Westworld Season 4:
Real-time Environment Buildout

Overview

Brand
HBO

Technology
Virtual Production

Platform
Television

Industry
TV/Film

Release Date
2023

Introduction

We built a virtual environment for use in an LED volume while shooting parts of Westworld Season 4 Episodes 7 & 8. We worked closely with the Westworld Art Department to build a Times Square environment set 30 years in the future.

“This show is incredible because not only is it centered around robots, but the technologies we use are so futuristic. Today we’re surrounded by cameras and TV screens that make up an entire world which they have turned into Times Square.”

- Evan Rachel Wood, Christina, Westworld

The brief

We were asked to build a virtual environment for use in an LED volume while shooting parts of Westworld Season 4.

Our main objective was to create a virtual environment buildout that served as a seamless digital extension of the physical set built within the LED volume.

Part of that challenge was to ensure the digital set matched the color of the physical set pieces as they transitioned from physical to virtual. That included the colors and materials of the tiled walkway, concrete planters, and foliage inside the planters.

The solution

We worked closely with the Westworld Art Department to build a Times Square environment set 30 years in the future.

We were presented with a piece of concept art by the client: their vision of future Times Square as it is depicted in Episode 7 and 8. 7th Ave, Broadway. We started out using a model of Times Square, along with all the immediate buildings and evaluated what aspect of the model we needed to keep, what to modify, and what to delete.

This environment was created and displayed in Unreal Engine 4, and took advantage of the immersive nature of LED volumes to provide 360° imagery and interactive lighting on the actors inside the space.

The environment consisted of various iconic Times Square building facades and recognizable pedestrian plazas, all of which provided the actors points of reference they could react to.