Real-time rendering

San Francisco – Epic Games has unveiled new imaging technology that enables users to customise commercials in real time.

• The technology was tested by Epic Games, VFX studio The Mill and Chevrolet via short film The Human Race
• By using cameras attached to a placeholder car, the user can select the colour and model of the car in real time

Displaying the technology through the new short film, The Human Race, users can choose the model of car they want to feature in the commercial and watch as the car changes in the video instantaneously.

The technology, which opens up new possibilities for both film and games, works by using cameras attached to Blackbird, a placeholder car, to render an ultra-realistic shell on its surface. The technology will offer clients the opportunity to shoot something once, but enable them to repurpose it for multiple platforms and campaigns. It may also, in future, enable users to immediately customise and interact with the film they are watching.

‘The Human Race blends cinematic storytelling and real-time visual effects to define a new era of narrative possibilities,’ said Angus Kneale, US chief creative officer at The Mill in New York. ‘This is a pivotal moment for film VFX and the coming era of augmented reality production.’