Horne installs LED wall with 3D effects

Taylor University has recently enhanced the Horne Academic Center by installing an additional wall, adding a new dimension to the facility. Down the hall, a large sound stage, originally designed for film productions, now offers students the chance to capture the virtual world on film.

The newly optimized LED wall creates a background that appears three-dimensional (3D) to a camera, explained John Bruner, a professor of film and media arts. As the camera moves, viewers can see deeper into the visuals on the screen.

The supplies for the wall arrived on campus on August 26, during the first week of classes, and a team from Vu Studios installed and programmed it. The structure consists of panels made up of smaller modules, noted Joshua Taylor, a media engineer and adjunct professor of post-production.

On August 29 and 30, Envision student workers received training from three Vu staff members. They learned to purchase pre-made environments, load them onto the LED wall, and manipulate the graphics, shared Elise Masters, a senior film and media arts major and student secretary for Bruner.

This was Masters’ first hands-on experience with this 3D technology. Despite some challenging terminology, she was impressed by the realistic visuals. “It seems like it would take years of learning to use it,” she said. “But at least for the very most basic features, it’s actually super intuitive to learn.”

On the first day, students scanned a QR code to select backgrounds for the wall and set up a miniature film set and cameras to learn about lighting. The Vu team spent the second day guiding students through using Unreal Engine with camera trackers.

LED volumes have proven effective for virtual production because 3D images can emit light onto a scene, helping actors interact more naturally with their surroundings and making performances more believable. Bruner emphasized the importance of proper lighting and camera tracking for the set.