Virtual Production Studio Lab | 2022-2024

Virtual Production Studio Lab | 2022-2024

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Closing summary

The Virtual Production Studio Lab (VPSL), led by Blekinge Tekniska Högskola (BTH), is a groundbreaking initiative to establish a cutting-edge virtual production environment. Running from September 2022 to December 2024, VPSL connects film, gaming, and manufacturing industries, fostering research, education, and commercial applications.

VPSL aimed to:

  • Develop a world-class virtual production studio.
  • Create a sustainable business model for academic and commercial use.
  • Integrate research and education, training future specialists.
  • Position Blekinge as a hub for creative industries.

Key Achievements

  1. Infrastructure & Location
    • A 25x6m re-configurable LED virtual production wall was secured through an EU procurement process with Creative Technology.
    • Karlskrona Blue Port Studios (Blåport) became VPSL’s permanent home.
  2. Education & Research
    • Integrated into Sweden’s first Virtual Production course (ME1654) and BTH’s Digital Visual Production programs.
    • Created VPSL as test lab for research, education and experimentation.
  3. Industry Collaboration
    • Partnered with RESIST EU, AXESS, CiSMA, and other research projects with a total value of 400 msek.
    • Hosted 1,200+ visitors and 50+ industry demonstrations.
  4. Business Model & Sustainability
    • A dual-use framework enables industry access.

VPSL successfully established a world-class virtual production facility, securing long-term industry partnerships, education programs, and municipal support. It is now a key hub for digital visualization and creative technology innovation.

Inauguration of the lab at Carl Film Forum.

The project

The Virtual Production Studio Lab project is led by Blekinge Institute of Technology and will be a technically innovative arena and a place where the movie and gaming industry meets the traditional manufacturing industry and creates excellence in Blekinge. The VPSL will be the infrastructure foundation for a clustre within Virtual Production, and together with the business community do research and develop the technology, as well as create training courses and educational programmes to secure the skills needed around the technology.

The VPSL is the 4th iteration of the Model Driven Decision Arena that have been developed and used in industrial modelling and simulation projects, and now is being scaled up for use also with other disciplines as movie industry, game industry, marine technology etc.

How it started, the Model Driven Decision Arena (version 3)

Prototype installation – the MVP journey

During November 2022 to January 2023 the project had a prototype installation of the VPSL in order to explore what solutions and tech is going to be part of the final setup. This prototype have the following equipment and it was used to try out several scenarios via minimum viable prototypes (mvp):

  • 10×3.5 meter curved wall
  • 150 LED panels (2.5mm Absen Polaris 2.5 Pro V2)
  • List & Label Report
  • Novastar – LED Screen Processor – MCTRL4K
  • LED Control Laptop
  • Camera Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Pro 12K
  • Blackmagic Design Video Assist 12G HDR 7 camera monitor
  • Aputure Ls 600c Pro RBGWW Video Lighting
  • Aputure Nova P600C RGBWW LED-panel Kit with Hard-Shell Case
  • Qualisys motion tracking system MIQUS 3 cameras (12 units) and QTM software.
  • Render node / Controller node computers with NVIDIA graphics
VPSL demo setup with Volvo CE scale site pieces and machines
Movie production demo
Industrial product development demo

By doing several minimum viable prototypes (MVP’s) the tech specifications for the VPSL have been developed together with production flow process to enter into a mode of making choices for final VPSL. The aim for the final setup is a potential screen area of 150 m2 by use of 600 panels that can be configured in different formats, but where a setup of 20 by 5 meters is seen as the default, with also a moving panel of some 2 by 3 meters and potentital roof mounted LED’s too.

The MVP path towards establishing VPSL.

The final tech selection

Creative Technology won the procurement of the selected technology (per 202406) and in the final solution the tech are:

  • 25×6 meter wall (8624 * 2112 = 18 Megapixels) and a 4×3 moveable wall
  • 600 LED panels (ROE Black Pearl 2 Pixel pitch 2.84 M1515 1500nt – 500x500mm, 95W average / 190 W max)
  • Brompton Video Processor SX40 x3
  • Brompton Distribution Box XD
  • Camera Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Pro 12K
  • Blackmagic Design Video Assist 12G HDR 7 camera monitor
  • Aputure Ls 600c Pro RBGWW Video Lighting
  • Aputure Nova P600C RGBWW LED-panel Kit with Hard-Shell Case
  • Render node / Controller node computers with NVIDIA graphics
  • Qualisys Motion Tracking
  • LED Control Laptop
  • Truss
Final installation of VPSL.
Testing motion
Timelapse of installation

The facilities

The VPSL space is at Blåportsgatan 10 in Karlskrona. The facilites are 10.4 m high (floor to inner rafters) and the open floor is 41 meters deep, and 36 meters wide totalling around 1500 m2. Then there are meeting rooms, restrooms, showers, kitchen etc and a lounge area on second floor, of around 350 m2.

Research

The VPSL will be used in digital twin research and the research agenda around sustainable and digital product service systems at Product Development Research Lab (Department of Mechanical Engineering, TIMA), and it will be used in connection to research projects like ViaTech with a focus on novel visual and interactive applications offering sustainable quality and enhanced immersive experiences, and also the HINTS: Human-Centered Intelligent Realities project, both with Department of Computer Science (DIDA) and Department of Technology and Aesthetics (DITE).

Educational connection

The VPSL will be used also for students in their educational programmes and especially within:

  • Civilingenjör i maskinteknik, 300 hp
  • Civilingenjör i marin teknik, 300 hp
  • Civilingenjör i spelteknik, 300 hp
  • Design av digitala och immersiva upplevelser, 180 hp
  • Högskoleingenjör i maskinteknik, 180 hp
  • Högskoleingenjör i teknisk spelgrafik, 180 hp
  • Produktutveckling, 120 hp

There will also be indivual academic courses and shorter applied courses in collaboration with Hyper Island Karlskrona.

Project info

BTH project leader: Professor Tobias Larsson

Time span: 20220901 – 20241231

Funding: 18.9 MSEK (6 MSEK ERUF Region Blekinge)

Partners:

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