CoPilot enables XR virtual productions with Ultimatte 12 4K

Blackmagic Design’s Ultimatte 12 4K compositor plays a key role in the workflow of CoPilot, a production company and integrator specializing in the world of virtual production of extended reality content.

Based in Winnipeg, Canada, CoPilot began as a film production company specializing in commercial audiovisual productions. Since then, it has broadened its spectrum of work and has focused mostly on virtual productions and artificial intelligence-related solutions. Having become an expert in this field of work, CoPilot offers a variety of services to its clients: from consultations to the construction of scenarios with extended reality displays. Among its clientele are ExxonMobil, le Canadian government et Mo-Sys Engineering. In addition, the production team has its own YouTube channel of the same name to educate the general public about the range of equipment needed for augmented reality productions. In the words of Austin MacKay, the company’s director of virtual production, ” Our mission is to make virtual production accessible to everyone.”

For MacKay, the Ultimatte 12 4K compositor is a key lynchpin of his philosophy: “You don’t need to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to create immersive live environments; this can be done at home, at your business, or at a studio.” After adopting this model in their studio, along with HyperDeck Studio 4K Pro recorders and DeckLink 8K Pro capture and playback cards, CoPilot has seen significant improvements in their production process.

The CoPilot team uses the capabilities of the Ultimatte 12 4K model to generate real-time images while creating composites on a green background. This allows the team to visualize the elements in the background and apply lighting and actor adjustments on the fly. During recording, the combination of the Ultimatte 12 4K compositor and HyperDeck Studio 4K Pro recorders provides the ability to capture the footage in the final format, eliminating the task of overlaying it on a green background during post-production: ” Before implementing the Ultimatte 12 4K, a single video could take anywhere from two to ten hours to chroma key. With the Ultimatte 12 4K, there is almost zero time spent keying. Depending on the complexity of the project, you can save two days of editing time with a single click of a button.”

Ease of use and accessibility

MacKay also praised the Ultimatte 12 4K compositor’s ease of use, noting that “anyone” on his team can use it, regardless of their level of editing experience: “Our team is trained in a multitude of tools, including Unreal Engine 5. However, the best part about the Ultimatte 12 4K is that it is truly plug and play; you don’t need to be a professional editor or environment artist to be able to use it to its full potential for your creative projects. Once the Ultimatte 12 4K is set up for one environment, you can shoot on green screen all day. You have the backgrounds live, moving, and connected, truly creating an XR virtual environment.”

In addition to deploying this equipment in its studio, CoPilot uses the Conception Blackmagic solution for client projects. In fact, the company recently set up a virtual reality studio with a green backdrop using four devices: ” ulti camera green screen virtual production is becoming increasingly more accessible and affordable, especially for live productions. Companies and studios of all sizes are reaching out to CoPilot about how to build this for them, and Ultimatte 12 4Ks are at the center of that,” concludes CoPilot’s director of virtual production.