Joueur du Grenier generates virtual sets in Unreal with Blackmagic solutions

The Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 camera and DeckLink 8K Pro cards make it easy to create virtual sets in Unreal Engine for the YouTube broadcasts of Joueur du Grenier, a channel created in 2009 with over one billion views.

Together with its sister channel, Bazaar de Grenier, Joueur du Grenier has over five million subscribers. This success led its creators, Molas and Rassiat, to implement a series of improvements to modernise the production of their content: “There was a process of reflection which began two years ago. We told ourselves that if we wanted to continue pushing boundaries, it would require an investment in new facilities,” says Molas himself. After evaluating several options, the team decided on Blackmagic Design products, as they cover the entire creative process: from image capture to post-production.

Previously, the channel had relied on a workflow based on a digital SLR camera. Nicolas Sénac, AV technician, notes that the transition to Blackmagic equipment was smooth: “The use of virtual production techniques and a switch to the URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 was a massive step up in capability. We now have far more confidence in what we capture. Combined with the Blackmagic Video Assist 7″ 12G HDR, we can check exposure using false color, which means fewer unpleasant surprises in post production.”

Investing in virtual production techniques was fundamental to realising Joueur du Grenier’s creative ambitions. In that sense, the implementation of Unreal Engine allowed access to a wide range of possibilities. Jordane Bélot, post-production and visual effects technician, underlines the importance of the DeckLink 8K in her workflow: “When we film a scene, we take the camera feed straight into our PC using a DeckLink 8K capture card. That allows us to ingest a live video stream straight into Unreal Engine. We then recreate the camera movement using tracking software and then combine the live studio and 3D elements in real time.”

In addition, the use of Unreal Engine significantly reduces rendering time and avoids the need to set up a physical studio. Bélot says: “With an unlimited polygon budget and the ability to add realistic lighting to scenes, we can achieve photorealistic rendering in a fraction of the time.”

DaVinci, solution for colour grading

Once the scenes have been shot, the Joueur du Grenier technology team is committed to creating new compositions and colour grading using DaVinci Resolve Studio.

Director Karim Debbache praises the capabilities of Blackmagic Design’s software: “The speed of dailies management in Resolve and the availability of Fusion as an integrated compositing solution tool save us yet more time.”

Molas himself, a key part of Joueur du Grenier’s creative success, acknowledges that the channel’s growth has been closely linked to the technological upgrades he has recently undertaken: “We’ve had great feedback on the improvements to our studios and the improved quality of our output. Not only have we been able to raise the bar in terms of standards, but we are also able to push boundaries when developing new formats using the latest techniques.”