Crytek launches Film Engine VR production tech

Crytek is starting a new independent company to push a new technology created for virtual reality filmmakers.

The development of Film Engine - which is the name of both the technology and the company - started in 2008 with a prototype called Cinebox. According to Crytek, Cinebox was, "evaluated by more than 300 production companies and used on feature films such as Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and Maze Runner."

The positive feedback gathered from that process instigated the development of Film Engine, which uses Crytek's CryEngine as a foundation, but is optimised specifically for film industry workflows. Film Engine's creative director, Jean-Colas Prunier, joined the company in 2014, following visual effects work on Avatar, The Lord of the Rings, Guardians of the Galaxy and Life of Pi.

"We realised that by combining our visions we could create something that was greater than the sum of its parts," Prunier said in a statement, describing his early meetings with Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli. "By addressing the needs of filmmakers with the technology of the games industry, we were able to create an entirely new cinematic production tool that will completely change the way the industry works."

Film Engine is described as, "real-time cinematic production software," that can be used at every stage of the film production pipeline, with an emphasis on efficiency. "Tasks that once took hours or days can be done in real-time in Film Engine," Crytek said, "and creators are left with more of the most valuable resource of all: the time to focus on visionary storytelling."