{"id":185544,"date":"2025-12-10T21:56:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T21:56:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/185544\/"},"modified":"2025-12-10T21:56:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T21:56:17","slug":"i-transformed-my-home-studio-into-a-sci-fi-universe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/185544\/","title":{"rendered":"‘I transformed my home studio into a sci-fi universe’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Independent filmmakers have a knack for creating compelling content with a minimal budget. But, up until recently, very few productions were on par with those of major studios. Thanks to the easy access to 3D software<\/a> like Unreal Engine<\/a>, DaVinci Resolve, and Blender (along with numerous add-ons created by talented developers), we\u2019re seeing some remarkably impressive projects emerge from those on a limited budget.<\/p>\n

YouTuber Joshua M Kerr<\/a> sets out to explore these tools. As a virtual production content creator, he\u2019s no stranger to the industry and the tech it has to offer. But his core passion is exploring indie filmmaking and testing how far accessible technology can go in creating cinematic results.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Studio\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Joshua M Kerr)<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve managed to make some high-quality content using free or very affordable software,\u201d says Josh. \u201cBut light-matching your actors to the virtual environment can be very complex, especially in a small home studio. Traditionally, it requires the same light setup during the shoot as it does in the virtual environment. It\u2019s time-consuming and not very friendly to the inexperienced.\u201d<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

That changed when he was introduced to AI-powered relighting technology, which enabled him to change lighting in post-production. Challenged to create a short sequence in under 24 hours, Josh set out to see how it could help transform the look and mood of a scene, without the need for additional kit or a fixed lighting design before shooting.<\/p>\n

Planning and production<\/p>\n

\n

\"Studio\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Joshua M Kerr)<\/p>\n

Much of Josh\u2019s content revolves around showcasing accessible tools and software. Because of this, he opted to film his scenes entirely outside without a rental location or professional studio, using just a camera and LiDAR tracker on his iPhone.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo really show how far you can go with free or low-cost tech, I went for a sci-fi theme,\u201d Josh explains. \u201cThe short was planned to be set in multiple locations to highlight just how much you can achieve using modern filmmaking tools. It was a showcase of what can be done.\u201d<\/p>\n

To make post-production more efficient, he chose to shoot in overcast weather conditions (easy in the UK), ensuring flat, even lighting that would be easier to relight later. This provided a clean baseline for integration with virtual backgrounds, enabling seamless compositing in Unreal Engine and similar environments.<\/p>\n

Daily design news, reviews, how-tos and more, as picked by the editors.<\/p>\n

Blending worlds in post<\/p>\n

\n

\"Studio\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Joshua M Kerr)<\/p>\n

The next stage was integrating the right backdrops to bring his sci-fi world to life. Before the shoot and using Epic\u2019s marketplace, Josh found a selection of free or low-cost pre-built environments, from high-tech laboratories to ruined castles and sprawling futuristic cityscapes. These assets provided a strong foundation for building scenes quickly without the need for a large art department or extensive 3D modelling experience.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Studio\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Joshua M Kerr)<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to AI in production, most tools can feel unpredictable,\u201d he says. \u201cYou can\u2019t always control the output, which made me sceptical. But using Beeble<\/a> was different \u2013 the AI automated the more technical parts like rotoscoping, and gave me creative control over the final lighting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\"Studio\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Joshua M Kerr)<\/p>\n

The main focus of Josh\u2019s video, and the part that influenced the lighting the most, was a blue orb that Josh had to catch and transport him to different locations.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

\u201cThe orb was an animated and glowing CGI object which illuminated the 3D environment,\u201d continues Josh. \u201cBut the real beauty of this was that simply by placing my footage processed with Beeble into the 3D scene, it reacted perfectly with the lighting. It looked like my footage was perfectly integrated into the scene.\u201d<\/p>\n

The future of independent VFX<\/p>\n

\n

\"Studio\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Joshua M Kerr)<\/p>\n

The finished video was crisp, imaginative, and a great example of how accessible independent filmmaking has become.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is what I wanted to show people,\u201d says Josh. \u201cHigh-quality production doesn\u2019t have to happen in a major studio. It can come together in a garage, a bedroom, or out in a park. With the right tools and a bit of resourcefulness, independent creators can produce work with real cinematic polish that plays beautifully on YouTube<\/a> and small screens.\u201d<\/p>\n

As more independent artists adopt AI-driven and real-time tools, the line between professional and home production continues to blur. Communities of filmmakers are sharing workflows, techniques, and assets that once lived only in high-end studios, fuelling a new wave of creators who blend traditional craft with cutting-edge tech to make engaging work where audiences consume it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Independent filmmakers have a knack for creating compelling content with a minimal budget. But, up until recently, very…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":185545,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[307,304,305,306,308,93,61,60],"class_list":{"0":"post-185544","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-artsanddesign","11":"tag-artsdesign","12":"tag-design","13":"tag-entertainment","14":"tag-ie","15":"tag-ireland"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185544","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=185544"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185544\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/185545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=185544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=185544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=185544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}