Brompton Technology Fuels Distortion Studios
Supported with funding from Creative UK and in partnership with iMAG Displays, Bristol-based Distortion Studios is the first permanent Virtual Production studio in the South West of England. The innovative 200m² facility is part of Distortion Creative Group Limited, which includes Studio Giggle and Distortion Productions. Utilizing industry gold standard Brompton LED processing to power its impressive ROE Visual LED volume, Distortion Studios sets a new benchmark in virtual production in the region.
Distortion Creative Group’s has a long-standing partnership with iMAG. Together, they have delivered various projects for clients such as OVO Energy and CVC Capital Partners. “When the group decided to launch a specialist virtual production studio, which is the only one in Bristol and the only permanent setup available west of Reading, we approached iMAG to partner with us on the project to supply the LED wall and Brompton Technology LED processing for the studio,” says Distortion Studios Managing Director, Jonathan Brigden. “We believe their expertise in LED is unparalleled, so we had full confidence they would be an excellent partner for this project.”
iMAG’s MD and Technical Director, Alex Strachan, worked closely with Brigden and Nick Diacre, Distortion Studios’ Technical Director, choosing the combination of ROE Visual and Brompton Technology primarily due to its proven reliability. “We knew it would work consistently,” Strachan notes and adds that “the level of control this combination offers surpasses other products in the market!” Diacre emphasizes that both solutions are perfect for studio use, offering “unprecedented color control through Brompton’s Tessera software. This capability, along with their support and widespread use of Brompton and ROE, has been immensely beneficial to our production. Color management is a standout feature, and having absolute control is crucial.”
Distortion Studios’ setup features a Brompton 4K Tessera SX40 LED processor and two Tessera 10G data distribution units, with the team considering adding a second SX40 to accommodate the growing demand for high-speed commercial shooting. The Brompton LED processing drives an impressive 11m x 4m curved LED Volume comprising ROE Black Pearl 2 V2 LED panels and two 2x3m mobile LED panels. Additionally, the studio boasts two Stype RedSpy tracking systems and Stage Precision as part of its equipment lineup.
“Our unique and long-term partnership with iMAG and their wonderful team of trusted experts is key to the ongoing success of our business,” Brigden explains. “We rely on their knowledge and skill with specialist equipment to ensure that every single event, production or installation is reliable, high quality and, most importantly, has a supportive and collaborative team. The iMAG team are second to none.”
Patrick Goodden, Technical Sales Manager (UK and Ireland) at Brompton Technology concludes, “We are thrilled that Distortion Studios is opening doors to new possibilities for companies in the South West region, offering top-tier VP technology for diverse creative content, from filmmaking and documentaries to TV series and commercial projects. It’s also fantastic to see iMAG supporting the studio with a high-end LED setup that includes our Tessera SX40 LED processing. We can’t wait to see all the great projects that the team will undertake in the future.” Learn more about Brompton Technology at www.bromptontech.com.
X3D Studio Sets New Benchmark with a World First
Housed in a 40,000 sq ft historic site of an old power station and after S$8 million of refurbishments, X3D Studio boasts an unrivaled scale as the largest virtual production studio in Southeast Asia and located in Singapore. The state-of-the-art studio offers pioneering technology and advanced facilities on par with leading studios around the world. X3D Studio is poised to propel the nation’s emerging industry forward as the world’s first virtual ICVFX (In-Camera Visual Effects) production studio accredited by ARRI, a leading film technology and solutions provider dedicated to connecting creativity and future technologies for moving images and live entertainment.
“We are very proud to launch an exciting new industry for Singapore and provide filmmakers with the technology, tools, and creative support to enable their vision to be realized. Singapore, being a place with fewer filming spaces, is the ideal city to support and be one of the leaders for Virtual Production,” said Karen Seah, Co-founder and CEO of X3D Studio and Refinery Media.
As veterans of the film and TV industry and storytellers at heart, Myke Brown, co-founder and VP technical designer of X3D Studio, emphasizes their mission to support other creatives by providing innovative solutions. “X3D Studio is the world’s first virtual ICVFX production stage accredited by ARRI, poised to propel Singapore and the greater Southeast Asian region’s emerging industry forward,” he says.
The Latest in VP Technology
X3D Studio houses INFiLED’s state-of-the-art LED display, which boasts impressive specs in color accuracy, pixel pitch resolution, vivid color reproduction and wide dynamic range. Additionally, the integration of INFiLED’s revolutionary CBSF (Color & Brightness Shift Free) Technology ensures consistent color and brightness across a wide range of viewing angles in all conditions. Driving this impressive LED setup are seven 4K Tessera SX40 LED processors and 11 Tessera 10G data distribution units, providing a flexible and sophisticated single-box solution designed specifically for the challenges of large LED volumes. Its integration with 7x customized render nodes featuring A6000 Ada Generation GPUs provides the processing muscle to handle even the most demanding visuals. All INFiLED panels have been calibrated with Brompton’s Hydra advanced measurement system to enable Dynamic Calibration features, taking full advantage of Brompton HDR. “We chose Brompton’s Tessera SX40 processors for their reliable performance and exceptional color accuracy, providing the necessary processing power to meet our ICVFX demands,” says Brown.
Motion capture technology provider OptiTrack®™ offers precision camera tracking and 3D motion capture technology, allowing accurate and high-performance results on-set. The studio uses a mix of OptiTrack Prime X 41 and Prime X 22 motion capture cameras to track the cinema cameras’ movements and outputs the motion data in real-time to adjust the visual perspective of the background content on the LED screen. The motion capture cameras can also track props, lights and multiple actors’ full-body motion simultaneously for use in animation.
First Virtual Production Stage to be Accredited by ARRI Solutions
ARRI Stage Accreditation is an international program delivered by ARRI Solutions. It utilizes ARRI’s deep expertise in image quality, efficient studio design, and reliable workflows to set the benchmark for best-in-class virtual production environments. This accreditation entailed a rigorous consultancy and evaluation process across a range of workflows, metadata, colour, technical and structural criteria, as well as integration and training for X3D Studio’s technicians on digital production solutions, including ARRI’s Color Management for Virtual Production workflow and metadata integration. X3D Studio customers also benefit from state-of-the-art ARRI technology, including an ALEXA 35 camera and Signature Prime lenses, SkyPanel X, classic SkyPanel and Orbiter lighting fixtures. Learn more at X3D Studio at www.x3dstudio.com.
