbol is an adaptation of the original brand. It also shares the same color palette (magenta and white). I also added the “News” text in an original style, in order to be able to use it in other applications.

Graphic package

As for the graphic package, I picked a starting point, which in this case were vertical bars of different shades of magenta, which gently moved from side to side. From there, I created all the necessary elements (intros, headlines, lower thirds, etc.) in a more cohesive way, using the same graphic and motion/animation style.

Virtual set creation

Planning

Before starting to model, I created a plan of the set, to determine the structure and parts of it. The final parts are: on the right, a part with a wide videowall and a lot of space to move and AR; on the left, a medium-sized videowall for explanations on a wooden platform; and in the centre, a table, and a small screen for the less relevant news.

3D Modeling

Once the distribution of the set was decided, I began to model it in 3D, deforming simple shapes and adding textures and materials.

Software import

In order to use the set as a real one, I had to import the model into a specialized program. In this case, I opted for Aximmetry, since it is relatively easy to use, and it has a free version.

Apart from having to adapt the materials of the model, I had to enable the project to meet the needs of a TV show, such as playing intros, music, displaying graphics, controlling the screens, etc.

^{Real "anvun news" Aximmetry project screenshot, showing the nodes that make the features possible.}

Video recording

In order to demonstrate the capabilities of the set, I recorded a video that consisted of different parts of the newscast. A script was made to have a guide of what had to be said and done at all times.

Physical set assembly

To record the video, I had to set up a physical set, with the necessary elements, such as a chroma, camera, spotlights, etc.

The final structure of the physical set is as follows: On the left is the control part of the set. On the table is the main monitor, mouse and keyboard, speakers, and a MIDI piano keyboard, which allowed me to control the entire set by pressing piano keys, turning knobs, etc. The action of each key and slider can be customized in Aximmetry, which allowed me to take advantage of a product I already had. Under the table is the computer, and a power strip.

On the right is the physical part of the set. Right next to the table, there is a tripod with a mobile phone, which acted as a camera. Below the tripod is a monitor, so the host could see what is being recorded. On each side of the monitor, there is a bench with an LED spotlight on each one, lighting the subject.

To the far right is the chroma, with a spotlight next to it illuminating it. Next to the chroma is a third monitor, which was used so that the host could turn to the right and see the videowall or the graph, depending on the part, simulating that he is really looking at it.

Recording

For the recording of the video, I was able to count on the journalist and TV host Laura Arias, from betevé. Each part was recorded separately, but live. That is, everything that is seen in each part was done live, including graphics, interviews, sounds, etc. In post-production, only the different parts were merged.

^{Video in Catalan, subtitles available in English and Spanish.}