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In late 2021, a client approached me for a commercial video to promote their Umetaworld app. Umetaworld is a virtual replica of the world built on VR technology. Developers created an entire virtual ecosystem where users can connect, make purchases, travel, and more.
Since the video was about the connection between real life and the metaverse, we needed to film the beginning and end with live actors, while all other scenes were created in Unreal Engine.
The main goal was to showcase the seamless transition into the Umetaworld metaverse and all the possibilities it offers through the eyes of an avatar. Below, I'll share the details of the video production process.
P.S. Unfortunately, due to the outbreak of a full-scale war in Ukraine, when Russia attacked our cities with missiles, I lost all the source files and video materials for this project. In March 2022, a rocket hit the building where our office was located, after which a fire (and looters) destroyed everything that remained in the office, including the server where the files for this project were stored.
Video Production Process Overview
As I mentioned earlier, the project can be divided into two stages: shooting the video with real actors and working with 3D animation in Unreal Engine.
Live Actors Video Production
According to the script, we needed to showcase the actor’s dramatic immersion into the metaverse, his return to the real world, and his encounter with the girl he met in the metaverse.
To achieve the immersive effect of entering and exiting the metaverse, we filmed three times:
- A shot where the actor is looking at his phone against the backdrop of an apartment.
- A background shot of the apartment without the actor.
- The actor jumping in front of a green portable screen.
I truly regret that all the source files are lost, but here is what I was able to find on my phone:
For the scene where the actor returns from the metaverse, we followed a similar approach.
Another interesting scene was the actor’s encounter with the girl. To emphasize the branding, we ordered paper bags (the girl didn’t come empty-handed) with the Umetaworld logo. They looked very organic in the frame:
By the way, it was for this scene that I created a detailed breakdown video showing how we created this shot. You can watch it here:
Unreal Engine: Bringing the Metaverse to Life
Unfortunately, there isn’t much I can show from this stage. Among the materials I have, there are only a few rough scenes separately.
During our work in Unreal Engine, we created three locations, animated characters using Mixamo, and created seamless transitions between scenes.
Final Video
In the end, we produced an attractive and captivating video with 3D motion design about the metaverse. The client was satisfied, and we gained extraordinary experience in video production using a powerful tool like Unreal Engine.
Check out the product video we did for Umetaworld:
P.S. I found another video we made for this client: it’s a short reels video, the essence of which is to demonstrate the connection of an avatar from the metaverse to a real location.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
What is Commercial Video Production?
Commercial video production is creating video content for advertising or promotional purposes for television, online advertising, social media campaigns, corporate presentations, and other marketing purposes. Product video production primarily aims to promote and advertise products, services, brands, or companies. It is created to raise awareness and interest and attract consumers. And contribute to brand awareness, and stimulate sales and conversions.
What Steps are Involved in Commercial Video Production?
Why are Post production Services Important?
