Back in 2020, an academic paper discussed the merits of neural radiance fields and their application to various video production, content creation, and other modeling technologies. A couple of years later, content creators of all types started using the NVIDIA Instant NGP tool to craft stunning and consumer-ready visuals. This marked the beginning of Neural Radiance Fields in Content Creation.
The idea was to introduce photorealistic images into all kinds of content, from immersive VR (virtual reality) classrooms to photos generated for a blog article to video games that transport you into new worlds. With this emerging technology, video production and content creation are forever changed.
What is NeRF?
The idea behind neural radiance fields (NeRF) is that anyone using a camera or software can begin to share “3D image captures” of scenes that make them incredibly realistic. For example, those 3D house tours you may take off a new property next to the beach can be transformed using NeRF with so much detail that you can make out the reflection of light and objects in the brand-new refrigerator door. This revolutionary approach comes from incorporating Neural Radiance Fields in Content Creation.
The goal is to make content creation way more intuitive. As you interact with the digital creation, NeRF learns the geography of the background, gives relevance to different objects, and renders them into fantastic novel viewpoints. If anything is missing, it uses AI (artificial intelligence) to fill in the missing gaps in your visual field.
How Does it Work?
There are many ways to use neural radiance fields for content creation, but the basics of the tool are:
- It utilizes a collection of photos or videos of a given subject (human, living space, object, etc.).
- Defines the relative position of each image in relation to one another (there are AI tools that will do this for you).
- Trains a multi-layer perceptron to begin rendering the subject, as well as fill in any gaps of information.
That MLP (multi-layer perceptron) is better known as a neural network. In effect, this is precisely what NeRF networks are. They are the collection of data that can be used to generate new photorealistic visuals (images or video) for whatever you may desire. This demonstrates how Neural Radiance Fields can be essential in Content Creation.
The only catch (as of now) is that once you have created that network, you cannot add more objects as easily as you’d like. Everything is “baked into” the network. So, if you wanted to add a new vase to a room you’re using for a 3D home tour, it won’t suddenly cast a shadow on the rest of the room unless you had it inside the network beforehand.
How is NeRF Changing Content Production?
The most surprising space where NeRF networks are being utilized right now is in content creation, video production, and AR (augmented reality) technologies. Spatial computing and AR are especially benefiting from neural radiance fields because of ML (machine learning) systems integrated into toys like the Apple Vision Pro. Here, you can leverage NeRF to create the world around you in real-time with photorealistic detail. This is a testament to the impact of Neural Radiance Fields in Content Creation.
However, NeRF can be leveraged for other content creation like:
- VFX: Virtual FX and computer graphics, like the latest animations in simulated scenes, can benefit from NeRFs as they capture, render, and project incredible realistic environments.
- Medical: The ability to augment reality through realistic human bodies and surgery simulations gives students and seasoned professionals capabilities never before dreamed of.
- Satellite Imagery: Comprehensive modeling of the earth, specific geographic areas, and even space can be leveraged for future urban planning or exploration (this is especially beneficial for underwater exploration).
- Architects and Engineering: Using NeRFs, these professionals can visualize and iterate complex designs into simplified solutions and ideas that clients will love (including 3D walkthroughs).
There is even an argument that neural radiance fields will allow content creators to share vacation videos of places we have never visited or construct teams of influencers sharing box openings in living rooms that are completely computer-generated but look so realistic you’d never tell the difference, thanks to advancements in Neural Radiance Fields for Content Creation.
How Can NeRFs Benefit Video Production?
Instead of a 3D-generated space that cannot move with active lighting, shade, or shadowing, NeRF can be used alongside AI to build completely original spaces. These unique areas were not copied from other ideas but are original. This is one of the many ways Neural Radiance Fields innovate Content Creation.
A great example is a mirror in a virtual space. Instead of traditional 3D modeling that sees and recognizes a mirror, NeRF scans the unique radiance values of the mirror, changing the light and surface to match what is in the digital environment.
The result is that video production studios can leverage NeRF to craft highly immersive worlds, studio settings, and even objects like upcoming products in ways that will look entirely natural and engage a target audience. With only a few parameters from a collaborative meeting, a video production team could craft content for a complete commercial, embracing the full potential of Neural Radiance Fields in their Creative Content.
Imagine the difference when a video production studio can create a walkthrough with an interactive experience about a new product, having never had to film anything at the manufacturer’s location.
Wrapping Up
This is an exciting new space for content creation and video production, sure to revolutionize the industry. Our team at Leo Pixel Studios in Toronto is watching NeRF closely because we know it can do incredible things for eLearning, commercial video production, and content creation. The applications to AR and VR spaces alone are limitless, especially with the advent of Neural Radiance Fields in Content Creation.
If you are interested in getting in on the ground floor with such technologies and immersive VR spaces, book a consultation with our team today. We can discuss how to approach your project best and maybe introduce the power of NeRF, so your customers have an incredible visual experience.
