UK outfit HTC VIVE launches first turnkey virtual production product

UK-based computer manufacturing company, HTC VIVE, has launched its first turnkey virtual production product, VIVE Mars CamTrack, with the aim to make virtual production fast, easy, and affordable.

VIVE Mars CamTrack lets actors jump into any number of virtual backdrops in real-time during production, in many cases eliminating the need to shoot onsite and empowering filmmakers to unleash their full creative potential by consolidating the entire camera tracking workflow into a compact, plug-and-play module with professional-grade features.

Mars CamTrack comprises multi-cam tracking, with the support of up to three cameras, accurate tracking with VIVE Tracker, automated calibration for camera offset and lens distortion. There's also lens encoder compatibility, allowing filmmakers to change the depth of field as they would on a traditional camera, plug and play compatibility, genlock synced to UE LiveLink, offering synchronized output between real and virtual actors and robust wiring. 

According to HTC VIVE, the facility simplifies virtual production setup delivering a simple, accurate camera-tracking solution to reduce overall production time and expense.

Jim Geduldick, director, virtual production & SVP Dimension Studio N.A. said: “Time saved in pre-production and on-set because of the robustness of the Mars system will make it a sought-after tool in any virtual production project. Being able to have a small footprint tracking system that can travel in a small production case with features like Genlock sync, camera and lens calibration, multi-camera support and its integration into Unreal Engine via LiveLink provides a solution the virtual production community has been needing.