23 began as an experimental and groundbreaking project by On Air Milano, a production company with over 30 years of experience.
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It stemmed from the somewhat "crazy" idea of a producer and a director who felt the need to innovate in the industry. The timing was perfect: the director already had a story in mind for a short film, and the producer wanted to test the new Virtual Production volume with a significant production, featuring direction and cinematography meeting cinematic standards.
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Traditionally, filming the short would have required numerous crew relocations across multiple locations as per the script, leading to extended production times.
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The decision was made to shoot entirely in Virtual Production, seizing the opportunity to fully develop this new technology.
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Virtual Production relies on an ledwall displaying the chosen environment, previously created with 3D modeling software. The background is rendered on the ledwall, maintaining proper perspective for the camera capturing the scene. The result is a seamless blend of actors, physical set and virtual background.
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The crew was assembled by selecting top talents from various sectors, all sharing the common goal of achieving maximum realism. Additionally, they included a surprise for the audience: a long take that reveals the technology, showcasing its immense potential. The scene transitions through four different environments in a single shot, each distinct with entirely different lighting: from a museum to a nightclub, then to a nighttime street, and concluding in an enclosed parking lot. Filming this long take required only a few attempts during the five days needed to complete the entire short film.
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This film served as an excellent testing ground to achieve operational perfection for the studio and the dedicated team at On Air Milano.

Elia Castangia began his career as a screenwriter and personal assistant to Salvatore Nocita, learning a "traditional" approach to filmmaking, which he combined with his passion for technology and its advancements. He honed his skills starting with short films, then moving on to visuals for musical events, live concert direction, and documentaries. His career progressed into advertising, creating commercials for international clients and sketch-coms for branded entertainment. The series "Scatola nera" for Amazon Prime Video was a pivotal project, allowing him to work on a scripted project with broad scope, which fortunately led to the streaming service commissioning a second season.
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In 23, he returns to his roots, working on a short film after fifteen years, driven by curiosity to use an innovative tool like Virtual Production and the desire to explore the central theme of his personal cinematic research: what is true and what is false in a narrative? The thrilling element of the session between a psychiatrist, guilty of hubris, and an enigmatic and captivating stalker, ready to change her story as needed, revolves around the uncertainty of which character deserves the audience's sympathy. Suspended in a narrative that visually contradicts itself, the viewer of 23 ultimately faces the stalker's pointed question during the session:
"If I feel what I feel, am I bad, or do I only become so if I can't control my desires?"
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FILMOGRAPHY
2013 - “Il perché non lo so" - Docufilm about Margherita Hack | Sperling & Kupfer
2018 - "Love Snack" - Mini TV Series - 60 Episodes | Italia 1
2019 - "Scatola nera" - TV Series - 8 Episodes | Amazon Prime Video
2020 - "Nella scatola nera" - TV Series - 8 Episodes | Amazon Prime Video
2022 - "Tipi da crociera" - TV Series - 6 Episodes | Italia 1