Almost exactly four years ago we witnessed one of the greatest upheavals of our lifetimes (“so far” as Homer Simpson would add): the lockdown. The first few days were a continuous rush to readjust all activities to the new situation. Here on techgameworld.com we received continuous messages requests about webcams to takeon laptops, on how to adapt the Internet network, on the best videoconferencing systems… And it was precisely in that very excited phase that one of the most important projects that today live in NABA – New Academy of Fine Arts: an extraordinary laboratory of Virtual Production (and not only).
Virtual Production at NABA is an idea that started simple and then grew bigger and bigger
In a certain sense it was precisely that very convulsive period give the inspiration to create this reality as it is today. They were needed new solutions, new spaces, which would allow the young students of the Academy to continue with their lessons, to develop their own projects, and possibly even to collaborate with each other. The opportunity arose to develop an environment in extended reality cutting edge.
It was clearly not an immediate process. Like all the best things it took time (and, as we will see, the road is not yet finished) with small but significant increases in the possibilities offered to students ofArea Media Design and New Technologies of the Academy.
It really seems like yesterday when we met the Media Laboratory Manager Emanuele Lomello, one of the people who contributed the most to this project. At the time we were in NABA precisely to discover the Virtual Set, which was one of the first steps in the development of the current Virtual Production environment.
Today, in fact, something truly impressive was born from that initial inspiration. It’s an environment that really offers the opportunity to test yourself with extended reality from many different perspectives. Students can actively “get their hands dirty” with cutting-edge technologies, both from a software and hardware point of view. Products that are literally the envy of professional productions who could welcome them after their studies.
It is therefore a unique opportunity, always studied with the idea of offering richer and more complete access to those who want to undertake this path. Lomello, who guided us once again on this visit, told in detail, for example, how much effort he put into finding systems that above all allowed the collaboration between students. A way to make their experience even more in-depth.
A development that comes as the closure of a journey
Our visit to the Virtual Production environments of NABA – Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti took place in a special occasion. In fact, this week the so-called dissemination of results obtained during an important project last year.
His name is ARS Augmented Reality multi-user virtual spaces / The Virtual Production and the Future of Learning and was developed in collaboration with the SAE Institute Belgrade. This is an initiative started in March 2022 and supported by the tender Erasmus+which worked precisely to find new forms of remote collaboration.
In this sense therefore NABA has worked, exploring the concept of Virtual Production in depth. The idea of hybridizing digital concepts and physical elements, of crossing different experiences, of creating collaborative tools even remotely, preventing possible obstacles that are not only technical but operational, is important to explore further, even in the (hopefully remote) eventuality that become necessary again for activities.
However, the very idea of developing and taking part in this project is a testimony to how cutting-edge this Academy is. Not only from a technical point of view, but also from an approach point of view. The footprint is that of learning by doing, to put students in the best position to actually experience what they might encounter future, keeping our gaze not only on the manuals, but outwards. Which in fact already the project with Fortnite this autumn has demonstrated.
And the future is an integral part of NABA’s Virtual Production spaces
Yes, what we saw on our campus visit a few days ago definitely marked a arrival point. A call that ends successfully, with sparkling results and many new educational and operational tools that students can now explore. But the journey certainly doesn’t end here, On the contrary. The ambitions are even broader and more fascinating.
One of the most evident things, speaking with those who took care of and contributed to this project at every level, is the very strong passion which he infused. You can really sense the continuous drive to try to create something more, which offers further opportunities, which can overcome any challenge, which goes beyond simply sitting on an excellent result. And indeed, always with the future in your perspective.
This was certified by the presentation of NABA’s current Virtual Production environment. An impassioned speech, full of details on how every single aspect has been selected and developed, but above all very rich in previews of the future. On how every corner of this project can next updateon the ongoing discussions to continually implement new tools.
And like this offer more and more unique opportunities to the students who populate NABA campuses day after day. If you want to discover them too, we refer you to the official website of the Academy.
