Curiosity’s Wally German on Defying Physics with Virtual Production and More

Nashville-based production company Gear Seven pushes the limits of creativity, technology and possibility - and innovates like it’s nobody's business. Alongside a non-exclusive roster of directors and production capabilities, Gear Seven offers hardware, LED volume studios and virtual production via its sister companies Shift Dynamics and Arc Studios

Gear Seven has teamed up with LBB to speak with agency production leaders about innovations in production technology and how it’s revolutionising commercial production. This series investigates the importance of education in this area for agencies and brands and offers a fun opportunity to nerd out on all things technical, while sharing memories of their most awe-inspiring and unforgettable moments on set.

The latest interview is with Wally German, a photographer, videographer and builder – professionally known as the ‘director of visual engineering’ at Curiosity. Always hungry for new problems to solve and ever-curious to try new things, his work embraces the unknown.

Speaking to LBB’s Ben Conway, Wally discusses the production technologies he’s got his eye on, how his team is organised for social-first shooting, and why it’s a good day in the studio if they defy the laws of physics.

LBB> Throughout your career – what’s been the most exciting or groundbreaking piece of ‘new’ kit or technology that was introduced to you and why?

Wally> When I finally got a camera that shot RAW video files… oh me, oh my! It was ludicrous how much better I was able to grade projects. Nowadays, shooting in RAW and having computers that can handle them without making proxies is the ultimate game-changer for quick-turn client work. About 10 years ago I was working at an underfunded studio shooting stills and video with a Nikon D5. Eventually, I persuaded them to buy a more video-centric camera with our shoestring budget – landing on the capable Nikon Z6. Today, at Curiosity, I work with a Canon R5, R5C, and C300 Miii – giving us some serious firepower. 

LBB> And what are the technologies that you have your eye on now that either are having a big impact on how production is done - or have the potential to change things in a big way?

Wally> The first is a video wall. We are far from ILM’s Void but we’ve been utilising large TVs for small sets as backgrounds. We shoot a lot of our work vertically, so we mounted our TV on a dolly and can use it to capture some of the same magic. Say we need motion, an ocean, or trees blowing in the wind, etc. First, we fire up Getty and pop the stock [footage] into Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve to colour grade. After we scale it to taste, our tabletop scene or actor is essentially ‘on location’. Our secret sauce is wowing our clients with speed and cost-effectiveness. 

Secondly, AI in a video setting. Specifically, when it comes to vertical videos. If you're a DP, and see both broadcast and social deliverables are due, there’s a sinking feeling in your stomach that’s hard to describe. That means somehow you have to frame, light, and set-dress in a way that creates a compelling shot for both horizontal 16x9 and vertical 9x16 – which is not always possible or flattering. I see AI being hugely beneficial for static shot reframing. If you’re shooting and there's no movement on the tops and bottom of the frame, you can scale that horizontally shot image down, instead of in. Export a frame of this with the negative space on the top and bottom. Throw it into PS AI and have it create a top and bottom for the frame. Put it back into Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve and BOOM! A social-formatted video that retains the overall feel without a blurred top and bottom. This, plus the ability to use static shots to hide or replace eye sores that were overlooked or couldn't be removed on set. The possibilities with AI are endless.

LBB> What piece of kit (big or small and mighty) still makes you feel in awe when on set?

Wally> It was bananas seeing a Skypanel 360 in person. You often see them in BTS videos and photos – but when you stand next to one – you can see how big and powerful it is. The other was being on set with a BOLT robot. The agility they have and their ability to repeat movement so precisely (despite being so large) makes me envious of anyone who gets to operate one.

LBB> Can you talk us through one or two of the most exciting recent productions that you’ve been involved in that you think had a really interesting innovation or technological aspect to them?

Wally> One of our recent productions involved rigging a 1970s Mercedes with a Sony Venice [camera] and Rialto extension. While not the most groundbreaking concept at first glance, mounting lights and cameras to the car… the artistry, physics and skill that come with that were so exciting to be a part of. To someone outside the industry, they might think that those systems just clamp on and you're good to go. But, my goodness, that couldn't be further from the truth. They are dealing with a borrowed historic car, cameras that are neither light nor cheap, and lights that require power. On the open(ish) road, those systems need to be secure, robust and ultimately, invisible to the camera's perspective. The teams that were setting up that exoskeleton of tubing were so incredible to watch. 

As someone who runs a small team, we wear many hats. And oftentimes, it’s me gripping and rigging those systems. To see people with years of experience perfecting this specialised skill was so helpful to me in my journey. 

LBB> A similar question but it doesn’t have to be recent - what is the time in your career that you’ve been on set/observing a production and been particularly in awe of what the production team was pulling off? 

Wally> It must have been when we visited TC Shadowlight in what felt like the middle-of-nowhere Pennsylvania. It’s a warehouse full of hundreds of sets – easily 10 acres – all in their own ecosystems within a gridded floor. Faux bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms, bathrooms, and so on. It was all under one roof. The most fun part was seeing the limited perspective of the camera. When you remove your eye from the viewfinder, the chateau in the Alps was held up by dozens of wires from trusses above and the walls were open in the back. You could see the system keeping this illusion alive. 

I have a background in carpentry, so seeing the tricks they employed was fascinating. A large part of my job for over a year involved building bathroom sets in a 15x35 feet studio with full plumbing, framing, and up-to-code electricity. I was so envious of the ability they had to move the equipment around without creating an engineering nightmare.

LBB> Virtual production is growing in popularity in film and TV, what are your thoughts about its potential in the advertising space?

Wally> I am all for virtual production. VP gives us so much flexibility from basic applications like having a brand colour as a background or changing gradients in real-time. In a moment, we can pull up a new location to save time, money and travel. Plus, we have control over the lighting – like the ability to keep the ‘sun’ in one place all day. Whether it's a laptop and a mirror in your home studio or a professional studio with immersive VP, it’s a huge leap in being able to tell better stories on the cheap.

LBB> It can involve quite a different workflow/process - is that something you feel agencies and brands need to educate themselves on or does it lie with the production company? Why?

Wally> It does require a conversation with the client upfront. Depending on how VP will be used, it can be a time saver or a hurdle to get over. I think creative and art directors are getting more exposure to those tools – and while they don't have to know the nuts and bolts of how they work, having a vague idea of what's possible helps them sell ideas. Given that you are more or less freezing time and eliminating gravity when using VP, it can be a huge benefit. If the team running the production side is savvy with their equipment, they can try out things on the fly and work collaboratively with the client and agency. This can be a huge money and time saver when it comes to approval and revisions.

LBB> With so many platforms to produce for, what’s your preference - to maximise assets across platforms, to produce content that’s more tailored to each content,  or some sort of balance? What sort of conversations do you tend to have around this?

Wally> 70% of the content we make is social-first, so vertical 9x16 is close to our hearts. Going into a project, we try to outline the hero shots and work off of that aspect ratio to shoot the remaining content. Cameras that are able to shoot open gate are beneficial to this process because their sensors are closer to square – making reformatting more obtainable. But, most of the time, I'm shooting wide to be safe. We have such great sensor science and clear glass from edge to edge that we have little trouble punching in or sliding the frame around in post.

LBB> Quite often, production involves trying to solve a problem that’s never been attempted before - and that can mean hacking existing technology or trying to find new technologies. When you get a project that has such technological challenges, how do you and your team like to approach them?

Wally> These are my absolute favourite projects. If we can defy the laws of physics, it's a good day in the studio. I try to create an environment where no idea is too crazy. Most days I feel like Doc from ‘Back To The Future’. Running around, hair a mess, sweaty, slightly on fire, and very inspired. I want our creative directors to know that it's possible for them to have a wild idea and then let me figure out how to make it happen. I've done some really cool shoots over the years. And with each one, I'm learning more and more. 

We're not driving cars over bridges like ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’, but we're still having a really good time problem-solving and punching above our weight class.The spirit of our studio is to try new things and bring a growth mindset to everything we do. This has us constantly surprising ourselves, and broadening our capabilities on a daily basis.