How iQIYI Achieved 4K Virtual Filming with Real‑Time LED Screens

Background and Motivation

iQIYI’s hit series Wind Rising in Luoyang generated massive viewer engagement, prompting the company to explore ways to preserve and reuse its high‑quality sets. Traditional physical sets are costly and disposable; iQIYI aimed to create a digital twin that could serve film, TV, animation, games, VR, and commercial licensing.

End‑to‑End Virtual Production Pipeline

The workflow consists of five key stages:

Real‑world scanning : Starting in March 2021, the 5,000 m² “Bad Well” set was captured using laser 3D scanning, producing dense point clouds.

Asset reconstruction : Point clouds were processed into a 1:1 high‑precision digital scene.

Virtual shooting : The digital set was projected onto LED walls, allowing real‑time rendering and camera tracking.

Post‑production refinement : Visuals were fine‑tuned and stored in the asset library.

Multi‑business reuse : The same asset powered multiple downstream applications, from short films to virtual idols.

First 4K Virtual Productions

In November 2021, iQIYI produced two test pieces using the “Bad Well” asset:

“Bad Well: Storm Returns” – a 4K short film.

“Heart’s Thought” MV – a fully virtual music video featuring a digital idol.

Both projects marked China’s first 4K‑grade virtual filming, demonstrating the feasibility of high‑resolution virtual production.

Real‑Time Virtual Shooting Capabilities

During shooting, the digital set is displayed on LED panels that can be re‑rendered instantly to match different lighting or weather conditions. iQIYI’s proprietary control software XWonder extends beyond the screen, adding AR foregrounds and supporting arbitrary large‑scale camera moves, effectively removing the physical size limitation of traditional LED walls.

Multi‑camera “multi‑cone” capture enables simultaneous filming from several angles, delivering film‑level realism while preserving the immediacy of a live set.

Economic Impact and Business Benefits

Reusing the digital “Bad Well” asset saved roughly 30% of the production budget for the short films, primarily by eliminating the need to rebuild physical sets. The high‑precision digital twin also opens new revenue streams, such as:

Digital collectibles (e.g., 7 “Wind Rising in Luoyang” themed NFTs, including a “Bad Well” scene asset).

Metaverse experiences where users can wear or place digital props in virtual spaces.

Cross‑media extensions into cloud performances, games, VR experiences, and script‑kill scenarios.

Future Infrastructure and Vision

iQIYI has established the nation’s largest virtual production base, integrating AI, visual effects, motion capture, real‑time compositing, LED walls, and advanced lighting. CTO Liu Wenfeng describes the metaverse as a connective concept where each IP possesses its own virtual world; digital assets will become the core that links films, games, and immersive experiences, extending content lifespan and creating new interaction models.