For the 2024 Presidential Election, I designed and programmed a 360-degree virtual set for the coverage. The studio comprised four quadrants, each featuring different graphical elements that could be showcased by rotating the virtual camera 90 degrees at a time. This was a huge undertaking involving many complex moving parts, but the end result was a masterclass in technical artistry and expertise.
Role:
Technical Artist
Industry:
Media Broadcasting
Duration:
26 weeks
Challenges
Size and Scale: The first challenge we faced when designing this virtual set was the sheer scale of it. We wanted to make something that felt grandiose but when the talent was keyed in they felt so small compared to the rest of the set.
Realism and Compositing: Creating an entirely virtual set was a challenge when it came to compositing as well. Since everything was going to be done live we had to make sure that the talent looked as real as possible in there only using the lighting available in our green screen studio. This limited us with the amount and color of lighting that we could use in the virtual set.
Graphics Programming: The hardest and longest part of this set was programming the graphics using Blueprints to be fully parametric and easy for a graphics operator to use live on election night. I spent hours and hours writing code to allow operators to input data and make decisions based on the real-time data we were getting from the decision desk. This was extremely stressful on election night because we had to have a backup plan in case anything went wrong.
My Approach
Brainstorming
Utilizing AI: We initially went to Midjourney to dream up some ideas for what a presidential election virtual set might look like. We experimented with prompts involving the Capitol Building and some of Washington D.C.'s architecture style with marble and columns.
Virtual Reality: When we modeled the first iteration of the space we had to test the scale of it so we imported the set into Gravity Sketch VR to witness first hand what the scale was like. It was super surreal to put on the headset and be in the space that we created and that gave us a good benchmark for how we should adjust the size according to the scale of our talent.
Design and Development
UI/UX Design: Designed a clean and intuitive interface with easy navigation and visually appealing graphics to motivate users.
Feature Implementation: Developed and integrated key features like GPS tracking, workout history, customized training plans, and in-app social sharing.
Backend Development: Built a scalable backend infrastructure to support real-time data synchronization and user analytics.
Testing and Iteration
User Testing: Conducted extensive usability testing with target users to gather feedback and refine the app interface and functionality.
Performance Optimization: Implemented optimizations for speed, reliability, and security to ensure a seamless user experience.
Conclusion
Through strategic planning, meticulous design, and agile development, we successfully delivered a mobile app that not only met but exceeded our client's expectations. The project highlighted our commitment to innovation and user-centric solutions in the competitive mobile app landscape.
