Camera Tracking Synchronization Errors and Perceived Visual Realism in Real-Time Virtual Production

Sammanfattning

Virtual production workflows combine physical camera footage with realtime rendered digital environments, enabling flexible and immersive production pipelines in film and broadcast. This thesis explores the potential of extending and calibrating the DSV-Media-LiveLinkUnity Unity package for use with physical PTZ cameras in Stora Studion at DSV, Stockholm University, to enable accurate real-time virtual production for student projects. Through Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM), iterative development, and semi-structured evaluation, the research addresses the technical challenges of achieving accurate camera tracking synchronization between physical cameras and Unity-based digital environments. Key findings highlight four technical contributions: corrected zoom decoding preserving full encoder resolution, non-linear focal length mapping through per-camera calibration curves, coordinate system conversion, and rotational offset compensation. The extended system is packaged as a ready to-use Unity prefab that embeds all calibration values, eliminating manual calibration requirements. Evaluation with a master’s student confirmed system usability and readiness for student projects.