STS Communication Elevates VP Capabilities
Forged nearly four decades ago, Italy-based STS Communication is today a full-service provider, delivering technical expertise and top-tier equipment for corporate and special events, music tours, exhibitions, brand activations, broadcast TV, as well as fashion and retail projects. As a member of the PRG Alliance, the company stands as one of Italy’s pioneers in deploying Virtual Production, prominently featured in two state-of-the-art multifunctional STStudios: CR49 and Studio1D, both powered by Brompton Technology LED processing with Absen LED panels.
“Aimed at cinematic virtual productions, CR49 features a comprehensive setup, including a camera tracking system, media servers for background plate playout, render nodes for Unreal Engine photorealistic 3D content, and a highly skilled crew,” explains Alessandro Rosani, Chief Technology Officer at STS Communication. The curved LED wall at CR49 studio spans 24m by 6m and is comprised of Absen P2.5 XR Pro panels, accompanied by four movable blocks of P3.9 LED panels on the roof totaling 50sqm. Additionally, two 3m by 2m LED displays on trolleys complete the setup, integrated with three 4K Tessera SX40 LED processors and six Tessera XD 10G data distribution units.
The Studio1D primarily caters for online events, product presentations, and live or on-demand talk shows. Sporting a square shape, Studio 1D boasts an 18m by 4m LED wall and floor. The studio is set to undergo shortly that will incorporate Absen PL2.5 XR Pro LED and Brompton 4K Tessera SX40 LED processors, expanding its capabilities for virtual production. “Our recent investments in a large quantity of Absen PL2.5 LED panels respond to numerous requests for temporary studio installations at our customers’ premises,” Rosani notes. “Our choice of Brompton Technology LED processing,” he continues, “stems from its remarkable video processing capabilities, delivering vivid and natural colors even at low brightness. Additionally, Tessera’s ShutterSync feature enables precise and efficient adjustments, ensuring a seamless match with the camera in a few simple steps.”
All Absen LED panels have undergone calibration using Brompton’s all-in-one Hydra advanced measurement system, unlocking Dynamic Calibration and Brompton HDR. These empower users to tailor panel performance and appearance on-the-fly, alongside performance-enhancing features like PureTone and ThermaCal. “Among our favorite Tessera features are ShutterSync and color correction tools like OSCA and ChromaTune. Moreover, the Tessera interface is very user-friendly and easy to learn. It enables complete control and monitoring of LED panels which, in return, streamlines our day-to-day workflows and greatly increases our team’s efficiency,” explains Rosani.
Since their inception, the studios have been utilized for filming commercials and music videos, as well as collaborating with world-renowned brands like Vodafone and Toyota, among others. Applauding the continuous support they receive from Brompton, Rosani states that they can count on Brompton’s team “across all stages of the project. From design to final display tuning, we are extremely content with the support received from Brompton. Their dedication is truly 24/7.”
Considering future opportunities with Absen and Brompton LED processing, Rosani emphasizes their agility in rapidly deploying ad hoc cinematic Virtual Production technologies across various venues. “We’ve executed this for a film shoot on a train in a railway workshop and in a large warehouse replicating cruise ship cabins. With our clients’ creative visions, we’re equipped to realize any such projects, crafting high-tech VP setups driven by our expert team and cutting-edge technologies from Absen and Brompton Technology,” he says.
“Being among the pioneering facilities in Italy to harness the immense creative potential of Virtual Production not only gives STS Communication a significant edge in this field but also instils a sense of responsibility to keep pushing the boundaries of this exciting technology,” concludes Dries Vermeulen, Business Development Manager – Europe at Brompton. “We’re pleased to see CR49 studio, and soon also Studio1D, fully leveraging Brompton LED processing alongside our other innovative technologies such as Dynamic Calibration and Brompton HDR, unleashing the full potential of their LED panels.”
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Miami University’s State-of-the-Art XR Stage
In a grand ribbon-cutting ceremony at the newly constructed Richard M. McVey Data Science Building, Oxford, OH-based Miami University proudly revealed its extended reality (XR) stage for the education of students in real-time workflows. Meptik, a leader in creative and technical services for virtual and immersive productions, spearheaded the design and installation of the stage, providing students with the opportunity to craft innovative audience experiences. As part of Disguise, the go-to platform for visual experiences, Meptik are transforming immersive entertainment globally with cutting-edge technology and end-to-end, world-class services.
The official introduction of the stage marks a groundbreaking addition to Miami University’s commitment to offering students hands-on learning opportunities in conceiving, developing, creating and deploying next-generation media solutions. With unique courses centered around the new LED volume, the university is advancing education in emerging technologies in an unprecedented manner. Within Miami University’s College of Creative Arts, the Emerging Technology in Business and Design undergraduate and graduate program students will now be able to explore the complexities of designing visuals for LED stages. Students will also be able to learn how to manage LED stage technical integrations.
Courses will cover a wide range of fields, including conventional VFX and animation, interactive installations, projection mapping, virtual production, digital set design, technical integration and extended reality applications in broadcast. The curriculum aims to provide students with foundational expertise to integrate into a community of creative technologists, serving various sectors within the entertainment industry to create experiences that appeal to a generation of audiences that want more immersive content than ever before.
“The design of this space and the hardware are unique to the curriculum we teach at the University,” said Ben Nicholson, Immersive and Reactive Lab and XR stage director at Miami University. “We don’t want our students to function as single platform base users. We want them to know how and why equipment works and reinforce that immersive technologies are ecosystems that must be maintained and understood. Our system here was designed as a multiple input system to the wall where we can teach several methodologies, including Disguise virtual production and extended reality workflows amongst others. Additionally, all the systems can play together to do deeply integrated interactions involving people tracking, moving light programming via Unreal Engine and sound reactive installations, to name a few. Meptik’s team was clever in how they met these demands and even included and taught our students about the actual installation process.”
Working in conjunction with Rogue Productions for LED panel installation, StYpe for tracking system calibration and lighting designer Paul Guthrie, Meptik’s technical experts led the design, installation and integration of the university’s virtual production stage. Building on the successes of integrating two full virtual production facilities at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), Meptik remains at the forefront of introducing innovative workflows to academic environments.
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Virtual Production Showcased at FILMART
FILMART is recognized as one of the premier events in the global film industry and serves as Asia’s largest film, television, and entertainment content marketplace. A gathering of the Hong Kong International Film & TV Market, brought together by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, for the the four-day event in mid March at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. With a primary focus on virtual production as a cornerstone in the evolution of visual storytelling, co-exhibitors, and industry leaders, AOTO, Brompton, and Disguise, joined with Hong Kong-based film production company Votion Studios. Together they illuminated the transformative power of virtual production and its applications in film, entertainment, and commercials. Of particular focus was the AI in virtual production. This collaboration not only engaged industry stalwarts from over 30 countries with its groundbreaking visual effects and creative latitude but also garnered accolades from luminary attending directors such as Yuen Woo Ping.
Going into FILMART, Roger Proeis, Co-Founder of Votion Studios, noted, “We are thrilled to showcase the power of virtual production at FILMART. It’s a great opportunity for us to demonstrate the limitless creative possibilities that can be achieved through this ground-breaking technology.” For their part, Disguise showcased its VP 2.0, Disguise 2.5D workflow, and the integration with Cuebric and Volinga at this year’s FILMART. While Brompton showcased the key capabilities and latest features of its Tessera LED processing range to the burgeoning filmmaking community in Hong Kong. General Manager of China at Brompton Technology, Pokman Chu, explained they wanted to reach, “Filmmakers, content creators, and those in the broadcast industry, by demonstrating Brompton’s capabilities and features relevant to these sectors, our key objective is to establish an ecosystem where we can offer expertise and training, as well as foster effective collaborations with our existing and prospective customers.”
Wu Wei, VP at AOTO commented of working with Brompton, “Partnering with Brompton puts us at the forefront of LED processing technology.” As vanguards of LED Virtual Production, AOTO is certainly at the forefront of integrating AI to redefine the virtual production landscape, in collaboration with their top-tier partners, further pushing the industry envelope. The unveiling of AOTO’s innovative AI+LED VP Solutions underscored the company’s commitment to pioneering in the field. “At FILMART, we’re targeting sectors within the film industry, including VP and XR virtual live broadcasts, press conferences, and the advertising industry. AOTO’s goal is to demonstrate the versatility and impact of our LED solutions across various applications, from blockbuster movie productions to dynamic advertising campaigns,” stated Wei.
A New Frontier
AI+AOTO LED Virtual Production, AOTO’s LED VP studios, powered by AI, herald a new era in scene tracking and content rendering, bridging the gap between background and foreground dynamics to forge immersive, high-quality virtual productions. This advancement facilitates markerless motion capture, mimicking real-life movements and expressions with unparalleled accuracy, streamlining the data processing workflow, and significantly cutting costs. The result? Complex virtual production projects are now within reach, more streamlined, and economically viable.
As AI cements its role in virtual production, particularly in rendering, character animation, scene comprehension, and natural language processing, AOTO’s collaborations with industry frontrunners like Votion Studios, Brompton, and Disguise are amplifying AOTO’s capabilities in virtual filmmaking, setting new industry standards.
A Seal of Approval
Director Yuen Woo Ping’s visit to the AOTO booth was a testament to the seismic shifts underway in virtual production technology. Convinced of its potential to redefine martial arts and action cinematography, Yuen Woo Ping lauded the tech’s evolutionary impact on filmmaking. His reflections on Hong Kong’s film technology underscored a pressing need for acceleration to match global tech advancements. During discussions with AOTO Vice President Wu Wei, Yuen stated, “Innovation is key in filmmaking, and technology must be cutting-edge. I support the development of new film technologies.” His establishment of the Action Lab with tech aficionados aims to cultivate and disseminate groundbreaking visual effects technology, striving for industry-wide excellence.
Yuen Woo Ping’s dedication to embracing new film technologies and his commitment to continual learning resonate deeply, setting a benchmark for the industry. His enthusiasm for AI+LED Virtual Production paves the way for groundbreaking advancements in Hong Kong cinema and beyond. As AOTO looks to the future, their commitment to research, innovation, and collaboration with global partners remains unwavering. AOTO’s journey—as is Brompton’s, Disguise’s, and Votion Studios—is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of virtual production technology, ensuring the delivery of unparalleled visual experiences to audiences worldwide.
