--- title: Chaos premieres 'Ray Tracing FTW' short film description: The Wild West goes high-tech in our fun-filled short film. Watch the movie and find out how Chaos Arena’s virtual production technology made production a cinch. image: https://blog.chaos.com/hubfs/ray-tracing-ftw-1200x650.jpg --- [Chaos Logo](https://blog.chaos.com/) - Products - [Enscape](https://www.chaos.com/enscape) - [V-Ray](https://www.chaos.com/vray) - [Corona](https://www.chaos.com/corona) - [Veras](https://chaos.com/veras) - [Cloud](https://chaos.com/credits) - [V-Ray Blender](https://www.chaos.com/vray/blender) - [Arena](https://www.chaos.com/arena) - Industry solutions - [Education](https://www.chaos.com/education/educational-hub) - [Student](https://www.chaos.com/students) - [Educator](https://www.chaos.com/educators) - [Institutions](https://www.chaos.com/educational-institutions) - [Architectural design](https://www.chaos.com/architecture) - [Architectural visualization](https://www.chaos.com/architectural-visualization) - [Interior design](https://www.chaos.com/interior-design) - [Landscape rendering](https://www.chaos.com/landscape-architecture) - [Urban planning](https://www.chaos.com/urban-planning) - [Film and television VFX](https://www.chaos.com/film-vfx) - [Virtual production](https://www.chaos.com/virtual-production) - [Advertising](https://www.chaos.com/advertising) - [Automotive](https://www.chaos.com/automotive) - [Games](https://www.chaos.com/games) - [Product design](https://www.chaos.com/product-design) - [Software development](https://www.chaos.com/developers) - Learning & Community - [Learning](https://chaos.com/learning) - [Chaos Academy](https://academy.chaos.com/) - [Blog](https://blog.chaos.com/) - [CGconnect](https://chaos.com/cgconnect) - [Gallery](https://chaos.com/gallery) - [Forum](https://forums.chaos.com/) - Support - [Contact Support](https://chaos.com/contact-us) - [Help Center](https://support.chaos.com/hc/en-us) - [FAQ](https://support.chaos.com/hc/en-us/categories/360003671518-FAQ) - [Documentation](https://documentation.chaos.com/) - [Pricing](https://www.chaos.com/pricing) [Try](https://www.chaos.com/free-trial) [Buy](https://www.chaos.com/pricing) - Products - [Enscape](https://www.chaos.com/enscape) - [V-Ray](https://www.chaos.com/vray) - [Corona](https://www.chaos.com/corona) - [Veras](https://chaos.com/veras) - [Cloud](https://chaos.com/credits) - [V-Ray Blender](https://www.chaos.com/vray/blender) - [Arena](https://www.chaos.com/arena) - Industry solutions - [Education](https://www.chaos.com/education/educational-hub) - [Student](https://www.chaos.com/students) - [Educator](https://www.chaos.com/educators) - [Institutions](https://www.chaos.com/educational-institutions) - [Architectural design](https://www.chaos.com/architecture) - [Architectural visualization](https://www.chaos.com/architectural-visualization) - [Interior design](https://www.chaos.com/interior-design) - [Landscape rendering](https://www.chaos.com/landscape-architecture) - [Urban planning](https://www.chaos.com/urban-planning) - [Film and television VFX](https://www.chaos.com/film-vfx) - [Virtual production](https://www.chaos.com/virtual-production) - [Advertising](https://www.chaos.com/advertising) - [Automotive](https://www.chaos.com/automotive) - [Games](https://www.chaos.com/games) - [Product design](https://www.chaos.com/product-design) - [Software development](https://www.chaos.com/developers) - Learning & Community - [Learning](https://chaos.com/learning) - [Chaos Academy](https://academy.chaos.com/) - [Blog](https://blog.chaos.com/) - [CGconnect](https://chaos.com/cgconnect) - [Gallery](https://chaos.com/gallery) - [Forum](https://forums.chaos.com/) - Support - [Contact Support](https://chaos.com/contact-us) - [Help Center](https://support.chaos.com/hc/en-us) - [FAQ](https://support.chaos.com/hc/en-us/categories/360003671518-FAQ) - [Documentation](https://documentation.chaos.com/) - [Pricing](https://www.chaos.com/pricing) [Try](https://www.chaos.com/free-trial) [Buy](https://www.chaos.com/pricing) [\< All Blog Posts](https://blog.chaos.com) Henry Winchester Last updated: December 04, 2025  •  3 min read # Chaos premieres 'Ray Tracing FTW' short film **Summary:** - Film *Ray Tracing FTW* combines Western themes with a meta-commentary on VFX's impact on storytelling, showcasing Chaos Arena's virtual production technology. - Legendary cinematographer Richard Crudo utilized real-time ray tracing for creative freedom in lighting and composition without compromising image quality. - The virtual set, designed by Erick Schiele and created by The Scope, featured a detailed Western town and ran smoothly on Orbital Studios' virtual production stage. - High-quality assets allowed for real-time ray-traced visuals, quick rendering with Vantage, and effects-heavy shots with V-Ray, enhancing production flexibility. The boys are back in town! After the viral success of 2012’s V-Ray IRL, Martini Giant podcasters Chris Nichols, Dan Thron, and Erick Schiele return to the big screen with *Ray Tracing FTW*, a playful Western-themed meta-commentary on how VFX has affected storytelling in modern movies, *and* a demonstration of our new game-changing [virtual production technology](https://www.chaos.com/virtual-production), Chaos Arena. The film made use of a fusion of old-school and cutting-edge Hollywood technology. The virtual production elements of the shoot used Chaos’ innovative virtual production technology to create a convincing vision of the Wild West. Thanks to these innovative techniques, the team was able to bring on legendary cinematographer and six-time ASC president Richard Crudo to lens in-camera VFX shots with none of the frustrations of a game engine-based pipeline. Legendary cinematographer Richard Crudo composes a shot Richard had the chance to explore our virtual sets,” Chris said. “And with Chaos Arena’s real-time ray tracing, we didn’t need to bake lighting, and we could dynamically adjust anything, including the sun’s position, without sacrificing image quality. This gave Richard complete creative freedom so he could work in a CG environment with familiar tools and focus on lighting and composition, just like in the real world. ”Erick designed the set and then passed it over to The Scope for creation with its procedural generation expertise. Created virtually, this enormous asset consisted of an entire western town, miles of train tracks through a western prairie, a gorge, a bridge, and a tunnel. “The set, made of trillions of polygons, ran for days on the Orbital Studios’ virtual production stage without crashing once,” says James Blevins, virtual production producer. This single, high-quality asset gave the production unprecedented flexibility. The live-action crew could shoot real-time ray-traced visuals on the virtual stage with Arena, the Chaos team could quickly render shots with [Vantage](https://www.chaos.com/vantage), and Bottleship VFX could create effects-heavy shots with [V-Ray](https://www.chaos.com/vray). Read more on Arena: [Where icons meet innovation: Chaos Arena makes its debut in DBOX’s award-winning Bugatti Residences film](https://blog.chaos.com/dbox-chaos-arena?hsLang=en) Producer Chris enlisted seasoned filmmaker Dan to direct and talented artist Erick to handle the production design. All three joined forces to write the project, and Chaos’ Co-Founder and Head of Innovation, Vladimir “Vlado” Koylazov, served as executive producer (and train conductor). A host of Hollywood talent helped out with production. “The best thing about working with real high-end pros is that everyone just clicks together, like Legos,” says Dan. “We had a coherent voice and leadership from Chris and Vlado, to be able to know what we're trying to say. To get to these people and have it work is something that doesn't happen on regular film sets.” Director Daniel Thron The Hollywood talent wasn’t just behind the camera: *Ray Tracing FTW* features a who’s who of VFX legends demonstrating their acting chops. Keep your eyes peeled to see: - Digital Domain co-founder **Scott Ross** - *Avatar* sequels production designer **Ben Procter** - *What Dreams May Come* VFX supervisor **Kevin Mack** - *John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum* VFX supervisor **Robert Nederhorst** - Chair of the Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards Committee **Barbara Ford Grant** - Arnold creator **Marcos Fajardo** - Scanline VFX & Eyeline Studios CTO Sebastian Sylwan - Mesh co-founder James Blevins - Lux Machina’s founder Philip Galler - Chaos events manager Kristin Guinn Want to know more? Check out [our detailed guide](https://blog.chaos.com/join-the-ray-tracing-ftw-easter-egg-hunt?hsLang=en) on what to look out for in this Easter Egg-packed short. ## Watch *FTW's* prequel: *V-Ray IRL* *Ray Tracing FTW* isn’t the first time Chris and Dan have created a VFX-themed short. Back in 2012, they put together *V-Ray IRL*, an equally humorous look at how V-Ray’s features reflect the real world.   Want to unlock efficiency and creativity in your virtual productions? [Book your Chaos Arena demo now](https://www.chaos.com/arena#form). ### Ready to try Chaos products? Start your free trial today and explore all features. [Start Free Trial](https://www.chaos.com/free-trial) Share [mailto:?subject=Chaos%20premieres%20'Ray%20Tracing%20FTW'%20short%20film&body=Chaos%20premieres%20'Ray%20Tracing%20FTW'%20short%20film%20https://blog.chaos.com/chaos-premieres-ray-tracing-ftw-short-film](mailto:?subject=Chaos%20premieres%20'Ray%20Tracing%20FTW'%20short%20film&body=Chaos%20premieres%20'Ray%20Tracing%20FTW'%20short%20film%20https://blog.chaos.com/chaos-premieres-ray-tracing-ftw-short-film) [Real-Time Rendering](https://blog.chaos.com/tag/real-time-rendering) [Product updates](https://blog.chaos.com/tag/product-updates) [V-Ray](https://blog.chaos.com/tag/v-ray) [Vantage](https://blog.chaos.com/tag/vantage) [Industry insights](https://blog.chaos.com/tag/industry-insights) [Arena](https://blog.chaos.com/tag/arena) [virtual production](https://blog.chaos.com/tag/virtual-production) Henry Winchester Before his work with Chaos, Henry contributed to magazines and websites including PC Gamer, Stuff, T3, ImagineFX, Creative Bloq, TechRadar, and many more. He loves movies, cycling, and outrageously expensive coffee. ## Related Articles ### [September 29, 2026 From idea to editable model: Veras adds GPT-6 Astra & Claude Opus 5.5 Anna Markova  •  4 min read Read more](https://blog.chaos.com/veras-adds-gpt-6-astra-and-claude-opus-5.5?hsLang=en) ### [September 28, 2026 What 3D Software Should Architecture Students Learn First? A Career-Honest Answer Ana Savova  •  11 min read Read more](https://blog.chaos.com/best-3d-software-architecture-students?hsLang=en) ### [September 23, 2026 Rendering, Visualization, and Illustration in Architecture: What Each Term Actually Means Teodora Mircheva  •  8 min read Read more](https://blog.chaos.com/rendering-vs-visualization-vs-illustration-architecture?hsLang=en) [Visit the blog for more articles](https://blog.chaos.com) ## Subscribe to Our Blog Get the best tips and articles delivered straight to your inbox! Subscribe to our newsletter. 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Chaos®, V-Ray® and Phoenix FD® are registered trademarks of Chaos Software EOOD in Bulgaria and/or other countries. - [Terms of use](https://www.chaos.com/terms) - [Privacy policy](https://www.chaos.com/privacy) - [Legal](https://www.chaos.com/legal) - [Sitemap](https://www.chaos.com/sitemap) - Cookie-Einstellungen Legendary cinematographer Richard Crudo composes a shot Director Daniel Thron ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Henry Winchester", "url" : "https://blog.chaos.com/author/henry-winchester" }, "dateModified" : "2025-12-04T11:26:10.744Z", "datePublished" : "2024-09-11T22:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "Chaos premieres 'Ray Tracing FTW' short film", "image" : [ "https://blog.chaos.com/hubfs/ray-tracing-ftw-1200x650.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.chaos.com/chaos-premieres-ray-tracing-ftw-short-film", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.chaos.com/hubfs/Chaos_Icon_Colour_RGB.png" }, "name" : "Chaos Software GmbH" } } ```