Torchlight, a new groundbreaking advanced visualization facility established by Sony Pictures Entertainment, debuted at CES® 2024, the world's largest technology trade show held in Las Vegas this January. Dubbed the "idea factory" and "creator's playground" by project members, the facility allows filmmakers to explore, play, and develop their vision within a virtual environment utilizing the latest advanced technologies, and efficiently check how the sequence will look in real-time at the "pre-production" stage - before content goes into production. Featuring a video from the brand campaign* which launches today, this article provides an overview of Torchlight, which brings together Sony Group's diverse technologies and visual content production expertise.

Click here to view the video with an audio description.

Virtual locations where creators can experiment before shooting

In striving to become "the brand chosen by creators around the world", Sony has placed a high priority on getting closer to people, including creators, and being on the side of "creation". At CES® 2024, Chairman and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida cited "real-time creation" as an important way to make the most of creators' time and to facilitate collaboration, highlighting Torchlight as one of Sony's solutions for that purpose.

Torchlight is located at Sony Pictures Entertainment in Culver City, California. The facility is equipped with the latest proprietary technology from Sony Group companies in collaboration with Unreal Engine, the world's most open and advanced real-time 3D tool from Epic Games, in which Sony Group Corporation invested. At Torchlight, filmmakers have the ability to create scenes in a virtual environment using Unreal Engine and virtual cameras, including the Virtual Production Tool Set, which seamlessly links virtual environments with on-set production using "VENICE," Sony's flagship digital cinema camera which has been used in more than 500 productions and feature films. Torchlight also uses the mobile motion capture system mocopi™, which enables full-body motion tracking with its six small and lightweight sensors and a dedicated smartphone app, to simulate characters' movements in a virtual setting.

Bring real-time creation to the pre-production stage

Traditionally, the pre-production stage can be a very slow process. Torchlight's Visualization Creative Director Alex Cannon, explains, "At Torchlight, filmmakers come in and find new ideas instantaneously using performance capture, virtual cameras, photogrammetry tools, all of the latest pre-production technologies with their own hands." Torchlight was built to allow creators to have any storytelling environment that they can imagine, hold the tools themselves, and in real-time watch their vision come to life. When creators leave the space, they can have their whole sequence figured out.

Sony will continue to get closer to and support creators through Torchlight, which is an example of Sony's focus on "real-time creation".

More information about Torchlight can be viewed on Sony's website "Beyond the Screen: Torchlight's Space for Creativity", as well as on Sony's official YouTube and social media channels. The website features behind-the-scenes content from ongoing Torchlight projects at the facility and interviews with Torchlight team members and Producer, Director, Writer Jake Kasdan.