Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story is a production that pushed the boundaries of real-time virtual production by integrating Gaussian Splat (3DGS) environments into an LED volume workflow, led by the team at Megascapes. Airing on Paramount and distributed via Prime Video and Apple TV, the project explored how emerging volumetric capture techniques could unlock high-end locations without the traditional constraints of on-location shooting.
Megascape’s primary goal for this project was to provide volumetric backgrounds for real-time display within an LED volume environment. This required translating captured 3D Gaussian Splat data into a format that could perform reliably and convincingly in-camera.
At the time of production, Gaussian Splats were still newly adapted for LED volume workflows, presenting both technical and creative challenges. The key issue was ensuring that 3DGS assets could run efficiently on the LED wall while maintaining visual fidelity and real-time performance.
Volinga played a critical role in bridging this gap. The team:
This collaboration was essential in making the technology viable for production use.
Several aspects of Volinga’s technology proved especially valuable:
While FPS performance presented some challenges, Volinga’s support ensured the assets remained usable and production-ready.
The project stood out for its ambitious capture strategy, including:
These environments were digitized with sufficient fidelity to be used convincingly in a virtual production setting.
Gaussian Splats delivered significant production value by:
This approach dramatically reduced logistical complexity while maintaining a high-end visual result.
The defining moment of the project was seeing the 3DGS environments come to life on the LED volume, captured through the camera lens and lit alongside live performers. This validated the potential of Gaussian Splats as a practical and powerful tool for virtual production.
Hate the Player represents an early but significant step in integrating Gaussian Splat technology into real-time production workflows. With Volinga’s support, the team successfully demonstrated how volumetric capture can unlock new creative possibilities, reduce costs, and expand access to otherwise unattainable locations, all within a controlled studio environment.
3DGS background displayed at 0:16s
Credits
Title: Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story
Production Team: Megascapes
New Metric Media – Max Wolfond
Darkslope Studios – Justin Cathcart