This book is a clear-eyed, field-tested guide to shooting in the Volume and building a Virtual Art Department that works under real-world pressures of schedule, budget, and story.

Drawing on five seasons as Executive Producer/Director of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Chris Fisher demystifies one of the most exciting and ground-breaking shifts in modern filmmaking. The text begins by exploring what Virtual Production (VP) is, along with its challenges and benefits, before breaking down the different roles and processes involved in this transformative technology. The VP workflow is explored in an accessible step-by-step format, informed from real-world industry insights from the author’s experience. Finally, the book provides an in-depth explanation of how to build and shoot successful VP Environments, as well as what the ideal setup would look like for your production.

For professionals, this book is a way to evaluate VP as a production tool before starting, and a roadmap for those already working. For students and educators, it’s a foundational text that connects craft, collaboration, and technology. If you want to understand the future of filmmaking, this is where you start.

To provide a holistic understanding, online support material features interviews with key crew members who have worked with the author.