Group members: 游沛勳 彭俊諺 張哲嘉 高秉誠 陳盈珊
During my internship as a Technical Art Intern at Moonshine Studio which is one of Taiwan’s leading animation companies, I worked with professionals from diverse backgrounds, including 2D/3D animation, motion design, visual effects, post-production for film and TV, interactive media, and technical R&D. While many teams focused on traditional and digital production, I joined a specialized team pioneering Virtual Production at Moonshine XR Studio which is the first studio in Taiwan to adopt this technique.
🖥️ What Is Virtual Production?
Unlike traditional green screen (chroma key) methods, virtual production uses a stage surrounded by LED panels (walls and ceiling) that display real-time rendered 3D environments. These panels can dynamically adjust brightness, lighting direction, and animation, allowing for realistic and interactive lighting that seamlessly integrates with the live-action scene.🎥 Chroma Key vs. Virtual Production
| Aspect | Chroma Key Technique | Virtual Production |
|---|---|---|
| Scene & Lighting Flexibility | Low | High |
| Scene & Lighting Cost | High | Low |
| Actor Integration | Difficult | Seamless |
| Post-Production Cost | High | Low |
🔧 Technical Workflow
First, they used Unreal Engine to build the virtual scenes, which were then projected onto the LED panels in the studio. The real-world camera’s position and movement were tracked and sent to Unreal Engine, enabling real-time rendering that adjusted the background perspective based on camera movement.Actors (or objects) stood in front of the panels under carefully positioned lights, and the camera captured the composite of real and virtual elements directly in-camera. Final touches were added through minimal post-processing, greatly reducing overall production time and costs.
This pipeline significantly lowered the cost of transporting actors and crew, improved scheduling efficiency, and allowed for consistent, controllable production environments.
🏰 Final Work: "Medieval Relics" Poster Series
Our final deliverable was a series of stylized posters themed around “Medieval Relics.” My responsibilities included:• Building and lighting the virtual set in Unreal Engine
• Operating the virtual production system during the shoot
• Managing the visual content displayed on the LED panels
This project gave me valuable hands-on experience at the intersection of technical direction and visual storytelling, and deepened my understanding of how real-time technology can enhance creative workflows in modern filmmaking.
Finding My Path in the Animation Industry
Before this internship, I was uncertain whether I should pursue a more artistic or engineering-focused path in the animation industry. Through this experience, I gained clarity. Working in a virtual production team allowed me to see how I could contribute as a Technical Director—a role that leans more toward the technical side, yet still benefits from artistic sensitivity. It’s a path where I can truly apply both my physics and engineering background as well as my aesthetic sensibilities, and I now feel more confident and motivated to pursue this direction.