Joueur du Grenier, a popular YouTube channel founded in 2009, has integrated Blackmagic Design’s URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 digital film camera and DeckLink 8K Pro capture and playback cards into its workflow to create virtual sets using Epic’s Unreal Engine. The channel, which boasts more than five million subscribers across Joueur du Grenier and Bazar du Grenier, recently completed a series of upgrades aimed at modernizing their production processes.
New Technology Enhances Production Workflow
Central to the upgrade project was the need to improve the production workflow while maintaining manageability. The team chose Blackmagic Design products for their comprehensive solution from image capture to post-production. This shift marked a significant improvement over their previous DSLR camera setup.
Improved Capture and Post-Production
The URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2, combined with the Blackmagic Video Assist 7” 12G HDR, allows the team to monitor exposure using false color, reducing unexpected issues in post-production. According to video technician Nicolas Sénac, “We now have far more confidence in what we capture.”
Unreal Engine Integration
The adoption of virtual production techniques and Unreal Engine opened up numerous possibilities for the channel. The team films scenes directly into a PC using the DeckLink 8K Pro card, feeding live video streams into Unreal Engine. This setup enables real-time camera movement tracking and the combination of live studio and 3D elements.
Efficiency Gains
The use of Unreal Engine has dramatically reduced rendering times and eliminated the need for physical sets. VFX and post-production technician Jordane Bélot explains, “With an unlimited polygon budget and realistic lighting capabilities, we can achieve photorealistic results in a fraction of the time.”
Post-Production Advancements
The production team also benefits from DaVinci Resolve Studio for compositing passes and color correction. Director Karim Debbache notes that “the speed of dailies management in Resolve and the availability of Fusion as an integrated compositing solution save us a significant amount of time.”
Positive Feedback
The improvements to their studios and the enhanced quality of output have garnered positive feedback from viewers. Co-founder Molas concludes, “We’ve been able to raise our standards and push boundaries with new formats using these latest techniques.”
Joueur du Grenier will be showcasing its upgraded setup at an upcoming trade show, providing industry professionals with a glimpse into the future of virtual production.