Pathway makes groundbreaking 65mm film on virtual stage

Cinematographer Paul Mortlock on set

In what it claims is a world first, Manchester VR production studio Pathway has brought together 30 years of media production technology to shoot 65mm celluloid film on a virtual production stage.

Since its December launch, Pathway has hosted talent such as Jason Derulo and filmed for end clients Mclaren, BBC Three and NBC.

Virtual Production for filmmaking uses large LED panel walls as a replacement for green screen backgrounds to place actors in visual effects heavy scenes.

The technology has been popularised by big budget productions such as The Batman (2022) and TV show The Mandalorian, and the 65mm film format is favoured by celebrity filmmakers including Christoper Nolan, while the format is also often used to shoot James Bond films.

“We wanted to see if shooting an LED wall on 65mm could give virtual production filmmaking more character and presence,” said Nathan Newman, co-founder of Pathway.

The blending of analogue and digital production methods for virtual production was made possible through a collaboration with Kodak, Panavision and ARRI Rental’s Manchester teams.

The film is based on the novel Questus by Shawn Williamson and features character Angus MacWilliam, played by Graham Gardner, who wields a stone sword as he slowly advances through dense Scottish gorse bushes on the edge of Loch Eriboll.

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VP on 65mm Film


VP On 65mm Film was shot by North West-based cinematographer Paul Mortlock GBCT and directed by James Slater. The 65mm camera was created by German manufacturer ARRI in 1986 by Otto Blaschek and is known for its use on feature films such as Gravity (2013) and Tenet (2020).

The virtual production scene was built using the real-time video game software Unreal Engine 5 which gave the filmmakers a high degree of control over lighting and composition of the shot.

“This project was a case of two firsts for me – shooting on a virtual production set and on 65mm. I felt privileged to experience firsthand the possibilities this could offer,” said VP on 65mm Film director James Slater., who is known for his music video work with singer-songwriter Sam Fender, singer Jamie T and recently achieved a Vimeo staff pick for documentary Look For The Diamonds.

Newman added: “It’s not every day that you get to work with such a rare and prestigious camera and we were delighted to onboard such helpful collaborators.”

The VP studio had a narrow window of just 10 days to make the test happen: “When we told our would-be collaborators about our plans they didn’t ask ‘why?’ they asked ‘what do you need?’ We couldn’t have made this happen without their kind support and a shared vision to pursue innovation.”

Pathway has also released a BTS film documenting the creation of VP on 65mm Film.


Behind the Scenes of VP on 65mm Film

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