Lee Gyu-lee is a business writer at The Korea Times, focusing primarily on IT & telecommunications, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA. Prior to this, she has covered a wide range of cultural news, from film, television and K-pop to lifestyle and fashion.
Dexter Studios becomes Korea’s first to deliver in-camera VFX for Hollywood project
A Dexter Studios team films the Amazon Prime original series "Butterfly." Courtesy of Dexter Studios
By Lee Gyu-lee
Dexter Studios has partnered with Amazon’s MGM Studios to showcase its leading virtual production (VP) technology, becoming the first local studio to apply in-camera visual effects (ICVFX) to a Hollywood project.
Dexter announced Thursday that it joined the production of Amazon Prime Video original series “Butterfly” and contributed ICVFX to the project. ICVFX is a virtual production technique where visual effects are captured in real time through the camera. The rendered backgrounds sync with the camera’s movement, allowing actors to be filmed in front of LED displays that show virtual environments.
“Butterfly,” which was released Wednesday, is a six-part spy action series about a former American spy living in isolation in Korea, pursued by an active agent tasked with eliminating him.
During its filming in Korea, Dexter used its VP technology to help film dynamic action scenes, including car and bike chases, not only shortening the turnaround time but also enhancing the quality of the scenes. The studio handled every phase from previsualization and film planning to the production and staging of background LED sources.
To deliver realistic backgrounds for LED sources, Dexter’s self-developed camera, Rig, captured over 30 varieties of driving sources, simultaneously operating 11 cameras. It also pulled off highly skilled car chase sequences, completing over 200 high-speed shots in just three sessions, which would have been difficult with the traditional method of using tow trucks.
“The ‘Butterfly’ project is a milestone that recognizes our comprehensive VP capabilities, which include technical solutions, filming strategy and resource design, on a global stage,” the studio said in a press release.
“Dexter will keep pushing boundaries in movies, streaming services and advertising, while diversifying virtual content through AI (artificial intelligence) and bringing efficiencies in productions. We’re establishing ourselves as the leading VP tech company in Asia.”
Dexter previously presented the country’s first ICVFX technology production with the 2023 sci-fi film “The Moon.” This year, Dexter consulted for Thailand’s largest media group, Kantana, on building the country’s biggest VP studio, making Dexter the first Korean company to provide overseas VP studio consulting.