Racquet Studios Named Exclusive Virtual Production Partner for Island Studios

Racquet Studios has announced an exclusive service agreement with Island Studios, a division of the Panavision group. This agreement makes Racquet the sole provider for virtual production (VP) services across Island Studios’ stages in its West London complex, and Racquet’s equipment in London and Buckinghamshire is exclusively available at Island Studios.

The agreement ensures that Island Studios’ clients have access to Racquet Studios’ specialist technical expertise and VP workflows. This integration provides a seamless, highend bridge between traditional filmmaking and virtual environments, allowing productions at Island Studios to scale their technical requirements with a single, trusted partner.

Utilising Racquet Studios’ services and equipment at Island Studios, filmmakers can now access virtual production departments, digital twin capture, and real-time environments without leaving the Island Studios campus. This setup is designed to support a variety of projects, from television and features to commercial and automotive shoots. By offering Racquet Studios’ services onsite, Island Studios aims to streamline project timelines and support productions’ efforts to reduce their environmental footprint through the use of virtual production. This move aligns with the commitment of both companies to offer more efficient, sustainable production options for the U.K. film and media industry.

Michele Channer, Managing Director, Island Studios & Panalux, said: "At Island Studios and Panalux, we are committed to providing our clients with the very best tools and expertise the industry has to offer. By entering into this agreement with Racquet Studios, we are ensuring a truly integrated experience. Our clients can now pair Panavision’s world-class optics and Panalux’s industry-leading lighting with Racquet’s specialist virtual production workflows, all under one roof on Island Studios’ world-class stages. This collaboration simplifies the production process, allowing filmmakers to focus on their creative vision while we provide a cohesive, tech-enabled environment."

Scalable Virtual Production Services Racquet Studios’ service offering focuses on flexibility, allowing productions to utilise VP as a standalone solution or as a complement to traditional sets. Racquet Studios provides the technical crew and hardware to support:
● Virtual Art Department (VAD): Creation of photorealistic digital environments and "digital twins.”
● Onsite LED Volumes: Bespoke stage design and development, tailored to specific project footprints and types within the 10 stages at Island Studios’ West London base, comprising Black Island Studios and Dukes Island Studios.
● Flexible Deployment: Services can be delivered at Island Studios or as "pop-up" solutions on location.
● Motion Capture: Racquet Studios offer markerless mocap solutions, meaning pixelperfect, no-latency results.
● Robotics: Racquet's robotic camera-control offerings enable motion control for vehicle simulation, repeatable slo-mo on volume stages, and more.

Simon Skinner, Managing Director, Racquet Studios, said: "Our role is to provide the technical expertise that allows Island Studios’ clients to explore virtual production with confidence. By becoming the exclusive provider for Island Studios, we are able to offer the Panavision group’s clientele a reliable, integrated path to using real-time, in-camera VFX technology, alongside world-class camera and lighting packages."

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