Dimension and 80six launch new XR studio at Future of Film Summit

Working in collaboration with technology partner 80six, Dimension announces a revolutionary new XR studio for creating innovative, extended reality events, dramas, broadcasts and live performances.

For the introduction to this year’s Future of Film Summit, founder and host Alex Stolz delivers his opening keynote address on a virtual stage, captured at the Dimension/80six studio.

Through a combination of LED screen technology, video game engines, camera-tracking and disguise servers, XR stages are delivering new creative opportunities for sports broadcasting, live music performances, virtual events and drama. From beaming in of humans for holographic interviews to AR visualisations, XR stage functionality is rapidly evolving.

While creatives, producers and artists are increasingly looking to virtual technologies to deliver experiences that have not been possible during this year’s lockdown conditions, XR stages have been developing in recent years as an innovative solution to engaging new audiences with futuristic new functionality.

Capturing content in an XR studio means a performer or host can see and interact with the content around them in a natural way, with realistic light provided by the LED screens. The scene, designed and built in Unreal Engine or in Notch, can be virtually extended into a 360 degree world. All aspects of scene and lighting are controlled by the push of a button.

Earlier this year, Dimension and 80six collaborated to deliver the longest ever XR live broadcast for the first virtual Notting Hill Carnival. Dimension has also worked closely with Eurosport this year to deliver a brand new studio that brings fans even closer to the action: the Eurosport Cube, which has been heralded one of the most important developments in sports broadcasting in recent years.

Jack James, director at 80six said: “Dimension have an awesome heritage in creating high-quality, immersive virtual worlds, and their real-time team have been pushing the possibilities within virtual production for a while. It’s great to partner on the XR studio to deliver new creative possibilities together.”

Simon Windsor, co-founder and joint managing director, Dimension: “It’s an exciting time for storytellers as XR and emerging virtual production techniques fuel a new era for content creation. At a time we’re seeing growing demand, our partnership with 80six unleashes exciting innovations for virtual entertainment production and we’re delighted to be working more closely with their brilliant team.

“As the film industry plans its recovery, the Future of Film Summit is the dream launch partner for the studio, which provides opportunities for ever-more compelling, immersive storytelling and a creative solution for productions to happen in the current challenging times.”

80six have chosen to integrate hardware from trusted industry partners such as ROE, Brompton, disguise and Mo-Sys.