Traditionally, previs was reserved for major VFX productions with budgets well over $100 million. Advancements in technology and real-time rendering have made the same approach practical for independent features, documentaries and commercials. Productions of any scale can now explore, rehearse and refine ideas before production begins.

Sebastian recreates real locations as accurate digital-twin environments in Unreal Engine. Working with directors, he moves through these spaces with a virtual camera matched to real lenses, sensor sizes and camera heights. Framing, movement, blocking and natural light are all worked out long before the first day of production.

Every hour spent solving problems before production is an hour spent getting better performances on set.

Previs allows Sebastian to:

• Develop blocking and camera movement with the director
• Test lenses and framing before arriving on location
• Study the sun and natural light throughout the day
• Plan lighting, grip and specialist equipment
• Build accurate shot lists and camera plans
• Share a clear visual plan with every department

This helps production achieve:

• More coverage within the available schedule
• Fewer unnecessary setups and location moves
• More accurate equipment and crew requirements
• Reduced overtime and fewer unexpected delays
• Lower risk of reshoots
• Greater confidence in the schedule and budget

Sebastian combines LiDAR scanning, photogrammetry and real-world measurements to rebuild locations in Unreal Engine at true scale. Because every environment is built from the actual location, the camera positions, focal lengths and blocking developed in previs translate directly to the shoot.

Directors can compare multiple approaches to a scene, and every department works from the same technical plan.

The goal is never to lock the film down before it's made. It is to remove uncertainty, giving the director greater freedom to focus on performance, storytelling and collaboration once the cameras roll.

Sebastian is developing this workflow through ÆPEX, a collaboration with architect and Unreal Engine specialist Horia Spirescu. Their focus is practical: helping productions make stronger creative decisions and build more efficient schedules.

Unlike AI-generated concepts or imagined environments, every ÆPEX scene is built from the real location or a set designed by a production designer, scanned, measured and true to the physical space the cast and crew will eventually step into. The result is not a rough visualisation or a rendered idea.

It is a technical rehearsal of the actual film.

To discuss previs for an upcoming production, get in touch.

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