Implementing Virtual Production with Chroma Key Techniques for the Digital Transformation of Ludruk Performances

Abstract

Ludruk performing arts are currently facing challenges to their sustainability due to limited performance spaces, a lack of innovation, and declining audience regeneration caused by shifts in public media consumption toward digital platforms. The transformation of ludruk into digital media has emerged as a strategy to expand audience reach and maintain its relevance in the modern era. At the same time, virtual production technology has developed rapidly, offering greater artistic flexibility in audiovisual production. However, its application as a preservation strategy for ludruk, particularly in small-scale productions, has received limited scholarly attention. This study aims to analyze the implementation of chroma key-based virtual production in the digital ludruk performance entitled Gagak Seto. The research employed a qualitative approach using practice-based research, supported by observation, documentation, and evaluation of both the production process and the resulting visual output. The study resulted in a 25-minute video integrating live-action footage with semi-realistic three-dimensional environments. Cinematographic techniques were applied to enhance visual aesthetics and provide a more dynamic viewing experience compared with conventional stage recordings. The findings indicate that chroma key-based virtual production can be effectively implemented in limited production settings as an alternative approach to preserving ludruk in the digital era, although the final visual quality remains dependent on available resources and production capacity.