Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: Reshaping Workflows with Dell Pro Max and NVIDIA RTX PRO GPUs
Episode: From Sets to Screens: Virtual Production, AI, and the Future of Filmmaking
Date: September 25, 2025
Host: Logan Lawler (Dell Technologies AI Factory with NVIDIA)
Guest: AJ Shotgun Wedding, Founder & CEO, Orbital Studios
Guest Contributor: Cindy Olivo

This episode dives deep into how Orbital Studios leverages virtual production, powered by Dell Pro Max workstations and NVIDIA RTX GPUs, to revolutionize filmmaking. Host Logan Lawler, with plenty of banter and industry in-jokes, guides founder AJ Shotgun Wedding through a candid conversation about the technical, creative, and practical transformations enabled by next-gen hardware, AI workflows, and collaborative mindsets in virtual production. The discussion spans from the realities of high-end cinematic workflows to the wild stories of Hollywood and predictions for the future.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. AJ’s Journey & Orbital Studios’ Origin

[00:57] AJ, founder and CEO of Orbital Studios, started experimenting with LED panels and cameras in his garage during the 2020 lockdown, addressing the practical headaches he observed in emerging virtual production workflows.
He brings over 25 years’ experience in Hollywood, spanning both traditional production and VFX, positioning himself as a bridge between old-school DPs and new-age computer techs.

Quote:
"I noticed, having worked in production and in visual effects, that now you're going to have these computer nerds trying to tell a crotchety old DP what his job is. And that was not going to go well. So I thought this was a good spot for me." — AJ Shotgun Wedding [01:35]

2. What Is Virtual Production? Why Use It?

[02:51] Virtual production combines real-time VFX with live on-set displays (like giant LED walls), allowing talent and crew to interact with digital environments in real-time.
Major advantages:
- Safety & efficiency: No need to shoot dangerous or logistically-awkward scenes on real roads—for example, a car scene can now be filmed in-studio with ultra-realistic backgrounds.
- Consistency: Scenes like sunsets, which are notoriously hard to repeat in real-world settings, can now be dialed up for 10 hours straight.

Quote:
"By having a virtual production stage, you can put the sunset wherever you want it, and you can have it stay there for 10 hours and get whatever you want." — AJ Shotgun Wedding [03:40]

3. Dell Pro Max x NVIDIA RTX: The Workstation Revolution

[06:35] Since switching to Dell Pro Max and NVIDIA RTX-driven hardware, Orbital Studios’ workflows have accelerated dramatically. Main benefits:
- Massive speed gains: Unreal engine scenes now load and run up to 5x faster.
- Fewer technical blockages around storage, networking, and rendering.
- Reliable, mobile media servers (Dell towers) are used both in-studio and shipped overseas.
Production cost and time savings: For every minute saved in scene setup, productions can avoid wasting ~$6,000 (at high-end TV/movie budget rates).

Quote:
"With our Dell Pro Max media servers, we can actually get Unreal running five times faster than our previous computers. And that is a huge difference." — AJ Shotgun Wedding [13:10]
"Every minute that you waste of production's time, you're costing them six grand." — AJ Shotgun Wedding [13:28]

4. Creative & Practical Impact on Cast and Crew

[08:26] Actors generally love virtual production because they can genuinely see and interact with their environments (e.g., digital sunsets for romance scenes or creatures projected in real time).
Directors and DPs face a learning curve—initial hesitation gives way to creative excitement once they see the tech’s capabilities up close.

Quote:
"We've had Tom Hanks in here...so everybody seems to love it. Directors and DPs...really do need to practice it...as soon as they realize it's actually pretty good, they keep getting closer and closer. And then eventually they really start to lean into it." — AJ Shotgun Wedding [08:26 – 09:45]

5. Studio Tech Specs: How Big and Flexible are These Setups?

[10:30] Orbital's main LED volume is currently a 52-foot wide half-circle, 16 feet tall, with a motorized LED ceiling for dynamic reflections.
The system is modular: like Lego blocks, these walls can be adapted for various shapes and sizes—even shipped for overseas productions.

Quote:
"The screen is like Lego blocks...currently in our studio we have, I think it's about 52 foot wide, half circle. And I want to say it's 16ft tall. And then there's an LED ceiling as well..." — AJ Shotgun Wedding [10:30]

6. Software & Pipelines: What Runs on the Towers?

[15:58] Core tools:
- Unreal Engine for real-time environments.
- Pixera for media playback.
- Testing new platforms like Nuke Stage and Chaos Arena (real-time ray tracing).
- 3D content creation with Adobe Creative Cloud, Blender, Embergen, and other VFX tools.
Flexibility is key: "Someone's going to come to me and say, hey, can we use Unity this week?...So those are the main ones."

7. Unreal Engine Deep Dive

[17:18] The real-time nature of Unreal Engine lets artists iterate instantly on lighting or set composition, a major leap from legacy approaches where single frames would take minutes or hours to render.
New advances like nearly real-time path tracing (Unreal 5.6) further blur the line between VFX and physical reality.

Quote:
"In 5.6, we're seeing almost real-time path tracing. And I think that's ultimately the goal. And once we have that...we won't have to do all these weird things that we do to have final version of visual effects up on the wall." — AJ Shotgun Wedding [18:40]

8. Industry Collaboration, Openness & the Future

[21:59] Orbital regularly consults and assists competing studios, believing the industry advances faster when knowledge is shared.
Even titans like ILM have moved towards more open collaboration (adopting Unreal Engine after their own proprietary developments).

Quote:
"If you close yourself off and you don't communicate and you don't share knowledge, the tool is not going to get better in just your hands." — AJ Shotgun Wedding [22:05]

9. AI in Production Workflows: Threat or Opportunity?

[24:19] While some fear AI’s impact on traditional jobs, studios quietly embrace its benefits—especially for previsualization (previz), rapid content generation, and efficient asset creation.
The key insight: AI won’t replace artists who know how to wield it—rather, it multiplies their capabilities.

Quote:
"AI is basically a really good assistant, but it's only good if you can properly tell it what you want from it. And even then, sometimes it acts like a 13 year old." — AJ Shotgun Wedding [25:56]

10. Spotting Virtual Production on Screen

[27:24] Early Mandalorian: look for out-of-focus backgrounds or recurring circular sets.
Modern virtual production can be nearly undetectable, especially as postproduction cleans up visible tells.
Pro tip: Blending physical props and set pieces into digital backdrops sells the illusion.

Quote:
"We'll never win an Oscar because you should never know we were there." — AJ Shotgun Wedding [27:24]

11. Orbital’s Resume and Real-world Impact

[29:28] Major work includes TV series like Snowfall, Justified: City Primeval, History’s Greatest Heists, current Netflix shows, and a new project for "91 1."
Demonstrates the accessibility: even budget-conscious networks (e.g., History Channel) leverage these cutting-edge workflows.

12. Team Culture and the Human Element

[30:21] AJ credits his small but multiplyingly productive team for their creativity and adaptability—emphasizing that AI will never replace highly creative, self-starting humans, only make them more effective.

13. Crystal Ball: The Next 1-3 Years in Production

[31:50] Agentic AI and deep script-to-set pipelines are coming fast: soon, scripts may auto-generate breakdowns, characters, props, and even 3D environments with minimal human intervention—letting artists focus purely on creative polish.

Quote:
"The more everyone in our industry starts to figure that out...I can be a lot more productive if I take this on. I think that's gonna change everything in our industry." — AJ Shotgun Wedding [33:29]

14. Old-School Meets New Tech: The IBC Showcase

[34:55] Orbital’s next big demo at IBC will focus on “miniatures”—combining traditional model-building techniques with next-gen tracking, robot arms, and virtual integration—showcasing that sometimes physical craftsmanship still wins for realism.

Notable Quotes & Moments

On safety and creativity:
"Actors love it because they can actually see what their environment is...We've had Tom Hanks in here." [08:26]
On tech limitations and pushing boundaries:
"Compute power doubles every month. You know, it's like, it's pretty easy to get more compute power. And so we've never really liked hearing no...It's like, no, it is possible. And we'll show you." [11:55]
On industry culture:
"Being more collaborative is always better in our industry than trying to close off." [22:04]
On AI anxiety:
"Should you be afraid of it? Yeah, but you should be so afraid that you start figuring out how to control it or how it's going to affect your job so that you can figure out what's next." [26:31]

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

[00:57] – AJ's background and Orbital’s founding
[02:51] – What is virtual production? Real-world benefits
[06:35] – Impact of Dell and NVIDIA hardware; workflow transformation
[08:26] – Why actors and crew love virtual production
[10:30] – Description of Orbital’s main stage and tech
[13:05] – How Dell Pro Max towers change game; cost/time discussion
[15:58] – Studio software: Unreal Engine, Pixera, more
[17:18] – Unreal Engine real-time advances
[21:59] – Openness & collaboration across the industry
[24:19] – AI in current and future workflows
[27:24] – How to spot virtual production on screen
[29:28] – Orbital’s track record and TV highlights
[31:50] – What’s next? Script-to-set AI and the next wave
[34:55] – IBC preview: miniatures and new workflows
[36:24] – Final takeaway: the democratization of creativity

Takeaway: The 30-Second Summation

[36:24]
"So if you can imagine, they have always said in the past that if you can make a movie that takes place in one room, then you can probably get enough money to make it. Well, now your room is a virtual production stage and it can be anything... Instead of just...it takes place in my apartment. Well, now it takes place at Dodger Stadium. It takes place on a spaceship. It takes place wherever you want. At sunset, in the rain..." — AJ Shotgun Wedding

Final Thoughts

This episode masterfully balances technical deep-dives, industry war stories, and vision for the future, all while highlighting the revolutionary impact of Dell Pro Max and NVIDIA RTX-powered virtual production. Orbital Studios’ relentless openness and embrace of AI and new workflows signify a major creative shift in filmmaking, democratizing what’s possible—no matter the scale or budget.

For those looking to glimpse the future of cinematic storytelling, this conversation is required listening.

Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. AJ’s Journey & Orbital Studios’ Origin

[00:57] AJ, founder and CEO of Orbital Studios, started experimenting with LED panels and cameras in his garage during the 2020 lockdown, addressing the practical headaches he observed in emerging virtual production workflows.
He brings over 25 years’ experience in Hollywood, spanning both traditional production and VFX, positioning himself as a bridge between old-school DPs and new-age computer techs.

2. What Is Virtual Production? Why Use It?

[02:51] Virtual production combines real-time VFX with live on-set displays (like giant LED walls), allowing talent and crew to interact with digital environments in real-time.
Major advantages:
- Safety & efficiency: No need to shoot dangerous or logistically-awkward scenes on real roads—for example, a car scene can now be filmed in-studio with ultra-realistic backgrounds.
- Consistency: Scenes like sunsets, which are notoriously hard to repeat in real-world settings, can now be dialed up for 10 hours straight.

Quote:
"By having a virtual production stage, you can put the sunset wherever you want it, and you can have it stay there for 10 hours and get whatever you want." — AJ Shotgun Wedding [03:40]

3. Dell Pro Max x NVIDIA RTX: The Workstation Revolution

[06:35] Since switching to Dell Pro Max and NVIDIA RTX-driven hardware, Orbital Studios’ workflows have accelerated dramatically. Main benefits:
- Massive speed gains: Unreal engine scenes now load and run up to 5x faster.
- Fewer technical blockages around storage, networking, and rendering.
- Reliable, mobile media servers (Dell towers) are used both in-studio and shipped overseas.
Production cost and time savings: For every minute saved in scene setup, productions can avoid wasting ~$6,000 (at high-end TV/movie budget rates).

4. Creative & Practical Impact on Cast and Crew

[08:26] Actors generally love virtual production because they can genuinely see and interact with their environments (e.g., digital sunsets for romance scenes or creatures projected in real time).
Directors and DPs face a learning curve—initial hesitation gives way to creative excitement once they see the tech’s capabilities up close.

5. Studio Tech Specs: How Big and Flexible are These Setups?

[10:30] Orbital's main LED volume is currently a 52-foot wide half-circle, 16 feet tall, with a motorized LED ceiling for dynamic reflections.
The system is modular: like Lego blocks, these walls can be adapted for various shapes and sizes—even shipped for overseas productions.

6. Software & Pipelines: What Runs on the Towers?

[15:58] Core tools:
- Unreal Engine for real-time environments.
- Pixera for media playback.
- Testing new platforms like Nuke Stage and Chaos Arena (real-time ray tracing).
- 3D content creation with Adobe Creative Cloud, Blender, Embergen, and other VFX tools.
Flexibility is key: "Someone's going to come to me and say, hey, can we use Unity this week?...So those are the main ones."

7. Unreal Engine Deep Dive

[17:18] The real-time nature of Unreal Engine lets artists iterate instantly on lighting or set composition, a major leap from legacy approaches where single frames would take minutes or hours to render.
New advances like nearly real-time path tracing (Unreal 5.6) further blur the line between VFX and physical reality.

8. Industry Collaboration, Openness & the Future

[21:59] Orbital regularly consults and assists competing studios, believing the industry advances faster when knowledge is shared.
Even titans like ILM have moved towards more open collaboration (adopting Unreal Engine after their own proprietary developments).

Quote:
"If you close yourself off and you don't communicate and you don't share knowledge, the tool is not going to get better in just your hands." — AJ Shotgun Wedding [22:05]

9. AI in Production Workflows: Threat or Opportunity?

[24:19] While some fear AI’s impact on traditional jobs, studios quietly embrace its benefits—especially for previsualization (previz), rapid content generation, and efficient asset creation.
The key insight: AI won’t replace artists who know how to wield it—rather, it multiplies their capabilities.

10. Spotting Virtual Production on Screen

[27:24] Early Mandalorian: look for out-of-focus backgrounds or recurring circular sets.
Modern virtual production can be nearly undetectable, especially as postproduction cleans up visible tells.
Pro tip: Blending physical props and set pieces into digital backdrops sells the illusion.

Quote:
"We'll never win an Oscar because you should never know we were there." — AJ Shotgun Wedding [27:24]

11. Orbital’s Resume and Real-world Impact

[29:28] Major work includes TV series like Snowfall, Justified: City Primeval, History’s Greatest Heists, current Netflix shows, and a new project for "91 1."
Demonstrates the accessibility: even budget-conscious networks (e.g., History Channel) leverage these cutting-edge workflows.

12. Team Culture and the Human Element

[30:21] AJ credits his small but multiplyingly productive team for their creativity and adaptability—emphasizing that AI will never replace highly creative, self-starting humans, only make them more effective.

13. Crystal Ball: The Next 1-3 Years in Production

[31:50] Agentic AI and deep script-to-set pipelines are coming fast: soon, scripts may auto-generate breakdowns, characters, props, and even 3D environments with minimal human intervention—letting artists focus purely on creative polish.

14. Old-School Meets New Tech: The IBC Showcase

[34:55] Orbital’s next big demo at IBC will focus on “miniatures”—combining traditional model-building techniques with next-gen tracking, robot arms, and virtual integration—showcasing that sometimes physical craftsmanship still wins for realism.

Notable Quotes & Moments

On safety and creativity:
"Actors love it because they can actually see what their environment is...We've had Tom Hanks in here." [08:26]
On tech limitations and pushing boundaries:
"Compute power doubles every month. You know, it's like, it's pretty easy to get more compute power. And so we've never really liked hearing no...It's like, no, it is possible. And we'll show you." [11:55]
On industry culture:
"Being more collaborative is always better in our industry than trying to close off." [22:04]
On AI anxiety:
"Should you be afraid of it? Yeah, but you should be so afraid that you start figuring out how to control it or how it's going to affect your job so that you can figure out what's next." [26:31]

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

[00:57] – AJ's background and Orbital’s founding
[02:51] – What is virtual production? Real-world benefits
[06:35] – Impact of Dell and NVIDIA hardware; workflow transformation
[08:26] – Why actors and crew love virtual production
[10:30] – Description of Orbital’s main stage and tech
[13:05] – How Dell Pro Max towers change game; cost/time discussion
[15:58] – Studio software: Unreal Engine, Pixera, more
[17:18] – Unreal Engine real-time advances
[21:59] – Openness & collaboration across the industry
[24:19] – AI in current and future workflows
[27:24] – How to spot virtual production on screen
[29:28] – Orbital’s track record and TV highlights
[31:50] – What’s next? Script-to-set AI and the next wave
[34:55] – IBC preview: miniatures and new workflows
[36:24] – Final takeaway: the democratization of creativity

Takeaway: The 30-Second Summation

Final Thoughts

For those looking to glimpse the future of cinematic storytelling, this conversation is required listening.

From Sets to Screens: Virtual Production, AI, and the Future of Filmmaking

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Summary

Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. AJ’s Journey & Orbital Studios’ Origin

2. What Is Virtual Production? Why Use It?

3. Dell Pro Max x NVIDIA RTX: The Workstation Revolution

4. Creative & Practical Impact on Cast and Crew

5. Studio Tech Specs: How Big and Flexible are These Setups?

6. Software & Pipelines: What Runs on the Towers?

7. Unreal Engine Deep Dive

8. Industry Collaboration, Openness & the Future

9. AI in Production Workflows: Threat or Opportunity?

10. Spotting Virtual Production on Screen

11. Orbital’s Resume and Real-world Impact

12. Team Culture and the Human Element

13. Crystal Ball: The Next 1-3 Years in Production

14. Old-School Meets New Tech: The IBC Showcase

Notable Quotes & Moments

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

Takeaway: The 30-Second Summation

Final Thoughts

Summary

Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. AJ’s Journey & Orbital Studios’ Origin

2. What Is Virtual Production? Why Use It?

3. Dell Pro Max x NVIDIA RTX: The Workstation Revolution

4. Creative & Practical Impact on Cast and Crew

5. Studio Tech Specs: How Big and Flexible are These Setups?

6. Software & Pipelines: What Runs on the Towers?

7. Unreal Engine Deep Dive

8. Industry Collaboration, Openness & the Future

9. AI in Production Workflows: Threat or Opportunity?

10. Spotting Virtual Production on Screen

11. Orbital’s Resume and Real-world Impact

12. Team Culture and the Human Element

13. Crystal Ball: The Next 1-3 Years in Production

14. Old-School Meets New Tech: The IBC Showcase

Notable Quotes & Moments

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

Takeaway: The 30-Second Summation

Final Thoughts