NTU Prepares Students For The Evolving Landscape Of Virtual Production

Nottingham Trent University (NTU), a world-class educational facility known for its cutting-edge digital media and production programmes, has taken a significant step forward in preparing students for the evolving landscape of virtual production.

With the recent installation of a state-of-the-art virtual production studio, including ROE Visuals latest full-spectrum LED technology powered by Brompton LED processing and, for the first time, its groundbreaking TrueLight® technology, NTU provides a hands-on learning environment to train future professionals in the skills our industry increasingly demands.

The Virtual Production (VP) Studio marks a milestone in the university’s £1.3 million investment in cutting-edge media technology for its School of Art & Design. This advanced facility is designed to serve both academic and commercial purposes, providing students with access to industry-leading tools while also catering to external clients seeking high-quality production facilities.

The project features four key spaces: the Green Screen, Foley/ADR, Black Box and Virtual Production studios. The latter studio integrates live-action footage with real-time computer-generated environments, highlighting the transformative potential of virtual production technology for ICVFX. The other studios further provide students and clients access to motion capture technology and high-end sound production facilities.

The facility is the result of a collaborative effort between Creative Technology Systems Integration (CT SI), Arri, and consultants Drama by Design, together creating a space that pairs advanced hardware with innovative workflows, aligning with NTU’s vision of combining educational and commercial excellence.

A key feature of NTU's new studio is the debut of ROE Visual's latest LED technology—the Carbon CB5 MKII RGBW panels. Based on the Carbon Series CB5 panel, these so-called full spectrum LED panels provide superior colour rendering accuracy, optimised for on-camera use, ensuring true-to-life visuals in demanding environments like broadcasting and filmmaking.

To maintain a seamless and uniform LED processing system throughout, Brompton’s 4K Tessera SX40 LED video processors alongside the Tessera XD 10G data distribution units were deployed, with Brompton’s TrueLight technology as a key feature.

With high-speed data distribution, redundancy features, and precise calibration capabilities, Brompton LED processing technology plays a crucial role in delivering a professional-grade virtual production environment.

"ROE was the first of our panel manufacturer partners to develop an RGBW panel powered by TrueLight," said Patrick Goodden, Brompton’s Technical Sales Manager (UK and Ireland). "TrueLight maintains full per-pixel colour calibration and gives users complete creative control over the panel’s colour output. Adding additional broad-spectrum LED emitters in a controllable way significantly improves colour rendition in situations where the LED panels are providing illumination for virtual production and XR applications, providing various elements, particularly skin tones, costumes, or props, with increased realism. We are delighted to see this innovative technology in action at the University."

NTU's studio is the first of its kind to implement these full-spectrum LED panels, designed to deliver an unparalleled level of colour accuracy, especially in skin tones. With the full-spectrum LED panels installed, students at the NTU will have access to technology at the forefront of the virtual production work field, enabling a unique and realistic production experience that is entirely up to date with what is being developed and used in the field.

ROE Visual is proud to support NTU's mission to empower young talent and strongly endorses initiatives focused on skill development in virtual production. This partnership aligns with ROE Visual's commitment to fostering an educational network that bridges academia and industry. By collaborating with institutions worldwide, ROE Visual aims to create a dynamic environment where research and training converge to advance the industry and equip students with the expertise required to thrive in the digital media landscape.

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