This month, Litewave Media opened the first St Petersburg FL LED wall for virtual production. By using this new virtual technology in combination with an LED video wall, production crews can film in a studio environment but with the benefit of virtual sets. The possibility to film in locations that were previously inaccessible due to travel restrictions, weather, etc are now available at the press of a button. This virtual production technology is replacing green screens for many visual effects scenes as it offers not only a more realistic look but can also simplify production.

St Petersburg FL LED Wall: Streamlining Video Production

How did virtual production find its way to Pinellas County? Tom Jordan of Full Frame Digital was using this technology in Atlanta for a variety of projects including a new Netflix series. The two companies teamed up and Full Frame partnered with Litewave Media to bring the LED video wall to Florida. Christian Cashmir founder of Litewave Media states: “This new technology is being used by many Hollywood films and high end brands. Bringing virtual production to St Petersburg Florida, I believe will draw more clients and more work for the entire film community here.” The studio already has plans to film scenes for two upcoming feature films as well as a luxury car commercial on the LED wall in the next few months. 

The addition of this 2.6 Unilumen LED wall, which stands at 30′ x 15′, is a valuable inclusion to our Tampa Bay video studio. Our diverse client base will have the ability to enter new environments and worlds through the power of virtual production. Litewave Media is proud to offer this cutting-edge technology and is one of the only video studios in Florida with it available.

LED volume sound stages are notable for being used to film Star Wars television shows The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. Virtual production studios can create alien landscapes without traveling to far-off destinations. With travel restrictions around the globe, LED studio technology has helped film crews continue to work. Crews can also be smaller and more efficient, ultimately saving time and money.

Litewave Media’s St Petersburg FL LED wall is powered by Unreal Engine and disguise servers. This technology can both generate virtual backgrounds or use plate shots to create realistic, in camera effects. The LED volume Stype camera tracking system uses real-time data to precisely synchronize the screen and the camera together. It is a fully gen-locked system which allows for precision frame-by-frame recording, even at double speeds.

The LED volume features four 4K outputs, 10-bit color RX, and a Quadro A5000 graphics card. It utilizes disguise XR workflow which allows for realtime set extension / AR overlay, camera color calibration, and lens calibration. In other words, the sky’s the limit with what you’ll be able to film in this virtual production studio space.

Computer-generated backgrounds are fully customizable and scalable. This enables precise scene matching between foreground and background. Imagine being at the beach without having to deal with sand or heat. Imagine being on Mount Everest but having a cappuccino machine down the hallway. We are excited to see what our clients and partners will dream up on the new LED volume in the years to come!

Another benefit of virtual production on an LED wall is the ability to shoot realistic car scenes. Plate shots can be loaded into the system and when displayed on the LED wall, simulate highly realistic lighting and motion. This method gives your team complete control over the environment and lighting. Virtual production eliminates the need to close down roads, hire police officers, and rent expensive process trailers. What’s not to love?

Filmed entirely on our St. Petersburg FL LED wall.

Do you have an upcoming virtual production project for our St. Petersburg LED Wall? Contact us today to see how virtual video production can save time and money on your next film or video project.

Find us on Facebook and make sure to subscribe to the Litewave Media blog to keep up with our Tampa video production company’s news.