In September, construction will begin on Europe’s largest projector-based Virtual Production wall in Studio Fares in Trollhättan. Film i Väst is investing in a new technical solution for a specially designed projection wall. This creates completely new possibilities for recording in the 36 × 36 meter large studio.
The investment is initially a collaboration with Igelkott Studios, a leading total supplier within Virtual Production in Sweden, but other partners may also be involved. At the same time, Igelkott Väst AB is opening operations in Trollhättan. The projector based Virtual Production wall will be one of the largest in the world and can be used in early 2023.
– With the help of Igelkott Studios, we can now take Virtual Production technology to a new and very high level. If we are to maintain our strong position in the film area, we must expand production facilities and keep up with technical developments. The new projection wall contributes to Västra Götaland being able to receive larger Swedish and international productions. It will be even more interesting with the new national production incentives, says Mikael Fellenius, CEO of Film i Väst.
For a few years now, the largest films and studios have been using Virtual Production. That is why Film i Väst is now investing in a projector solution that can better show deep colors and that creates a pixel-free surface that can be sharpened, without compromising on quality.
This also requires a large wall surface, which is painted with a very special color, on which everything can be projected. This makes individual film projects very difficult to handle financially. This is what Film i Väst is now investing in its own studio, Studio Fares, in Trollhättan. The projection wall itself will be 24 meters wide and eight meters high.
Igelkott Studios has extensive experience of Virtual Production and has, among other things, specialized in car scenes. Eric Hasso is a Projection FX Producer and says that there are two major advantages to the new technology.
– Since Studio Fares gets a specially built projection wall that is 24 times eight meters, productions can adapt their budget to how much space is needed, by renting the right number of projectors. A luxury that should not be underestimated. The other big advantage is Studio Fares will be alone in offering such a large flat wall which, due to its projector-based solution, creates a pixel-free background. This is an opportunity that Film i Väst’s competitors cannot offer. Large LEDs must be curved and the pixels are always separated, says Eric Hasso.
Virtual Production means that you can interact with the background. Directing does not have to explain the environment in which the scene takes place. Film teams and actors immediately see the result around them. If you film against a “green screen”, you do not really know what you are working with, because backgrounds are only developed afterwards.
The investment is also part of Film i Väst’s sustainability work, as Virtual Production enables reduced travel to distant filming environments.
– The audiovisual world of which we are a part has expanded, not least through an increased number of film and drama series productions. Film i Väst wants in every way to contribute to Västra Götaland being at the forefront of development, both in terms of technology and competence, says Tyler Reid, Regional Developer of Infrastructure & Post Production at Film i Väst.
Earlier this spring, Film i Väst visited Cinecittà film studios in Rome, which is at the forefront of technological development. One result of the trip is an exchange program for film workers in Västra Götaland that aims at skills development in new technology and where they can learn virtual production in practice.
Film i Väst has also initiated a collaboration with the University of Skövde, which has northern Europe’s largest and by far Sweden’s widest range of computer game educations and Skövde Game Arena (SGA). The collaboration aims to identify common areas of knowledge and industry exchange in the audiovisual industry, the gaming industry and film and drama production.
