Cintiq Pro 27 Virtual Production

Using Wacom Cintiq Pro on-set for cinematography

As filmmaking evolves, the way creators use Wacom products continues to evolve too. For years – decades even – Wacom devices have been used in pre-production for concept art, storyboarding, animation, and 3D modeling, as well as in post-production for editing, VFX, and more.

The way films and TV shows are made in the modern day has changed dramatically. Not only has the workflow changed to a cyclical one, but the technology used behind the scenes on set has also transformed. This can be seen especially in the world of virtual production, where more and more decisions for lighting, contrast, and other changes are now being made on-set in real-time by directors and cinematographers.

Wacom is excited to partner with creators who are pushing the boundaries and using our products in ways they’ve never been used before. One of those partners is Dane Brehm, a Production Technologist at Cintegral Tech, and an ICG Digital Imaging Technician (DIT) who has been experimenting with using a Wacom Cintiq Pro 27 on-set as part of a DIT cart setup.

He’s known for working on projects like Marvel’s Wandavision on Disney+, Amazon Prime’s Hunters, James Cameron’s Avatar 3, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 for DITs

The DIT role is a specific but integral one to the moviemaking process; they advise the Director of Photography (DP) during the lighting process to maintain the creative look of a given scene or lighting environment.

On-set, DITs rely on the technology on their DIT cart to keep things running smoothly – with each cart having things like a computer, monitors, data management tools, and battery backup. Dane describes the DIT cart as the β€œcentral hub of decision-making” for the DP, allowing them to make their Shoot Day.

Cintiq 16 Cintegral 1

The Cinematographer tasks the DIT with maintaining, cataloging, and shepherding the show’s onset image pipeline. This allows for the Dailies Lab to deliver the well-crafted look of the show to Editorial and VFX to watch for months, if not years, as they polish, add effects, and move the footage toward the final product that end-users will watch at home or on the big screen.

Traditionally, DITs β€œthrive or die” by color-critical monitoring for their DPs, which costs upwards of $15K-65K for proper HD/4K OLED HDR monitoring. For their Livegrade or Dailies creation, they integrate a 2nd or 3rd IPS style GUI Monitor dedicated to monitoring Color Wheels, GUIs, CDLs, or Scopes like Waveforms, RGB Parades, and FalseColor to judge exposure with repeatable results.

These GUIs, which are 13-15”, often lack professional color-critical image quality, touchscreen feedback, and smart accessories like you’ll find on a Cintiq Pro β€” all of which increase ergonomics and enhance task speed.

Cintiq Pro 27 Virtual Production

When using the Cintiq Pro 16 as an alternative, Dane described the workflow as allowing for β€œmore efficiency of movement when completing color tasks – which is an important aspect of workflow as a DIT. Typically they have a short window of time to tweak things between each lighting setup to accomplish the β€˜look’ when minutes count in helping the DP make their day.”

What makes a Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 a great fit for use on-set on a DIT cart? The device’s slim footprint and tactileness make it a perfect fit when space is at a premium. At a compact 16” size, it also provides a tangible feel that’s fun and intuitive to use. A DIT can use the Pro Pen 2 to highlight and select areas for the Director of Photography to give feedback on or to move the Color wheels during the lighting process.

β€œThe Cintiq Pro fulfills the needs of DIT Professionals because it allows the user to accomplish multiple tasks like Livegrading – we use Pomfort Livegrade Studio, Camera Control, Data Management, touch surfaces, and most importantly the Pro Pen,” adds Dane.

Cintiq Pro Virtual Production

During Wacom’s technology showcase at Orbital Virtual Studios in October 2022, Dane detailed the on-set value of the Wacom Cintiq Pro as, β€œI have two minutes with a Director or Cinematographer…to find out yes, no, maybe – do you like this? Is it too bright? With a Wacom screen, I’m able to, in a quick motion, create and save a look, name it, and then push that along and save it, and move to the next shot.”

The DIT role contributes hugely to this step of the filmmaking process – getting opinions from the people that matter and letting people get out the door for the day.

Dane Brehm Orbital

At Wacom, we’re focused on creating products like the Cintiq Pro 16 and the new Cintiq Pro 27 that make the lives of on-set film and TV professionals easier, as we have with animators and illustrators for years.

To learn more about Dane’s work as a Digital Imaging Technician, you can follow along with Cintegral Technologies at their website, or on Instagram or LinkedIn.

Related posts:

Wacom Webinar Series: Tips and Tricks in creating environment concept art with Jose Vega

Wacom Webinar Series: Tips and Tricks in creating environment concept art with Jose Vega

How to combine two photographs in Adobe Photoshop (Compositing for beginners)

How to combine two photographs in Adobe Photoshop (Compositing for beginners)

Connect with Wacom on Social

Adorable Bocchi the Rock! #fanart by @tonicaballeroart that charmingly captures the fun nature of the Kessoku band members. 🎀🎸πŸ₯β£
⁣
 ✨ Who's your favorite character?⁣
⁣
#MadewithWacom #FanartFriday #BocchitheRock #anime #art #digitalart
970 2
Artist @samrodriguezart uses beautiful colors, abstract ideas, all paired with his realistic portrait work to create dreamy works of art. πŸŽ¨πŸŒΉπŸ”΄β£
⁣
We would like to welcome Sam to the Wacom community as he recently made the switch to a Wacom Cintiq Pro! ✍️πŸ₯³πŸŽ‰β£
⁣
#MadewithWacom #illustration #abstract #art #digitalart
305 3
That feeling when you open a new and fresh Wacom One 🀩🀩🀩

Unbox yours and show us! Link in bio!

#WacomAdventureProgram #WacomOne #CreativeJourney
726 13
Clean #WacomWorkspace of illustrator @laurasuarez. 🌱 The light wood accents, plants, and airy space would inspire anyone! πŸ’‘βœοΈβ£
⁣
#Wacom #Cintiq #deskgoals #wfh #desksetup
437 6
Wondering how to change your Wacom pen’s nib? Here’s a step-by-step tutorial πŸ–ŠοΈβœ¨

PS: Stay curious, keep learning, and let’s see where your Wacom takes you! πŸ‘‰πŸ» Link in bio

#WacomAdventureProgram #WacomOne #CreativeJourney
949 35
Here's a magical start to your Monday! πŸͺ„πŸ‰πŸ¦œβ£
⁣
Concept artist @agustinvk.art shares his series of combining unlikely pairs of creatures to create fantastical beasts! ✨✍️ ⁣
⁣
What animals or creatures would you pair together? πŸ‘€β£
⁣
#MadewithWacom #WacomCintiq #fantasy #art #digitalart #dragons
9274 47
If you ask an artist for its references, better prepare your notes πŸ’«

We want to hear you out! Leave your inspiration artists in the comments πŸ‘‡

#CreativeInspiration #Artistslife
587 16
Better pen βœ… higher polling rate βœ… cleaner design βœ…
The new Wacom One M tablet is your go-to for osu! Take it from the expert OSU player himself, Koifishu. πŸ˜‰ 
#wacom #osu #osugame #osugameplay #osugamer
2367 25
Head Designer of @westcoastcustoms, @musartwork, shares how his Wacom Cintiq aids him in crafting the perfect custom vehicle design. πŸšŒπŸ’¨ ⁣
⁣
If you're a car culture connoisseur, check out more of Musa's customize designs on his page!⁣
⁣
#MadewithWacom #digitalart #art #automotivedesign #carcustomization
867 4
Meet the Wacom One 13” Touch! βœ¨πŸ–ŒοΈ

πŸ‘‰ Swipe, pinch, and zoom with ease! The touch feature lets you interact with your artwork like never before, making your creative process smoother and more intuitive. ✍️

Whether you’re a digital artist or just love to doodle, illustrate or create art this is the ultimate tool to bring your ideas to life. 🎨✨

Unleash your imagination and experience the magic of touch! Get your Wacom One 13” Touch through the link in bio and see where it takes youπŸš€

Tag a friend who needs to know about this game-changing device! πŸ“²πŸ’¬

 #WacomOneTouch #DigitalArt #WacomOne
488 14