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...
07/05/2026
Journalists reporting on Sudan are working in one of the most complex and fast-m...
07/05/2026
Multi-year partnership positions Victory+ as a free home for Dallas Cowboys orig...
07/05/2026
From sideline reporting to directing and producing, the talented sophomore is building a well-rounded foundation for a career in live sports production
In the ...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital has received two Future Best of Show awards at NAB Show 2026. The COBALT blueCORE platform was recognized by TV Tech, and the COBALT PACIFIC ULL-...
07/05/2026
ESPN analyst Mina Kimes will host the televised semifinals and finals of the 202...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI, the global film streaming platform, has selected Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner. Bitmovin's encoding infrastru...
07/05/2026
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and the U.S. Soccer Federation have announced...
07/05/2026
Angel City Football Club (ACFC) and Victory have announced a regional broadcast partnership bringing live match coverage to fans across the greater Los Angeles...
07/05/2026
Spiideo has announced the launch of AI Highlights inside Spiideo Play, its automated sports production platform. AI Highlights combines video, event data, audio...
07/05/2026
Leostream Corporation has announced a unified remote access ecosystem for high-p...
07/05/2026
The Atlanta Dream has partnered with Victory to stream all locally broadcast Dream games for free, expanding the team's digital distribution strategy and g...
07/05/2026
Riedel Communications has announced the appointment of Marc Engroff as Chief Fin...
07/05/2026
SES and ARD, Germany's largest public broadcasting network, have announced a long-term extension of their satellite distribution partnership through 2039. U...
07/05/2026
UpLight Technologies delivers a flexible video and lighting system for a new televised sportLaunching the Pro Cheer League required more than creating a compell...
07/05/2026
Full Day Productions and GSE Worldwide have announced Spikes Under the Lights, a...
07/05/2026
Seit dem Start im Jahr 2023 hat DJ (Beta) das personalisierte H rerlebnis von 94...
07/05/2026
Da quando stata presentata nel 2023, DJ (beta) ha aiutato a definire un'esperienza d'ascolto pi personalizzata per 94 milioni di utenti Spotify Premi...
07/05/2026
Since launching in 2023, DJ (beta) has helped shape a more personalized listenin...
07/05/2026
Desde o lan amento em 2023, o DJ (beta) j ajudou a deixar a experi ncia de ouvi...
07/05/2026
From our earliest days, Spotify has been built on a simple principle: Great audio should be easy to reach. It's what's driven us to expand from music to...
07/05/2026
Asian and Pacific Islander artists continue to shape the global soundscape, pushing creative boundaries and connecting with fans worldwide. This Asian & Pacific...
07/05/2026
Company announce long-requested choir instrument
In the latest expansion of their Symphonic Elements series, UJAM have introduced an all-new vocal instrumen...
07/05/2026
Modular-inspired sound generation with digital control
Buchla have introduced Ziggy, a new compact synthesizer built around the company's complex oscill...
07/05/2026
Combines analogue voices with digital synthesis and sequencing
Polyend have announced Drums, a new hybrid analogue and digital drum machine that combines sy...
07/05/2026
Control surface now officially supports four DAWs
When Nektar launched the Panorama CS12 control surface, it worked exclusively with Apple's Logic Pro, ...
07/05/2026
In the first quarter 2026, SGL Carbon generated consolidated sales of 184.5 million, which was 49.8 million, or 21.3%, lower than in the prior year (Q1 2025: ...
07/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and Greenerwave achieve precise and fast ESA antenna characteriz...
07/05/2026
Two multi-role L3Harris products - the Red Wolf launched effects vehicle and SK...
07/05/2026
L3Harris will be developing key features of a secure and resilient digital infra...
07/05/2026
Alysa Liu and Shohei Ohtani Help Drive Viewership as 91 of the Top 100 Broadcast...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital Wins Two Future Best of Show Awards at 2026 NAB Show
Manufacturer Recognized by TV Tech and TVBEurope for Innovation in signal processing
Cobal...
07/05/2026
Software and hardware platforms, AI power and user-friendliness on show...
07/05/2026
Intinor will demonstrate its latest technical enhancements for the Direkt series at BroadcastAsia 2026. With a continued focus on reliable contribution and remo...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI has chosen Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner, replacing MUBI's legacy on premises encoding setup to improve scalab...
07/05/2026
Meet Graduates from Berklees Class of 2026 Members of this years graduating class reflect on their proudest moments at Berklee and look ahead to whats next.
...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
At BroadcastAsia 2026, Interra Systems will demonstrate its latest innovations in automated quality control (QC), real-time monitoring, and captioning. The comp...
07/05/2026
At this year's Broadcast Asia, PlayBox Neo is set to unveil recent innovations across its PlayBox Neo Suite and integrated range of broadcast media solution...
07/05/2026
Strategic three-year partnership marks delivery phase of BFBS' next-generation media vision
Media organisation and military charity BFBS (British Forces Br...
07/05/2026
Amagi, the agentic industry cloud platform for unified broadcast, streaming, and monetization, today announced the availability of its In-Content Ads offering v...
07/05/2026
Lightware Visual Engineering has developed Rack Taurus for rack-based environments such as education and corporate training spaces. It enables clean and simple ...
07/05/2026
Jigsaw24, the UK's leading media equipment supplier and systems integrator, will showcase its expanded end-to-end workflow capabilities at MPTS 2026, signal...
07/05/2026
Ease Live, an Evertz company, today announced that it has been granted a US Patent for its proprietary graphical overlay technology, the foundation for interact...
07/05/2026
Test & measurement innovator Leader Electronics of Europe will present an extensive range of Leader, PHABRIX and LeaderPhabrix test and measurement solutions at...
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
