The Entertainment Technology Center@USC has released the fourth and final installment of its case study, “Fathead: Virtual Production & Beyond.” Chapter 4 of the four-part white paper is titled “Key Contributors: Process Pipelines,” which summarizes key findings of the production and recommended best practices moving forward. “Fathead” — directed by c. Craig Patterson and produced by Erik Weaver, ETC’s director of adaptive production — was shot at Amazon Stage 15 in Culver City as an experiment in virtual production, in-camera VFX and collaborative, cloud-based workflows.

The project was co-produced by AWS, Amazon Studios with partners including Arch Platform Technologies, ARRI, Blackmagic, Epic Games, Perforce, Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. Chapter 4 of the white paper features compelling interviews with crew members and industry thought leaders who participated in the project.

The paper offers critical insights from key contributors who discuss their experiences in what was a collective journey in a new era of storytelling, transcending the traditional filmmaking boundaries.

The following are links to all the chapters:
Chapter 1: Cloud Computing: Growth Without Bounds
Chapter 2: Sound Mitigation: Performance Matters
Chapter 3: The State of the Industry: Beyond Trends
Chapter 4: Key Contributors: Process Pipelines

“Fathead” was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Short Film (Live Action), took home the Cannes Film Festival Best Student Short Award after premiering in the Emerging Filmmaker Showcase, and was a finalist for the American Black Film Festival’s HBO Short Film Award. The action/fantasy film’s trailer is available on Vimeo.

The white paper was written by producer Tom Thudiyanplackal, with graphic design by Yeji Seo and editorial assistance from Rob Scott.

Related:
ETC’s ‘Fathead’ Receives Honors at the Cannes Film Festival, ETCentric, 5/24/23
USC Student Films Win at Cannes, USC School of Cinematic Arts, 5/23/23
‘Fathead:’ Virtual Production (Almost) Completely in the Cloud, NAB Amplify, 2/20/23
Panelists Evaluate Challenges, Benefits of Virtual Production, ETCentric, 2/6/23
ETC Short Film ‘Fathead’ Is Nominee for NAACP Image Award, ETCentric, 1/20/23
‘Fathead’ Case Study: HPA Analyzes Color Grading in Cloud, ETCentric, 6/21/22
‘Fathead’ Team Explores Virtual Production During NAB Panel, ETCentric, 5/26/22
ETC Pushes Boundaries of Virtual Production with ‘Fathead’, ETCentric, 3/2/22