TVBEurope talks to the team behind a proof of concept looking at a standardised data pipeline allowing content makers to create 3D animated content quickly and collaboratively
By Jenny Priestley
Published: January 26, 2022 Updated: January 27, 2022
TVBEurope talks to the team behind a proof of concept looking at a standardised data pipeline allowing content makers to create 3D animated content quickly and collaboratively
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>
During its upcoming Production Technology Seminar, the European Broadcasting Union will be revealing more details of its proof of concept around using remote production for real-time animation.
As part of the IBC Accelerators programme, the proof of concept team developed a solution that explores a standardised pipeline that enables users to employ everyday technology such as smartphones and web cams as well as real-time render engines to create 3D animated content quickly and collaboratively.
The project has been led by the EBU's senior project manager Paola Sunna alongside RT motion graphics designer Ultan Courtney. Early last year they came up with the idea of building and designing a low-cost pipeline for computer generated characters, leveraging game engines, AI tools and off the shelf equipment.
We got in touch with other broadcasters, including RAI, YLE, and VRT and told them about the project and what we wanted to try and test, explains Sunna. They came on board and then we submitted a proposal to the IBC Accelerator programme, it was accepted and so we started working with other champions and participants.
Just before the team submitted their PoC, Nvidia launched Omniverse, a scalable, multi-GPU, real time reference development platform for 3D content creation. So we agreed with the other broadcasters to develop two pipelines, continues Sunna, one based on the beta version of Omniverse, and the other based on Unreal Engine. The team at RAI focused mostly on the Omniverse platform, which includes a solution called Machinima that is for cinematics, so animation, manipulation of the CG characters using high-fidelity renders. They also used Audio2Face, which allows you to generate facial animation from just an audio source. You record the audio clip and it's used to animate the face of the CG characters.
data-src=https://www.tvbeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/RADICAL_MOCAP_WEBCAM_IPHONE_v1-726x408.jpg alt= width=445 height=250 data-srcset=https://www.tvbeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/RADICAL_MOCAP_WEBCAM_IPHONE_v1-726x408.jpg 726w, https://www.tvbeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/RADICAL_MOCAP_WEBCAM_IPHONE_v1-353x199.jpg 353w, https://www.tvbeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/RADICAL_MOCAP_WEBCAM_IPHONE_v1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.tvbeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/RADICAL_MOCAP_WEBCAM_IPHONE_v1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://www.tvbeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/RADICAL_MOCAP_WEBCAM_IPHONE_v1-241x136.jpg 241w, https://www.tvbeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/RADICAL_MOCAP_WEBCAM_IPHONE_v1.jpg 1920w data-sizes=(max-width: 445px) 100vw, 445px />The team wanted to decentralise the production pipeline by relying on what audiences had already in their homes or have access to. A lot of our project, believe it or not, involves saying no to potentially better and more expensive technology, states Courtney. By sort of building on the model of almost having a connected series of home offices, we were able to connect all of the artists who were working internationally on the project. Often you're expected to have a kind of generalist skill set when you work with a broadcaster and some of this required some specialist knowledge. *But at the same time, we also needed almost to have access to a few specialists and when we came together we realised we had everything we needed to form a very well educated team.
The focus on collaboration and remote workflow meant the team was spread right across Europe, with 3D modellers in Belgium, an FX artist and vocal performer in Finland, innovators in Italy, and a sound designer in Ireland. One of the team at the EBU set up a live working mechanism for cloud based workflow through a system called Perforce, adds Courtney, RT were directing and doing performances as well and then RAI were testing tools and refining and cleaning motion capture data.
Even though we all had a generalist skill set, each one was able to kind of push it slightly enough towards a specialisation without it turning into a full Hollywood pipeline. It was essentially trying to find a way to create a usable pipeline within the skill sets of broadcasters and also making it as accessible as possible to talent who would be digitally captured and then perform using their voices.
data-src=https://www.tvbeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/AUDIO2FACE__RECORDING_TALENT_v1-726x408.jpg alt= width=461 height=259 data-srcset=https://www.tvbeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/AUDIO2FACE__RECORDING_TALENT_v1-726x408.jpg 726w, https://www.tvbeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/AUDIO2FACE__RECORDING_TALENT_v1-353x199.jpg 353w, https://www.tvbeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/AUDIO2FACE__RECORDING_TALENT_v1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.tvbeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/AUDIO2FACE__RECORDING_TALENT_v1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://www.tvbeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/AUDIO2FACE__RECORDING_TALENT_v1-241x136.jpg 241w, https://www.tvbeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/AUDIO2FACE__RECORDING_TALENT_v1.jpg 1920w data-sizes=(max-width: 461px) 100vw, 461px />Once recorded, the voices were entered into a solution called Audio2Face which was employed in the Omniverse pipeline. We were able to take in people's voice data, it would animate the face and then we were also able to use a participating company called Resepeec
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
12/05/2026
Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...
12/05/2026
CVP, one of Europe's leading suppliers of professional video and broadcast solutions, has appointed Randy Koeman as Sales Manager, Netherlands, marking anot...
12/05/2026
Taiwan Television has expanded its HD content ingest workflow capabilities by investing in the PlayBox Neo Suite - a leading multi-channel multi-server UHD/HD/S...
12/05/2026
Jigsaw24 is strengthening its media team with the appointment of Tom Laker as Client Director and Ashish Chauhan as Project Manager. These strategic hires bring...
12/05/2026
Broadcast playout leader showcases hybrid IP infrastructure and workflow automation with Videoland deployment as regional benchmark...
12/05/2026
dzjinius, the all-in-one production management platform for the media and entertainment industry, will showcase its centralised approach to production workflows...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
NUGEN Audio will debut Version 1.1 of DialogCheck, its intelligent dialog intelligibility and compliance tool, at the 2026 Media Production & Technology Show (S...
12/05/2026
The reactive visuals can adapt to any stage or screen setup and comprise 50 layers of Notch content
Today, Disguise announced that its high performance GX 3 m...
12/05/2026
Snapgrid , Snapbag & Airglow Expand Creative Control for the ARRI Modular LED BarFollowing the launch of the ARRI Omnibar, DoPchoice introduces a dedicated li...
12/05/2026
May 12th, 2026 Press Materials Available Here
TRIBECA FESTIVAL UNVEILS 2026 GAMES PROGRAM
Tribeca Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary With World Premieres and Pl...
12/05/2026
May 12th, 2026 Press Materials Available Here
MADONNA BRINGS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF CONFESSIONS II TO 2026 TRIBECA FESTIVAL
The Global Icon Will Unveil a Cine...
12/05/2026
Customer demand for data continues to grow in the first quarter of 2026 at Magya...
TVBEurope talks to the team behind a proof of concept looking at a standardised data pipeline allowing content makers to create 3D animated content quickly and collaboratively
