As a virtual production and XR studio for film, advertising, live events and more, LEDcave aims to make high-tech media production accessible for all types of media teams and budgets.
Earlier this year, the company collaborated with soup.filmproduktion to bring the vision of German multinational home improvement supplies retailer, OBI, into reality, by utilising LEDcave’s most advanced studio in Berlin for OBI’s summer campaign “Du must nicht alles wissen. Frag uns! Alles machbar mit OBI.”
Filmed under the direction of Justin Izumi, the giant LED volume powered by Brompton LED processing was used to extend reality by blending ultra-realistic virtual backgrounds and the physical set together.
“The aim of the OBI summer campaign was to inspire people to finally start the DIY projects they had always dreamed of doing, with OBI experts either in store or on the heyOBI App to help with some useful tips and tricks,” says LEDcave’s CEO Thilo Strack. “Video production was started during the winter season, so our LEDcave Berlin facilities were ideal for the project as we could easily recreate a summery outdoor atmosphere with our virtual production and XR stage.”
In addition to an elaborate set construction split into different themed areas, and features such as artificial turf and a mix of real and virtually created plants, visual imagery was created in 3D environments by a team of LEDcave Unreal Artists so backgrounds could be easily changed in real time to match the respective theme.
“For one of the videos, we even had a live alpaca standing in a bed of hydrangeas with a mix of real and virtually created plant visuals behind it, which aimed at jokingly addressing OBI customers who might want to know why hydrangeas always bloom,” shares Strack.
The set up for the project included a large LED volume comprising a curved LED wall measuring 40m wide by 6.5m high, built from LEDitgo vP2+ LED panels. The LED roof surface consisted of the same 2.6mm panels and was 24m long and 14m wide. The entire structure was powered by 16 Brompton Tessera SX40 4K LED processors, with multiple Tessera XD10G data distribution units deployed for cable distribution to the LED panels.
All LED panels were calibrated with Brompton’s Hydra measurement system, making them Brompton HDR-ready and unlocking their full potential, allowing the team to achieve new levels of brightness and colour saturation. The team could also rely upon the many powerful features of the latest Tessera software to support efficient virtual production workflows.
“Thanks to the Brompton Tessera LED processors we were able to make the right colour adjustments for the backgrounds, quickly and effectively. This enabled a ‘no-fuss’ workflow, which we all really appreciated,” says Strack.
The project was a huge success, with the videos generating millions of views from OBI customers, and some even calling them ‘the best advertising in a long time’. The client was also pleased with the final result saying: ‘Thank you LEDcave for the awesome summery shoot on a grey winter day in Berlin. It’s been a super exciting and enlightening collaboration. See you again very soon!’
“We really enjoyed working with soup.filmproduktion on this project and are thrilled with such positive feedback on the videos from OBI’s customers,” concludes Strack. “As with all our productions, we try to push the boundaries of what’s possible when it comes to extending reality and seamlessly blending the virtual and physical worlds together.
“When a new client comes through LEDcave doors and shares their creative vision with us, we know that with tools like Brompton LED processing our technological possibilities are nearly infinite. Instead of limiting our clients’ realities, we are able to extend them even further!”
“We are very pleased to see how industry-leading partners like LEDcave are pushing the boundaries of extended reality to create truly immersive environments for their clients,” concludes Dries Vermeulen, Business Development Manager (Europe) at Brompton Technology. “At Brompton, we work hard to ensure our Tessera processors and the software features are ideally suited for any type of creative project, be it a massive live entertainment event with thousands of people watching, or a pioneering project in a virtual production or XR studio.”
