XR Network+ : Virtual Production in the Digital Economy

XR网络+数字经济中的虚拟生产将为内容创作和消费提供十年的研究议程。XR Network+以科研协作、共同创造和挑战引领创新为基础，从一开始就致力于建立一个学术研究和行业研发的社区，融合思想、技术、在虚拟生产（VP）中的创新实践，为整个数字经济带来影响和机会。虚拟生产（VP）是多个领域的新兴领域，学科活动，包括在许多领域更广泛地应用数字创意技术和技术。它正在改变技术驱动的讲故事，媒体，电影和电视内容制作工作流程，现场和沉浸式体验，无论是大规模还是小规模。英国银幕行业目前正大力投资于传统的工作室基础设施，目前对生产空间的需求超过了供应。然而，紧凑，灵活和技术驱动的VP设施将有助于塑造这些和其他工作室的未来，他们的生产实践，他们制作的内容，从而消费这些内容的观众。这种变化是基于新一代的实时技术（动作捕捉、空间计算、数据、人工智能、机器学习、体积捕捉、触觉、实时渲染、沉浸式XR和响应式媒体）首次提供，从最初的概念到最终的结果，整合生产流程和工作流程的承诺。XR Network+将建立在AHRC创意产业集群计划（CICP）的成功以及这些项目在支持XR（延展实境）技术研发方面的重大兴趣的基础上，因为它与VP融合。CICP展示了领先的大学如何在地理/部门创意产业集群的中心发挥锚定作用，并利用其研究能力和专业知识为中小企业带来利益，为基于地方的增长以及经济，社会和文化影响带来机会。XR Network+将在CICP最后一年的关键时刻登陆，随着一些重要的VP投资上线，提供了利用连接和功能的短暂机会窗口。XR Network+在CICP现有的五个项目之间搭建了一座桥梁，并将利用UKRI、地方政府和行业的其他核心投资。该项目将推动社区主导的虚拟现实研究和创新计划，为整个数字经济和相关行业释放内容创作和消费的潜力。与项目合作伙伴共同创造的应用研究挑战包括：虚拟现实游戏世界和物理内容的整合;虚拟现实环境中的声音设计;构建虚拟现实环境、角色和对象; XR Network+活动将分为五个阶段，分别对应于项目的五年：（1）参与;（2）探索;（3）挑战;（4）响应;（5）报告和更新。年度网络和展示活动将为活动的每个阶段提供一个关键的传播点。可行性供资将支持以预防犯罪中心五个项目的最佳做法为基础的一系列可能的研究活动：为职业生涯初期的研究人员提供的创造性桥梁方案;知识转让伙伴关系模式;小额赠款供资;挑战性供资;项目组合建设;并委托进行研究，以评估该项目，并为未来的活动制定路线图。XR Network+就目前对VP的重大兴趣和投资以及协调英国研究基地与行业和区域投资的必要性而言，这是重要和及时的，为国家层面的下一阶段投资和增长提供途径。

XR Network+ Virtual Production in the Digital Economy will provide a ten-year research agenda for content creation and consumption. XR Network+ is founded on research collaboration, co-creation and challenge-led innovation, and designed from the ground up to build a community of academic research and industry R&D at the convergence of ideas, technologies, and creative practice in Virtual Production (VP) to deliver impact and opportunity for the whole of the digital economy.Virtual Production (VP) is an emergent area of multi-disciplinary activity encompassing the wider application of digital creativity techniques and technologies across many domains. It is changing the landscape of technology-driven storytelling, media, film and television content production workflows, live and immersive experiences, both large and small scale. The UK screen industries sector is currently investing heavily in traditional studio infrastructure, with demand for production space currently outstripping supply. However, compact, flexible and technology-driven VP facilities will help to shape the future of these and other studios, their production practices, the content they make and hence the audiences that consume this content. This change is based on how a new generation of real-time technologies (motion capture, spatial computing, data, AI, machine learning, volumetric capture, haptics, real-time rendering, immersive XR and responsive media) offer, for the first time, the promise of integrating production processes and workflows from initial concept through to final result.XR Network+ will build on the success of the AHRC Creative Industries Clusters Programme (CICP) and the significant interest that has emerged from these projects in supporting R&D in XR (eXtended Reality) technologies as it converges with VP. The CICP demonstrates how leading universities can act as anchors at the centre of geographical/sectoral creative industries clusters and use their research capacity and expertise for the benefit of their SMEs, bringing opportunities for place-based growth, and economic, social and cultural impact. XR Network+ will land at a critical point, during the final year of the CICP and as a number of significant VP investments come online, offering a short window of opportunity to harness connections and capabilities. XR Network+ builds a bridge between five current CICP projects and will leverage other core UKRI, local government and industry investment. It will drive a community-led programme of complementary VP research and innovation to unlock the potential of content creation and consumption for the whole of the digital economy and related sectors.Research challenges co-created with project partners at application include: VP Integration of virtual game worlds and physical content; sound design in VP contexts; building VP environments, characters and objects; issues of ethics and IP in the use of digital assets and data; AI and data-driven automation; translation and impact in the digital economy.XR Network+ activities will be built across five stages corresponding to the five years of the project (1) Engage; (2) Explore; (3) Challenge; (4) Respond; (5) Report and Renew. An Annual Networking and Showcase event will provide a key point of dissemination for each stage of activity. Feasibility funding will support a potential range of research activities based on best practice from the five CICP projects: a Creative Bridge programme for early career researchers; a Knowledge Transfer Partnership Model; small grant funding; challenge funding; portfolio building; and commissioned research to evaluate the project and build a roadmap for future activity.XR Network+ is important and timely in terms of the significant current interest and investment in VP and the need to coordinate the UK's research base alongside industry and regional investments to provide a pathway for next stage investment and growth at a national level.