Mediapro opens New York virtual production studio
June 17, 2024
Mediapro is set to inaugurate a new virtual production studio in Manhattan, New York, in a project within the framework of the group’s strategic plan to equip all its production centres with virtual technology having already implemented virtual sets in its production centers in Miami (US), Barcelona (Spain) and Lisbon (Portugal).
With a presence on the American continent spanning over 25 years, Mediapro will equip its Hudson Yards studio (1,200 m²), in the center of Manhattan, with a large, 54m² LED screen. This latest service from Mediapro comes on the heels of the agreement signed between Mediapro North America and creative tech company Vü Virtual Studio Network, who will provide the studio with state-of-the-art technology. Plans are in the pipeline for the group to open virtual sets in Toronto (Canada) and Mexico City (Mexico) in the near future.
While the VP sets in Miami and Barcelona are equipped with LEDs and chroma key to adapt the technology to the needs of the production, the one in Lisbon, being smaller, uses chroma technology. These facilities are already operating at full capacity and have delivered major productions, including the first European film made entirely in virtual production (Parenostre) and shot in Barcelona (pictured), as well as advertisements and video clips, such as the video Latin Grammy Award-winning group Gente de Zona shot at the largest VP studio in southern Florida belonging to the group and located in Miami.
Virtual production offers advantages over the traditional equivalent, the most important of which being that it affords directors and artistic crews greater control over the end result as modifications can be introduced during filming, notes Mediapro. Virtual production also allows for a significant reduction in filming schedules as projects are not subject to travel, schedules or adverse weather conditions. As such, filming a virtual production is far more sustainable than traditional filming, eradicating the need to transport large crews of broadcast professionals and technical equipment, thereby minimising carbon footprint. A virtual shoot represents a reduction of between 76 per cent and 80 per cent in CO₂ emissions compared to the conventional counterpart.