NEW YORK—We’ve all become accustomed to Zoom calls, including on talk shows as hosts and interviewees speak from remote locations because of COVID-19 restrictions. CBS’ “The Drew Barrymore Show” wanted to bring back the classic talk show feeling, just in a COVID-conscious way.
This goal resulted in the CBS VFX visual effects studio developing technology that uses two synchronized cameras in two different locations to give the appearance that Barrymore and her guest are talking in-studio, rather than from hundreds of miles away.
One camera is set up in Barrymore’s New York studio and is linked with a camera at a secure set in Los Angeles. Using a green screen, the California set creates a digital backdrop of the show’s set. With custom synchronization software, Barrymore and her guests are able to interact with each other in near real time.
CBS VFX said that it took about four months to develop the technology, debuting it in time for “The Drew Barrymore Show” premiere in September. CBS VFX plans to adapt the technology for other shows and films.
The full story is available on ViacomCBS’s blog.
