Backplate Pro is reinventing the concept of stock footages for VFX Artists. These cinematic products include a 360 HDRI map, and make the perfect background for all kinds of CG and Motion Design work. You can use these high quality VFX stock footages in any post production pipeline. The Virtual Assist interviewed Mr. Matt Coppolaro, founder of Backplate Pro.
Here are the extracts of an online interview.
Welcome abroad. How the idea of Backplate Pro got incepted?
Filmed backgrounds give realism to VFX work, and after many years in the industry we realized it was hard to get this kind of environment-based stock footage – for both personal and commercial projects.
So we launched Backplate Pro: a resource for VFX Artists and 3D Designers that specialize in cinematic environments. We went the extra mile to also include a 360 HDRI map for lighting 3D objects, and camera and lens information to help with 3D tracking. We also license the products for commercial use.
Who are the major driving forces behind your company?
I founded the company in 2016, and since then I’ve directed most of the shoots. This involves finding unique locations, creatively planning camera moves, and making sure we can legally secure the rights. I also ensure all technical aspects meet our standards. We are also lucky to have a pool of talented camera operators, lighting experts and technicians who help us out when we need it.
How Backplate Pro is different from peer competition of stock footages for VFX artists?
We are currently leading the way with quality, affordable stock footage that is purely environmental. Unlike a lot of our competitors we don’t do effects, we simply do backgrounds. Whether you are improving a demo reel, working on a personal project, or have client work, we have a background for it.
Please provide a list of your stock footage locations.
Our backplates include studio, military, music, warehouse, penthouse, chapel, and exterior environments. We have many more on the way.
What are the things you take care during shooting HDRI?
The HDRI is one of the trickiest parts of the shoot. We have to time it so that we don’t get unwanted cars or people in the photos, including ourselves! We use remote controlled 360 cameras to capture multiple exposures, which we later edit into a detailed HDRI file. Ultimately this means our users can accurately match the lighting and reflections of their 3D object to the footage.
Kindly provide major technical specifications of your VFX stock footages.
The footage is currently 2K and comes in TIFF format. The HDRI is 5376 x 2688 pixels with a maximum of 12 stops of dynamic range.
What are the qualifications for joining your shooting team?
We usually work with people who have experience with filming VFX plates. We like our crew to have an understanding of how to ‘pretend’ a 3D object is in the scene. Ultimately the camera has to be responding to an imaginary target.
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Kindly explain your ‘Content License’ of Backplate Pro.
We offer a very competitive licence for our stock footage. It can pretty much be used for any commercial motion project, which includes uses such as TV, film, games, corporate and apps.
Share your credentials.
I’ve worked as a VFX generalist and Motion Designer for over 7 years. I’ve been lucky to work for some amazing clients including Disney, Universal, Discovery, and Sony.
What are your future goals?
There are lots of exciting shoots in progress for Backplate Pro and our user base is constantly growing, so I hope we can continue to be a useful resource for 3D Artists.
