Disney has unveiled the next step in its ever-expanding technological advances that are designed to bring worlds of imagination to life on TV and cinema screens, which builds on the volume stage technology employedduring filming onThe MandalorianandAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniaamong other productions. Now we get the Infinity Stage, a partnership with Industrial Light and Magic - who are also responsible for the creation of the volume - which continues to expand the possibilities of shooting a major motion picture without the cost and effort of location filming. The new high-tech creation will be housed in Stage 1 of the Disney Lot in Burbank, the filming location of Disney’s iconic animated musical filmFantasiamany years ago.
The stage will comprise of 700 top-tier LED panels, which combine to make a total of 1,600 square feet of background which seamlessly turns the entire stage into a vista of possibility that even obscures the doors. While the volume has been the destination of choice for numerous projects recently, the arrival of the Infinity Stage will bring the power of instant location creation nearer still and remove the need for travel to the U.K. for any U.S. based productions.
Disney Television Studio production executive John Ziffren and tech executive Alex Grimwade who worked on the project together said, “Thanks to the leadership of Peter Rice and Dana Walden, we are committing a stage on our lot to a permanent virtual StageCraft production installation. This stage will serve as an extraordinary resource for creatives both inside and outside theWalt Disney Company, bringing this groundbreaking technology - often used in feature films and effects-laden series - to episodic television production.
Whether it’s shooting routine driving shots, creating worlds that only exist in the imaginations of our creators, or traveling our casts and crews to both well-known and remote locations around the world without anyone having to get on a plane, the possibilities are game-changing. Our partnership with Industrial Light & Magic, with their end-to-end virtual production platform, StageCraft, ensures the most advanced production technology available today. It’s a huge step forward forour television operations, and we’re excited to have this tremendous resource for our creative partners as well as other industry producers.”
The ability to be able to be anywhere at any time without the need for travel or visa clearance, and especially in recent times with various Covid restrictions causing chaos with filming schedules, will be a huge boost for the industry, and has already been used in the upcomingHow I Met Your Motherspin-off,How I Met Your Father. While the series doesn’t dip into fantastic realms or space adventures, a simple scene in which Hilary Duff’s character is seen walking over the Brooklyn Bridge would have previously required permits, post-production work to remove the sounds of the bustle of New York and other potential filming hazards, utilizing the Infinity Stage technology allowed executive producer Pamela Fryman to create the scene in Burbank, without any of the headache and all of the result.
The Infinity Stage will no doubt play a role in many upcomingDisneymovies and shows, and is just another step up the ladder in the constantly evolving world of movie magic. This news comes to us fromCollider.
