Virtual Production featured on the upcoming “The Batman.”

When I heard Robert Pattinson was cast as Bruce Wayne in a new take of the Dark Knight, I was all in. As a result, I’ve been growing my anticipation for the release of The Batman, only fuelled further by the impressive trailers and visuals being released.

For some time however, I had been wondering if some of these visuals were a result of Virtual Production techniques considering the DoP of The Batman, Grieg Fraser had worked on The Mandalorian.

And now, confirmation has come that most of the film was shot in studio space, which has led to an impressive use of LED walls.

One such example is seen below in a marketing still from Warner Bros, with Batman and Catwoman standing on a roof top looking over Gotham. The background is an LED wall, and a lot of the clues for this, come from how light is falling on the two performers that a green screen studio wouldn’t be able to replicate.

LED means light emitting diode and so the light source in this shot is primarily from the background LED wall. That virtual sunset is contributing to the overall lighting of the scene.

In a green screen studio, placing lights in the same way in the background would be almost too difficult. The light source would have to come from outside the captured frame and ultimately giving a very different look to the scene.

The cast also have a point of reference. They can see the sunrise. They can look at it.

Zoë Kravitz (Selina Kyle / Catwoman):

LED screens! It was our cinematographer Greig Fraser who invented this technology [the Volume] on the Star Wars The Mandalorian series. And it was incredible. Our most difficult job as actors is to face a green background and make people believe that one thing is another. It takes a lot of energy to make people believe that something is happening, when it is not. You even feel a little stupid, and it almost holds you back.

Robert and I share a scene on the rooftops of Gotham as the sun goes down. Being able to see and feel the city, and having the light, was… Oh my God! I was very grateful because it really allowed us to focus on what was happening emotionally, instead of saying to ourselves “You are facing a skyscraper, there is a skyscraper in front of you” (laughs) We almost forget the effect of light on us, so much so that every detail, like birds, is incredible. It made the world of film more real.

John Turturro (Carmine Falcone):

When I looked out the window at an office or hiding place decor, seeing all these projections that looked so real impressed me. I had never been on a set like this. I’ve been on many sets, and I thought it would be easy for me to imagine the world outside the scenery. But it was impressive.

Virtual Production tools continues to give filmmakers new and exciting ways to tell their stories on screen.

Source: Interview by Maximilien Pierrette https://www.allocine.fr/article/fichearticle_gen_carticle=18706671.html