The British companies Disguise and Xplor have formed a partnership to tackle the skills gap in virtual production. Together, the two organizations are launching the first UK virtual production accelerator, a learning program that gives trainees hands-on experience with the latest real-time technologies and advanced LED volumes.
Based at Xplor's recently launched more than £7 million Production Park facility in West Yorkshire — which boasts a 340 square meter virtual production volume and xR studio with ROE Visual LED screens — the program is suitable for both students and industry professionals. Over the course of four days, participants will ramp up their skills in volume control operations, virtual art department integration and practical shoot elements through a combination of online, classroom and on-set learning.
XPlor’s training is delivered by education providers Backstage Academy, who are specialists in live experience production, supporting the future of the industry through undergraduate and post-graduate degrees, and short courses. Operating from Production Park, their facilities are just one of the 400-plus virtual production studios and xR stages globally that are running on Disguise systems.
“In just under three years, virtual production has changed from something only a few are experimenting with to a global phenomenon that allows filmmakers to tell even more ambitious stories,” Disguise chief experience officer, Alex Wills said. “However, this growth in adoption has left a huge skills gap. Disguise, just like Xplor and Backstage Academy, shares a strong passion for education. After launching our virtual production accelerator Program in America last year in partnership with ROE Visual, we now hope to bring the Accelerator’s focus on the practical to Production Park for VP enthusiasts in the UK and Europe.”