Over the last five years, virtual production has rapidly evolved from a bold experiment into a credible, scalable part of modern storytelling. But as we move through 2025, we’re hitting a pivotal point. Virtual production is no longer the new kid on the block, but it’s still not yet fully understood. The technology has matured, but workflows, talent pipelines, and industry-wide education are still catching up. One big question lingers: Where does virtual production truly sit within a production team, and who leads the charge?
A general understanding of ‘The Art of the Possible’ is still missing from many traditional departments. We know from our Starting Pixel community of more than 1,200 virtual production professionals that there remains a widespread lack of awareness and confidence in virtual production’s role in the traditional production hierarchy. Questions around responsibility, budget implications, and potential for failure are still prevalent, particularly among those who’ve not yet worked with the process directly.
If left unanswered, these questions become blockers. Quite rightly, if producers or creatives can’t see clear, predictable outcomes, they’ll default to more familiar workflows, and virtual production will remain on the sidelines, despite its potential. So much of virtual production’s success comes from the pre-planning process. Overcoming adoption barriers is the single most important hurdle it currently faces.
And if we overcome that hurdle, there is a lot to be excited about. Our community is telling us that virtual production is growing up, and so are its storytellers. A new “VP native” generation is developing, telling stories that lean into the tech, not just using it as a production tool that replaces locations or set builds. Virtual production supervisors are starting to be appreciated, leading them to be considered as head of department, so that expectations can be fully set and explored. That shift is essential. When virtual production leads are involved from the start, expectations can be properly scoped, creative ambition can be aligned with real-time capabilities, and production planning becomes proactive rather than reactive.
However, the next challenge here is that senior virtual production supervisors are difficult to train. It’s as much a set of soft skills in order to discuss and advise what is and isn’t possible in pre-production and on-set with the directors and cinematographers, whilst managing the technicians responsible for imagery. That requires clear communication and a certain amount of clout on a busy set.
These experts must be able to translate creative visions into technical execution while also knowing when to recommend traditional production methods. This nuanced understanding of both the technical and creative sides of filmmaking is crucial to the technology’s success and broad adoption. As virtual production becomes more common, the demand for professionals who can navigate both worlds will only grow.
Demystifying virtual production is the only way to help decision-makers feel more comfortable with what to expect, and what can be achieved with the technology. At Starting Pixel, we’re aiming to share as much of the community’s knowledge with decision makers across the industry: we’ll be hosting a virtual production jam session at IBC2025 to showcase the latest thinking and applications, and our third Starting Pixel Live event taking place in London in October is going to be bigger and better than ever. We’re spreading the word through our channels, and we’re lucky to have an incredibly positive, passionate, and proactive community that wants to see the technology thrive.
So what does the future hold for virtual production? Less of a big leap, more lots of small steps. Producers and creatives across film, HETV, advertising, brand comms, and social media will get to understand its creative capabilities and find the sweet spot for their productions. Standards will start to emerge, virtual production supervisors will start to be considered as heads of departments through their value. The revolution won’t be flashy, but it will be foundational. Get this right and virtual production won’t just support the storytelling of the future, it will help shape it.
Visit Starting Pixel in the Future Tech space in Hall 14 at IBC2025.
