DIVA-DAG (Tokyo) redefines CG production with Zero Density's Reality Engine

DIVA DAY (Digital Art Studio Roppongi), a CG production company located in the heart of Tokyo, uses Reality Engine, the real-time compositing platform developed by Zero Density, to exponentially increase creativity in your studio.

The company has been in the Japanese CG production industry for about 20 years and specializes in creating characters and background animations for the video game industry and CG/VFX for film productions. The company's vision to create its own content led to the idea and decision to build its own studio in 2021.

The studio has two separate spaces, one for motion capture and another for virtual production with a green screen studio. While searching for the right technology, the team discovered Reality Engine, the most advanced real-time compositing platform. The DAG team was impressed by its customization, integration with the camera tracking y keying capabilities. They ultimately chose the Reality ecosystem because it had all the tools that would allow them to create special worlds. Reinphase, a regional partner of Zero Density, has carried out the installation and training of the studio.

“The biggest attraction of Reality Engine is being able to check the finished image in real time. And it is possible to record videos for different production materials, even with a relatively simple setup,” he says. Hiroki Octopus, DAG Section Director. “The floor and wall colors in our studio are slightly different, but this is not a problem for Reality Keyer. Color variation can be compensated for very easily. Complex configurations were never necessary.”

work process

DIVA Studios follows a streamlined process when working with clients. They first consult with the client and create a design sketch, which the client approves. Meanwhile, the client chooses a virtual set of Unreal Engine Marketplace, which DIVA customizes through Reality and performs a test shoot.

This entire process, from initial consultation to filming, typically takes only a week, significantly reducing the time required compared to using alternative game engines, which were previously used.

Nihommatsu Katsumi, Director of Operations at DAG, highlights that “what surprised me in the first demo was that the studio setup was very basic. Just a green sheet in one section of the office. Additionally, the lighting equipment was minimal, but the green was fully reproduced, even in detailed sections such as hair. The setup didn't look complex at all, but the green was fully rendered. This means the potential would be even greater with a high-tech studio.”

DIVA Studios has mainly filmed music videos and dream sequences for television shows. Performers sang or danced in the green space in the background, and the team created and added background graphics or customized assets already available in the Unreal Engine Marketplace. The team has also shot sequences combining a virtual background with props from a real background image.

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