How ZDF Digital is using Substance 3D to deliver immersive experiences

From newscasts to hit dramas, public service television broadcaster ZDF has entertained and informed millions throughout Germany for 60 years. Today, many of the broadcasters’ most innovative programs and multimedia digital experiences are developed in conjunction with ZDF Digital, the media and production subsidiary of ZDF Group. The agency is known for using the latest technology to produce immersive experiences and user-oriented interactive content.

The Digital Production team at ZDF Digital embraces 3D visuals in many of its projects, whether creating realistic virtual spaces for films or developing virtual and augmented reality experiences. With Adobe Substance 3D, the team balances production speed with the quality visuals and fully-textured environments that audiences expect from ZDF.

Creating emotionally engaging worlds virtually

The documentary “Nach der Flut” (“After the Flood”), produced for documentary channel ZDFzeit, follows the impact of a natural disaster in the Ahr Valley. The documentary interviews flood victims in a virtual studio in front of a backdrop of debris. Designers combined 2D images to create a three-dimensional version of the virtual flood ruins for the background, providing a constant reminder of what the victims lost.

“The whole thing was very emotional and a completely different way of creating an interview environment. We created a unique environment for interviews that allowed us to elicit reactions from audiences that we might not have been able to get in an office or neutral setting,” says Mario Hill, Team lead Design — 3D / Motion Design / 3D Realtime / Virtual Production at ZDF Digital.

ZDF Digital also delivers 3D experiences, often combined with artificial intelligence and language models to appeal to younger target groups. The Terra X brand focuses on fun documentaries for all ages about history, adventure, and nature. The digital experience “Tiefseetauchfahrt” (“Deep Sea Dive”) encourages users to click their way to the seabed in a virtual underwater world while learning about the inhabitants of the ocean. Players can spot animals and view the 3D figures in 360-degree detail.

One of the team’s latest productions, also created for Terra X, looks at the world’s first package holiday tour, delivered by travel agency Thomas Cook. For this program, artists used Adobe Substance 3D to retextured a train and the train station in Leicester, England to match the original designs from 1841. Artists used Substance 3D Painter to achieve highly photorealistic work, adding even the smallest details, such as cracks in the building façade, as textures. ZDF Digital needed the production to look as photorealistic as possible for viewers — without doing expensive and resource intensive on-site production.

“Our approach is to blur the differences between the 3D environment and the real location,” says Renée Abe, head of Innovation & Creative Production, ZDF Digital. “Working with 3D also allows our sets to become more sustainable. When we can simply put our actors in front of an LED wall, this eliminates not only costly trips to filming locations but also delays caused by factors such as unfavorable weather conditions.”

Integrating 3D into creative workflows

The Digital Production team particularly values how easy the Substance 3D apps are to use. As long-time users of Adobe Creative Cloud, teams at ZDF Digital were already familiar with Adobe’s creative applications and quickly integrated Substance 3D into their workflows.

“Working with Substance 3D Painter feels familiar because we’re used to working with layers and creating masks. It’s like Photoshop, only in 3D, so it doesn’t take three years to get used to it. Instead, we can immediately let our imaginations run wild,” says Hill.

Substance 3D’s integration with other 3D tools, such as Unreal Engine, also give the team greater creative freedom. For example, artists can take characters created in other 3D tools and edit them in Substance without having to install additional plug-ins, significantly increasing workflow efficiencies and providing more time for artists to experiment with consistent visuals in real time throughout their 3D pipeline.

In the service of credibility

Authenticity and responsible handling of content are overarching concerns for any public media institution. Through the Content Authenticity Initiative co-founded by Adobe, ZDF Digital has a strong partner in the fight against fake news as well as access to secure content that has been approved for commercial use. Approved images can include visuals from Adobe Stock or videos generated using Adobe Firefly generative AI.

“Our name is synonymous with responsibility for transparent, authentic content. Many AI tools on the market right now just aren’t production-ready. With more positive examples and more reliable content, we’re strengthening trust in public broadcasting while also benefiting from tools that make us more productive,” says Abe.

Turning prompts into 3D

One of ZDF Digital’s key goals for the future is to make workflows even simpler, more effective, and more automated. In particular, the team is keeping an eye on the promising generative AI developments within the Adobe ecosystem, such as optimized audio dubbing and material creation from text prompts 3D.

“Ultimately, it’s all about keeping up with the growing demand for photorealistic content. That can only happen with automation, accelerated processes, and top quality. We get all of that, and more, with Adobe,” says Abe.

Learn more about Substance 3D here.