A look at the virtual set used in The Mandalorian.

Lead compositor Charmaine Chan chats to Vox about the technology Disney/Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light & Magic calls The Volume – how it works, how it feels, and what it means for the future of film and television production:

One interesting effect of wrap-around LED panels: they double as a light source for the action, creating reflections on actors and surfaces which add to the immersion – and reduce the amount of painstaking keying and relighting in post-production:

In Depth Cine covers How Virtual Studio Sets Are Changing The Way Movies Are Made:

Cleo Abram and Marques Brownlee take a more detailed look at XR screen technology (as well as performance and volumetric capture, and the implications of their increasing accuracy and accessibility):

Unreal Engine

The real-time VFX is powered by Unreal Engine, as they themselves explain:

The Mandalorian

In their own behind-the-scenes video on The Mandalorian, Insider contrasts the process and feeling of virtual set versus green screen:

The Mandalorian director of photography, Barry Baz Idoine, describes shooting inside the show’s virtual set (via Variety):

Try It Yourself

We may not all have access to a giant, immersive cylinder of LED screens – but you may own a projector or LCD TV. Film Riot has some rear projection ideas you can try:

Give filmmakersworld‘s creative TV-backdrop shot a try (via No Film School):

Here's a quick DIY sequence you could pull off at home. (via TikTok user filmmakersworld) pic.twitter.com/DauOchIXEe

— No Film School (@nofilmschool) November 22, 2020

Austen Paul uses his TV to create vibrant backdrops for his commercial videos – here’s a roundup of his tutorials:

Film School: Product Videos with Austen Paul

More on rear projection, its history, and how professional shoots do it, over here:

Film School: Rear Projection