New TV series has live actors, CGI sets

NEW YORK, April 2 (UPI) -- The new U.S. drama "Sanctuary" is to be the first television series to feature live-action actors against primarily virtual sets, the Sci Fi Channel announced.

The technique was used to shoot the feature films "300" and "Sin City."

"Sanctuary" began online as the world's first high-definition science fiction Web series. Production on the television version is expected to begin this month.

The 13-episode season of the one-hour drama is to debut this fall.

"In this revolutionary approach to television, 90 percent of the sets are (computer generated,) allowing the writers to create an expansive world untethered from the normal television budget restrictions," the Sci Fi Channel said in press notes about the show, which stars Amanda Tapping, Emilie Ullerup and Robin Dunne.