AWARDS
studio's welcomed talent such as David Attenborough and Ellie Goulding through its doors. MARS’ diverse production applications, state-of-the-art equipment and MARS Academy training programme make it a critical player in today’s virtual production field.
Making Waves award (best newcomer): Distortion
New to the game and the winner of our Making Waves award, Distortion Studio is Bristol’s first permanent VP facility. Opening this month, the full- scale studio boasts premium in-house equipment – including contributions in part by ROE Visual, Blackmagic and Brompton Technology. It is overseen by a seasoned team of award-winning creatives who call themselves ‘masters in Unreal Engine’, among other things. Conveniently situated in south-west England, Distortion helps reduce travel for regional productions including films, TV series, commercials, corporate events and more – serving as a hub for projects outside London. A perfect blend of real- time content creation, the latest tech and the greatest talent, the studio has spent the last four years fine-tuning its offerings, seamlessly blurring the line between fantasy and reality and standing out among a crowd of newcomers. Educational Impact award: NFTS We present our award for Educational Impact to the National Film and Television School (NFTS), an institution playing a pivotal role in educating the next generation of filmmakers. The NFTS is bridging the virtual production skills gap with its six-month training course, introducing students to the technical and creative expertise required of any project. It touches on LED stages, Unreal Engine, VFX, colour science, camera tracking and more, serving as a solid foundation for a successful career in virtual production. Besides its array of expert-led modules, the NFTS ensures virtual production education is accessible to everyone, offering scholarships – subsidised by Screen Scotland and Dimension Studio – to 12 students in total.
Sustainability Champion: Garden Studios Garden Studios has been honoured with our Sustainability Champion award for the team’s unwavering commitment to eco-friendly practices. As the sole large-scale film studio in central London, the company shines with its impressive 3186 sq ft virtual production facility. Its expansive LED volume and advanced technology provide filmmakers with limitless creative possibilities – but beyond technical prowess, this certified B Corp company stands out for a consistent prioritisation of sustainability across its business activities. From slashing energy consumption to eliminating single-use plastic, engaging in community programmes, waste management and creating a sustainable supplier database, Garden Studios is leading the eco charge. Actively participating in the BAFTA albert Studio Sustainability Standard and diligently committed to calculating and reducing its carbon footprint, the organisation exemplifies a green-conscious outlook and provides a positive example for the industry to follow. Training Impact award: Disguise VP Accelerator For all the dazzling creative opportunities it opens up, the complexity of workflows and key technologies in VP also present
challenges for the industry. A lot of hard work is being done to plug the skills gap – with new initiatives and education programmes emerging all the time – but we’re giving a special shout out to the Disguise VP Accelerator. This highly regarded hub makes it easier than ever to upskill yourself for a career in virtual production, confidently operating platforms like Disguise and content engines like Unreal. The VP Accelerator strikes a balance between teaching essential technical skills and practical hands-on time, turning out students able to confidently leverage virtual production tech to create great content. The Volume Innovation award goes to MARS Volume, a London-based virtual production environment – created by Bild Studios – with versatility at its core. Capable of handling projects of all sizes, budgets and scopes, MARS blends camera tracking, LED screens, graphics servers and game engines for an all- in-one, on-site production package – resulting in shoots that would otherwise be impractical or impossible. The volume itself boasts a 220° curved LED wall and 176 sq m ceiling, with processing provided by Brompton Technology and tracking by Stype. With a client list including Sky, Disney, Netflix and the BBC, the Volume Innovation: MARS Volume
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