Levelling Up Fund: Flexible Virtual Production

This is an application from Ulster University to the Levelling Up Fund application for a 'Flexible Virtual Production Studio 2' as part of an extended offering at Studio Ulster. The bid is for capital funding for equipment to support a range of activity focused on Virtual Production. Virtual Production (VP) is a rapidly developing suite of technologies and methodologies for screen content production, that provides a nexus of key areas which are already established strengths at Ulster University and more widely in the region, namely: Film, Broadcast, Animation, Games, Immersive (VR, AR, MR). FVPS 2 is an additional component in the City Deal-approved Studio Ulster (previously known as the Screen Media Innovation Lab or SMIL). This pillar innovation project introduced in response to rapidly increased industry demand for VP capacity, confirmed in consultations with leading global (Netflix, Universal, Sony) and indigenous (Humain, Taunt, Retinize) companies after the approval of the SMIL OBC. An additional 1500m2 of space has been secured for FVPS 2 in the Belfast Harbour build of SMIL providing the opportunity to develop a complementary flexible VP specification which will attract significant further FDI and provide greater access for local companies and additional capacity for skills and talent development through collaboration across HE, FE, schools, and community innovation hubs. Complementing the large-scale Virtual Production Stage, Motion Capture and 3D Scanning Studios already planned for Studio Ulster, the extra FVPS 2 facility would offer: • Large infinity green screen 450m2 (entire studio is green or blue screen as required) • Full/Double Height (required for stunts and feature film/drama production with large props) • Single camera tracking solution (MoSys) • Camera with prime lens package (Arri package with appropriate FIZ lenses) • Lighting (for scalable green screen and base-level testing) • Configured computing power to supply real-time environments • Scalable configurable LED video wall supported by photorealistic environments • LiDAR Scanner, UAV LiDAR drone, photogrammetry cameras, HDR balls, computers, and software. FVPS 2 will expedite VP adoption at a significantly faster rate within our indigenous businesses. The flexible configurability and reduced utilisation costs are more closely aligned with the needs of smaller productions and those key early adopters in NI looking to grow their business vertically. Given the additional range of technologies bringing in multiple areas of VP, FVPS 2 doubles the capacity for skills development and increases the number and range of jobs that are needed for this type of studio. FVPS 2 also cascades into other sectors, generating a need for CGI characters from animation companies and environments from games design companies. Significantly, there is currently no LiDAR provision in the creative digital sector in NI. The ability of LiDAR to scan sets and locations, a crucial element in VP, currently has to be imported into NI at substantial cost. FVPS 2 would enable new RandD capability and the potential to create new business in this area, given cross over with other industries such as digital twinning and environmental management. Consultation with the Head of VFX on the new ‘Pinocchio’ film by Disney (Kevin Baillie), confirmed that a significant portion of the film was shot in an almost identical flexible VP stage this year. Bringing this capability to Northern Ireland levels up what we can do locally.