TFO creates the universes of its kids’ shows with Zero Density

The technology of Zero Density enables Canadian broadcaster TFO to shape educational and cultural content for students, parents and teachers.

Since its launch, TFO has relied on Zero Density to power its virtual studio and breathe life into its children’s programmes by blending live action, puppetry and computer-generated content. The programmes, beyond seeking to educate, aim to entertain children by transporting them into a variety of colourful and quirky virtual worlds. Apart from this children’s content, the channel also produces political and cultural formats, including live election specials and debates using the virtual studio.

All of this content is generated from three production studios of TFP in Canada, which house numerous tools to accommodate all types of live and pre-recorded productions and events. The staff at the sites, which typically consists of between 12 and 20 people depending on the format, is responsible for the entire production chain: planning, production, design, marketing and distribution. In fact, TFO even has an in-house 3D design team consisting of 3D modellers, concept artists, technical artists and technical producers.

Shooting in virtual environments

The TFO main studio measures 10 metres x 14 metres, while its chroma is 14 metres x 6.7 metres. All three studios are equipped with three Reality Engines and two Mo-Sys StarTracker cameras on pedestals.

The chroma set is in use all year round from Monday to Friday. The channel shoots most of the series in block to maintain continuity from one episode to the next and the familiarity of the production team throughout the shooting sessions.

According to the TFO team, the adoption of virtual studio production with Reality has paid off in many significant ways. One of the main advantages is the elimination of large physical sets, allowing them to move quickly from one virtual environment to another. They also have complete flexibility for custom set design. Another advantage mentioned is the keying quality of Reality Keyer. In short, “they have more creative and technical freedom while offering higher quality”.

TFO’s Laboratoire d’univers virtuels

In 2016, TFO launched a new production environment called the Virtual Universes Lab (Laboratoire d’univers virtuels) powered by Zero Density’s Reality engine. With this approach, the channel won the award for innovation in content creation with Zero Density at IBC and was shortlisted for the IABM Game Changer Awards in Las Vegas.

The future is bright for TFO. In early 2023, the television and production company will expand its chroma set to approximately double the width of its current shooting space. It is also expected to integrate prefabricated Pro Cyc walls next year and make the long-awaited leap to 4K.