Your FirstStage for Filmmaking
A pioneering and flexible approach to film pre-production
FirstStage is an accessible, VR-based, collaborative virtual pre-production studio, that enables anyone to simply create, test and develop production plans.
Pre-production tools that both lower production risk and cost, and raise quality
Give your team limitless time to remotely collaborate on a virtual set, quickly and effectively exploring filmic ideas, to fully exploit production opportunities. Its great fun too!
Why FirstStage for previs?
Affordable
previsualisation
No longer the preserve of large studios and the highly technical, fully utilise pre-production to explore ideas and deliver a comprehensive vision of your planned production.
Accessible to the non-technical
Seven years of expert European R&D has delivered a user interface that enables creatives and subject matter experts to simply retain control, from concept to release.
Nothing to stop your ideas flowing
Containing a well-stocked asset library, 3d modeller and mocap using a basic VR set-up, nothing should stop you from exploring any idea whilst in FirstStage.
Virtual
pre-production
FirstStage's game engine technology is the perfect way to plan a virtual production, and reduce exprensive production time and costs.
Limitless virtual set access
Replace inflexible 2d storyboards and expensive animatics with limitless virtual access to your film set to iteratively explore, plan and communicate ideas.
Remote collaboration
FirstStage allows all of your team to assemble on stage from anywhere, at anytime, and work productively in their chosen roles, without the need for costly travel.
What can you do?
FirstStage aims to provide you with everything you need to simply plan your production, without interruption.
- Quickly create and experiment with set design
- Import your cast from Character Creator and others
- Quickly block and layout out your scene
- Animate functional virtual cameras
- Work as a team in real-time
- Export to communicate, or into your workflow
Need a custom service?
Want us to help you previs your production using FirstStage?
Ready to use the tool?
Got the VR kit and fancy having a play? Its a lot of fun!
How easy is it to use?
FirstStage has been productised from years of European research into natural user interfaces for creative productions.
Functionality isn't accessed via deep menus and masses of obscure icons, FirstStage exploits the freedom of movement in VR to deliver intuitive natural interactions, whilst taking advantage of virtual world opportunities.
Whatever the technical skill level, this is a tool for anyone to naturally use, and enjoy the benefits of a physically active user interface.
See how simple it is to create a fully animated scene
"The whole pre-production process is a learning experience, and what you end up NOT doing in production can ultimately be as important as what you do end up doing, and FirstStage allows you to quickly explore all the options and plan accordingly, saving time on set and maximising creative opportunities."
Greg Jordan
Executive Producer, Bootleg Films
“Literally the future of
pre-production.”
What can you do and create?
FirstStage is a virtual sandbox of tools and functions to allow all pre-production team roles to explore ideas and plan for production.
Whether a Producer, Production Designer, Director, Cinematographer, VFX Coordinator or Actor, FirstStage can provide you with limitless time on a virtual set to exploit your talent and prepare for production.
Quickly explore set designs
Import polygonalised location scans, add supplied asset library props or sketch placeholders in 3d, and add lighting.
Simply block out scenes
Use a range of animation tools, including keyframe and mocap, to assess scene movement and interactions
Virtual cameras for staging
Use handycams, fixed and animated cameras, with a range of tools and parameters to simplify staging
Storyboards and animatics
Retain full control to create and adjust your storyboard by exporting animatic images from any scene change.
Work in real-time and offline
Collaborate in shared time as if on set, or work independently and leave actions for others to follow.
Export scene data
Alongside frames, export positional and parameter data and timings to aide production.
Inclusive and accessible virtual platform for creative collaboration
"FirstStage offers the opportunity to communicate the ideas of the director, the DOP, the lighting designer and the set designer, in a team or individually, in a clearly understandable way."
Peter Vogel
CEO, Vogel Audiovision GmbH