Sony introduces Sony Pictures' new advanced visualization facility, Torchlight in "Beyond The Screen: Torchlight's Space for Creativity" brand campaign*

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Feb 01, 2024, 11:17 ET

Announced at Sony's press conference at CES® 2024, Torchlight is a new groundbreaking advanced visualization facility located at Sony Pictures that utilizes proprietary technology from Sony Group companies in collaboration with Epic Games' Unreal Engine and virtual cameras. Sony technologies such as the digital cinema VENICE camera, and mocopi™ mobile motion capture system have been incorporated into the workflow at Torchlight to allow creators to see their vision unfold in real-time. Sony's brand series goes "Beyond The Screen" with Torchlight.
Sony's purpose is to "fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology." Through the Beyond The Screen brand series, Sony showcases its projects* at the intersection of Creativity and Technology, highlighting the professional creators who make the entertainment that astounds audiences and the innovative tools and technological solutions used to make their visions come to life.
Sony's "Beyond The Screen" series began with highlighting the creators and technological innovation behind the critically acclaimed and Oscar nominated film "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse." This brand series was released in August 2023.

TOKYO, Feb. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Group Corporation (hereinafter, "Sony") will be launching a new brand campaign on January 31, 2024, titled "Beyond The Screen: Torchlight's Space for Creativity" with the launch of brand website, and interviews and behind-the-scenes content on YouTube and social media. As part of Sony's mission to "become a brand chosen by creators," Torchlight offers a space for filmmakers and creators to play with their ideas and find new ways to tell stories using its state-of-the-art advanced visualization facility and workflow. Located at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California, Torchlight uses the latest proprietary technologies from Sony group companies in partnership with Epic Games' Unreal Engine, the world's most open and advanced real-time 3D tool, that assist the pre-production process. At Torchlight, filmmakers are free to map out the location and progression of their story and explore new possibilities all in a virtual setting. This advanced visualization process allows for even more room for brainstorming, trial-and-error, and finding new expressions that filmmakers can take with them when they create their next work.

Sony’s “Beyond The Screen” brand series with Torchlight

The Torchlight team consists of creators of different disciplines who assist and advise filmmakers in their creative exploration. One of the major ways the Torchlight team collaborates with creators is by constructing a real-life scale of the virtual setting of their idea and using camera rigs to walk through those worlds in real-time.

The content includes video interviews of members of the Torchlight team as well as producer, director, and writer Jake Kasdan talking about the significance of Torchlight in supporting creative exploration, as well as behind-the-scenes images of Torchlight at work. Footage includes scenes of Kasdan and the Torchlight team using the facility, PlayStation Studio's motion capture studio, and using mocopi™ motion capture system and other tools in various experimental/proof-of-concept projects to demonstrate Torchlight's capabilities.

This content* will be released as a series of videos and static images on a dedicated website, Sony's official YouTube channel from January 31st. Sony will gradually release short videos and images on its official social channels Instagram, Threads, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

*All projects and content featured in this brand campaign are strictly proof-of-concept's and will not be officially released.

"Beyond The Screen: Torchlight's Space for Creativity" features the following individuals (not in order of appearance)

Jake Kasdan – Producer, Director, Writer
Alex Locasale – SVP, Visualization, Torchlight
Alex Cannon – Visualization Creative Director, Torchlight
Andy Davis – President, Production Administration, Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Devon Mathis – VAD Lighting Supervisor
Rey Jarrell – Pipeline Technical Director
Kat Harris – Virtual Production Supervisor
Christina Douk – Realtime Asset Supervisor

LINKS

Beyond The Screen: Torchlight
Official website: https://www.sony.com/en/brand/beyondthescreen/torchlight

Key Videos to link to article
Beyond The Screen: Torchlight's Space for Creativity | Sony Official
Beyond The Screen: Pushing Your Creative Limits at Torchlight | Sony Official

Sony Group Official Social Media Channels
Sony Group-Global YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Sony/featured
Sony Group Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonygroup.global/
Sony Group Threads: https://www.threads.net/@sonygroup.global
Sony Group Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SonyGroup.Global
Sony Group X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/sonygroupglobal
Sony Group LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sony/

Other References:
SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT LAUNCHES NEW FACILITY 'TORCHLIGHT' TO GENERATE GROUNDBREAKING ADVANCED VISUALIZATION FOR FILMS

Sony Exhibits at CES® 2024
Showcasing its diverse initiatives and technologies that empower creators to turn their creative sparks into stories

Sony Group CES 2024 Website: Realizing the Filmmakers' Vision

The first iteration of Sony's Beyond The Screen series "Beyond The Screen: the Creators Behind the Spider-Verse" was released in August 2023.
https://www.sony.com/en/brand/beyondthescreen/acrossthespiderverse/

SOURCE Sony Group Corporation