VANCOUVER, BC, February 9, 2024 — Versatile Media, a leading provider of cutting-edge film production technology, is thrilled to announce the opening of its purpose-built facility in South Burnaby, setting a new standard for innovation and creativity in the film industry. This 44,000-square-foot building features two expansive sound stages, one of which houses North America’s first enclosed volume with a seamless ceiling.
The two-story building houses a bespoke LED volume in its main stage with a smaller secondary soundstage of 13,000 SF for use as traditional filming space, as well as 10,000 SF of production offices. The volume itself stands at 83-foot wide and 29-foot height, with an immersive 270-degree curvature. The seamless structure is equipped with the latest LED panels and technology and was purpose-built for large scale film projects.
Running on Nvidia’s GPU technology and utilizing RTX 6000 Ada Generation GPUs, this cutting-edge technology supports filming at an astonishing 8K resolution and is capable of filming with multiple cameras on set. The technology will set a high bar for virtual production, and together with BC’s talented filmmakers will elevate what Vancouver will be able to offer to international and local productions alike.
What truly sets the Versatile Volume apart is the seamless integration of the ceiling and wall. Between the two, it allows for uninterrupted shot lensing across the entire volume. This means the ceiling is not just for reflections and lighting, but a part of the in-camera framing. Versatile committed to merging traditional live-action workflows into the volume setting, ensuring that virtual production adapts to live action as closely as possible. They collaborated with local film rigger Dave McIntosh, renowned for his Academy Award-winning work that was first used on Godzilla in 2016, and he applied his innovative expertise to craft the bespoke ceiling structure. McIntosh engineered the mechanics of the unique ceiling, allowing efficient removal of LED panels for the seamless integration of diverse filming equipment. This adaptable solution ensures easy access to sets, the capability to suspend sets within the volume, and facilitates the integration of lighting equipment. It also allocates a convenient path for special effects teams to achieve complex and expansive shots and stunts.
"Using my years of rigging experience, we crafted a functional and easily accessible ceiling that allows for removal of LED panels, allowing for diverse filming equipment to be added. This adaptability opens new possibilities for filmmakers using virtual production, making it easier to work on the volume and achieve complex shots. It's a great example of how collaboration in the film industry drives innovation." - Dave McIntosh
Linking their Vancouver pre-visualization studio with the newly built Burnaby stages, Versatile collaborated with Sohonet to elevate their operational workflow by providing production-grade connectivity and networking infrastructure. The completion of the film facility and LED volume completes their ambitious goal on offering an end-to-end virtual production solution for filmmakers, as well as being a first-of-its-kind for the Vancouver film market.
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About Versatile Media:
Versatile Media Ltd. is a global media company that was founded in 1993. It has over 500 creative artists, technical artists, and R&D staff globally. Their North American virtual production studios and LED sound stages are located in Vancouver, Canada. The company has built a full-cycle virtual production workflow including performance capture, pre-visualization stages, as well as LED volumes for both servicing the film and television industry for the company’s original IP and co-productions.
Media Contact:
Roula Lainas
roula@versatile.media