When Detroit Country Day School in Beverly Hills, MI, unveiled two new video production spaces—its XR studio and a vodcast/podcast suite—the goal was to give its Pre-K-12 students access to professional-level production tools, often reserved for film studios, to improve storytelling opportunities.

“The most powerful two words are 'what if,'" exclaimed Danialle Karmanos, a trustee and donor, as well as a proud parent of three current DCDS students, whose early career in journalism sparked a love of production. These words acted as the catalyst for creating these two innovative spaces, which are among the first of their kind in a U.S. K-12 setting, made possible by a generous gift from Danialle and her husband, Peter.

“This is definitely the first project of its kind we’ve been involved in,” said Will Jennings, director of special projects for 4Wall Entertainment, the system designer and integrator for the XR studio. “There may be one or two others in the U.S., but for elementary and high schools, the cost is usually a barrier. In this case, donor support made it possible.”

Emulating Content

Located in the Upper School, the XR studio spaces anchor the arts wing, alongside photography, ceramics, and mixed media. A live camera feed streams to a 100-inch 4K display in the arts commons, allowing the entire arts wing to watch live productions in real time. The vodcast/podcast studio, positioned diagonally across from the media center, is visible through a glass wall that invites passing students to take a look.

“We wanted students to emulate the professional content they’re already consuming, short-form video and longer-form podcasts in a studio that feels real,” said Mike Medvinsky, DCDS creative technologist, who is the visionary hired by the school to oversee the use of studio spaces for the students.

The XR studio is anchored by an INFiLED DBmk2 1.9mm pixel pitch curved LED video wall measuring 26x8 feet. To support the system running in 4K resolution, it uses a setup managed by Brompton Technology, including a rack-mounted Brompton 4K Tessera SX40 processor and two Tessera XD 10G data distribution units.

“When we started researching the leaders in LED technology, Brompton rose to the top,” explained Medvinsky. “All the major concerts and video production studios are run through Brompton, so they were our first choice.”

Other key components include a Blackmagic Design ATEM Constellation and HyperDeck Studio 4K Pro, RED V-Raptor X camera, and a Mo-Sys tracking system. Workflows for the XR studio focus on the Disguise VX 2+ media server, which, when used with a Disguise RX III render node, supports real-time content playback and facilitates the ingestion and deployment of content across the LED wall.

“We recommended Disguise media servers, which are the industry standard in virtual production,” Jennings added. “It was very relieving when Mike said, ‘I understand this is the expensive option, but it is the best option.'"

Initial conversations with 4Wall about the XR studio started in August 2024, with design and product procurement continuing throughout the fall. By January, 4Wall was on-site for a three-day installation, which led to the official opening of the studio spaces in February 2025.

No Dumbing Down

Once installation was complete, 4Wall provided training to staff members and students to help them quickly get up to speed on their new facility, but Jennings emphasized that nothing installed was watered down for the younger audience who would be using it.

“Kids are using the exact same tools that film professionals use on set,” he said. “We didn’t dumb down the system; we wanted to provide that through line from classroom to industry.”

For the vodcast/podcast studio, known as "the Pod" at DCDS, Medvinsky led the technology integration, creating a four-camera, well-lit, switchable room designed for on-camera conversations, shows, and audio-only podcasts. He has focused on one-to-one collaborations with teachers to generate ideas for how the studio can be utilized in the classroom. Faculty members schedule time on a shared calendar with Medvinsky to co-plan, storyboard, and conduct research. Plus, he participates in classes to help with editing, working with students to make sure their workflows are practical.

And this isn’t just a “film-only” investment; students are applying it in various learning contexts, including math. One middle school lesson used the XR studio to simulate the Running of the Bulls, allowing students to measure distance with ceiling-grid markers and timed bull footage. Then, they moved to the field house to time their own sprints and calculate slope to determine the head start needed to “barely outrun the bulls” into the coliseum.

Usage varies by grade. For the younger grades, the XR team works more directly with students, providing edited clips, while older students take on roles in operations and editing. “Think of the XR studio as a creative classroom,” said Medvinsky. “It’s place-based learning when the place comes to you.”

Filmmakers In Training

Beyond classroom use, the XR studio enhances DCDS’s award-winning Film Program, offering students endless options to create critically acclaimed feature films. “When we say our students make full-length feature films, they are actually full-length amazing feature films," Karmanos added. "The Film Program premieres one each year at a local movie theater, selling out multiple nights."

DCDS has also established partnerships with nearby university XR programs, including the University of Michigan, to foster a regional knowledge exchange. Meanwhile, the College of Creative Studies enlisted DCDS students to design a couture runway in XR, with students taking on technical roles that gave them real-world experience.

“These creative spaces beget innovation,” Medvinsky added. “When students see what’s possible, ideas and courage compound.”

Karmanos is most proud of how the spaces have inspired teachers to think outside the box and use production as a key tool for creativity and higher learning. “There’s no exclusion in these rooms,” she observed. "Kids from every corner of campus are collaborating. Faculty trust is building, and once teachers see a simple one-day win, their guard drops. They realize this isn’t more work, it’s better learning."

In the future, DCDS and Medvinsky plan to continue strengthening relationships with teachers to co-design future uses and expand opportunities for regional partnerships. For Medvinsky, he wants the process to stay simple, the studio doors to always be open, and the focus to remain on how storytelling can enhance student learning. “When kids feel safe, seen, and technically capable," he noted, "they don’t just 'use' technology, they lead with it.”

Get even more insights: Download SCN's Integration Guide to House of Worship.

Alfalite has supplied its Modularpix Pro VP XR panels with ORIM technology to build a 120-square-meter L-shaped LED wall in Plazamedia's new Extended Reality (XR) Studio, which has just been opened near Munich.

Plazamedia GmbH has been a sports TV producer in the German-speaking region since 1976. Its new briX|woRk.studio, located in AGROB Medienpark in Ismaning near Munich, will offer new and diverse application possibilities for innovative and sustainable productions with a unique combination of XR, AR, and VR for film and production companies, broadcasters, advertising companies and event and creative agencies.

[Kent State's AR, VR, and XR Makerspace with 360-degree Projection, and 3D Spatial Audio]

briX|woRk.studio seamlessly combines real-set architecture with virtual worlds via the 78.7x16.4-foot-high LED wall and can be expanded into a 360-degree space through augmented reality. Alfalite’s Modularpix Pro VP XR panels feature 1.9-millimeter pixel pitch, optical parameters and cd/m2 brightness greater than 1,800 nits, providing outstanding viewing angle stability and enabling filming the LED wall even from extreme camera angles.

Mo-Sys oversaw the development and implementation of this project and integrated Alfalite’s LED panels with its products Startracker, Cinematic XR Focus and bMR. Thanks to Mo-Sys real-time render engine (Unreal Engine 5.1) integrated into briX|woRk.studio, parameters such as time of day and atmosphere – for example, sun, rain, snow, or fog – are reproducible at will and can be defined individually.

"With briX|woRk.studio we are putting a big exclamation mark on the Extended Reality and Green Production field," said Jens Friedrichs, chairman of the Management Board of PLAZAMEDIA GmbH. "We will offer companies from all industries the opportunity to impressively stage their brands, projects, and topics sustainably. We thank the Alfalite team for their support and great solution. We are thrilled to see where this will lead us and foresee future collaborations with Alfalite."

[Attendees Step into the Metaverse at CES]

Regarding sustainability, Plazamedia´s new XR LED Studio aims to set standards for green production, helping its clients reduce their carbon footprint; this is another reason they chose Alfalite's LED panels. This technology stands out for its low average power consumption (35 watts) and low levels of electromagnetic compatibility, allowing the displays to coexist with other electronic systems without interference.

The LED panels used in Plazamedia XR studio have ORIM (Optical Resin Injection Module) technology, a new termination system for LED panels through an injection of optical resin that improves precision between modules (<0.5mm). It also provides a magnified 175-degree horizontal and vertical viewing angle.

With new disguise locations opening up around the world and a software interface available in multiple languages, disguise is accelerating the democratization of its xR workflow to meet the expanding appetite for xR, virtual production and virtual studios. Its acquisition of Atlanta-based immersive entertainment specialists Meptik will bolster the expansion. 

As a rapidly growing global player in the events, media and entertainment space, disguise is well placed to support a similar growth trajectory for Meptik, bringing their creative and technical expertise to all. Customers can expect a Meptik team with the latest technology in their back pocket, and an ever-growing global team of experts to support them on their creative journey.

While both companies will continue to operate as separate entities, disguise will be leveraging Meptik’s expertise to expand its global reach, helping creatives build the next generation of extended reality and metaverse experiences. Meptik’s teams will work with disguise to workshop new solutions, create product roadmaps and drive new standards in entertainment technology.

[ Disguise’s Latest r21 Software Release Enhances Production Workflows ]

Defining What’s Next for xR, AR, MR and VP

Meptik specializes in creating dynamic virtual worlds that blow audiences away—and keeps them coming back. Their clients range from film studios to lifestyle brands, Fortune 500s, musical artists and more.

Combining creative chops with technical skills, Meptik is always working behind the scenes to define what’s next for extended reality (xR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR) and virtual production (VP). Led by Sarah Linebaugh and Nick Rivero, their team of experts deliver groundbreaking projects for filmmakers and broadcasters as well as remarkable corporate and immersive installations.

xR technology unleashes storytelling potential by delivering photorealistic, three-dimensional, real-time graphics that immerse performers and audiences alike in a virtual world visible on set and in-camera.

disguise’s market-leading extended reality (xR) workflow has, in the past two years alone, enabled over 600 xR productions in over 50 countries, powering live entertainment productions for music artists such as Katy Perry and Billie Eilish, film and episodic TV productions for Netflix and Amazon Prime, corporate presentations for Siemens and Verizon and live broadcast programs from Eurosport, MTV and ITV.

Meptik will also use its unique combination of creative and technical expertise to aid disguise in its mission to empower game-changing virtual experiences at the intersection of physical and virtual worlds.

Left Brain / Right Brain

“We have always prided ourselves on our ability to service both sides of the xR equation the creative and the technical—and we love creating dynamic virtual worlds that blow audiences away,” said Nick Rivero, co-founder of Meptik. “Joining forces with disguise will enhance our ability to continue to serve our clients from start to finish while maintaining our down-to-earth spirit.”

“Meptik has been a trusted partner of disguise for many years, growing to excel at bringing out the very best capability for disguise solutions. Given that we have both been, in the past two years, bringing extended reality and immersive entertainment to the world, this acquisition would expand on these efforts and lead the next era for extended reality and metaverse experiences,” said disguise CEO Fernando Küfer.

There is growing interest in immersive reality experiences by students and adults. According to the 2022 GroupM Annual Survey on Consumer Attitudes Toward Technology, nearly 1 in 3 consumers own an augmented reality/virtual reality device, and 15 percent will buy such a device in 2022.

In an effort to help students understand the science behind extended reality and its explosive potential to impact every aspect of consumers’ daily lives, Brave Williams, MFA, the director of the iEX Center and an associate professor in Husson University’s School of Technology and Innovation, will share his thoughts on immersive experiences at the Maine Science Festival on Thursday, March 17, 2022 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. from the main stage at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.

Husson’s iEX Center has the largest variety of extended reality (XR) equipment in one place in Maine. Williams will provide Maine Science Festival attendees with an overview of the iEX Center, a demonstration of some of the equipment, and an overview of what XR is and why it’s important.

Extended reality (XR) is an umbrella term for three-dimensional computing environments. It uses computing technologies like mobile devices, various specialized software, virtual reality (VR) goggles, augmented reality (AR) glasses, website XR (WebXR), and AR environments to create immersive, integrated, and interactive experiences. These new technologies represent enormous potential. Everyone from “artists to the zoologists” will be able to utilize three-dimensional presentations in the future.

According to Williams, “Six-hundred and fifty-six (656) students have already signed up for this seminar and there are more on the waiting list. Students have a lot of interest in learning more about immersive technologies. I’m hoping that this Husson University presentation will encourage the next generation of programmers and artists to learn more about the potential of extended reality and available professional career opportunities associated with this growing industry.”

[ Augmented Reality Market to Hit $175B by 2026: ABI Research ]

[ Extended Reality (xR) Experiences Enable New Storytelling Possibilities ]

The Science Behind Bad Concert Sound

Later in the week, on Sunday, March 20, 2022, from 1 – 2 p.m. at Knapp’s Music Center, 51 Main Street in Bangor, another Husson University faculty member will share his insights. New England School of Communications Assistant Professor Eric Ferguson, MM, be talking about the science associated with live performances as part of a presentation called, “Don’t Blame the Sound Person: The Science Behind Bad Concert Sound.”

“Anyone who goes to concerts regularly has, at one time or another, been disappointed by the sound quality,” said Ferguson. “My goal is to help people understand why it’s almost impossible for the sound person to please everybody. This presentation will look at the different variables that affect how music is reproduced and perceived in a venue. These will include psychoacoustics, venue acoustics, and phase interaction between loudspeakers.”

Ferguson has over 30 years of professional audio experience. As a staff engineer at the legendary A&M Studios, he worked with numerous platinum recording artists such as Chicago, Ringo Starr, Macy Gray, and Billy Corgan. As a freelance engineer, Ferguson has been involved in over a hundred recording, mixing, and post-production projects including work for such luminaries as Phil Collins, Aretha Franklin, Kool & The Gang, Fourplay, and Dave Grusin. Accomplished in sound reinforcement, Ferguson has toured in over 17 countries for artists such as Lee Ritenour, James Ingram, and Dave Koz.

“One of the great things about the Maine Science Festival is that it always has interesting presentations from a variety of disciplines,” said Dr. Marie Hansen, dean of the College of Business at Husson University. “Students often don’t stop to think about how science is making their virtual reality goggles or audio devices possible. But thanks to the Maine Science Festival and the educational contributions of Husson University faculty members, students now have the opportunity to understand and appreciate the scientific principles that makes their technology work and concert experiences enjoyable.”

[ Cal Poly's Spanos Theatre Comes Back to Life with L-Acoustics Kiva II ]

Husson University Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Lynne Coy-Ogan, EdD, observed, “The Maine Science Festival is also an outstanding way to help showcase the variety of science-related expertise available at Husson University. Our faculty members have both in-depth scientific knowledge and practical experience in applying science to real-life situations. We’re proud to support this educational effort and help make the festival a great experience for students of all ages.”

For more than 120 years, Husson University has shown its adaptability and strength in delivering educational programs that prepare future leaders to handle the challenges of tomorrow through innovative undergraduate and graduate degrees. With a commitment to delivering affordable classroom, online and experiential learning opportunities, Husson University has come to represent a superior value in higher education. The hallmarks of a Husson education include advanced knowledge delivered through quality educational programs in business; health and education; pharmacy studies; science and humanities; as well as communication. According to a recent analysis of tuition and fees by U.S. News & World Report, Husson University is one of the most affordable private colleges in New England. For more information about educational opportunities that can lead to personal and professional success, visit Husson.edu.

Planar, a global leader in visualization technology,  and sister company OptiTrack, a worldwide leader in 3D tracking systems, have joined other industry leaders and SMPTE, the home of media professionals, technologists and engineers, to form The Advisory Group of the On-Set Virtual Production (OSVP) Initiative. This initiative is the first project within the society’s new Rapid Industry Solution (RIS) program.

SMPTE’s commitment to providing tools, standards and education on emerging technologies requires the society to operate with greater agility in responding to technology challenges. Planar and OptiTrack are proud to take part in SMPTE’s new initiative for the RIS program, which is focused on creating a portfolio of essential tools that can help the industry tackle the complexities of OSVP, including the development and curation of knowledge resources.

The companies’ participation follows the launch of Planar Studios in June of 2021. The initiative combines the advanced technologies, industry partnerships and personnel customers require to create realistic in-screen content for today’s ever-expanding virtual production (VP) and extended reality (XR) applications.

Virtual Production and Extended Reality Applications

The companies’ participation follows the launch of Planar Studios in June of 2021. The initiative combines the advanced technologies, industry partnerships and personnel customers require to create realistic in-screen content for today’s ever-expanding virtual production (VP) and extended reality (XR) applications.

“The success of the On-Set Virtual Production Initiative hinges upon the expertise and support of a wide range of technology and thought leaders,” explained Hans Hoffmann, SMPTE president and head of media fundamentals and production at the EBU. “For this reason, SMPTE has established an Advisory Group drawing from emerging technology companies, traditional production users, manufacturers, educational institutions and professional organizations. We are so thankful to have the best minds in the industry to assess the challenges, establish our goals and deliver a fast-track response,” Hoffman continued.

The key goal of the RIS OSVP Advisory Group is to establish interoperability, training, workflows, best practices and a unifying common language to smooth collaboration, building on whichever formats the creative industry chooses to leverage. SMPTE underwent in-depth discussions with groups and individuals in all aspects of the OSVP pipeline to uncover several hurdles that are currently preventing many from deploying these new content creation technologies.

[ Planar Launches Planar Studios Virtual Production Initiative ]

[ Planar Expands Portfolio of Fine-Pitch LED Displays with Planar MGP Series ]

[ SMPTE Wins Emmy for IP-Based Media Transport ]

Planar and OptiTrack’s participation in the Advisory Group allows both companies to have a voice at the table, helping review, recommend and guide the outputs from the group. As global industry leaders bringing decades of unmatched on-camera video wall display and optical tracking technology expertise, Planar and OptiTrack are well positioned to contribute to the two main goals of the initiative: enabling systems interoperability and training at all levels.

“Planar and OptiTrack are excited to be building a framework for the On-Set Virtual Production Initiative with SMPTE,” said executive vice president Adam Schmidt. “LED video walls and motion capture technology represent key components of today’s virtual studios and together, Planar and OptiTrack bring more than 60 years of experience delivering best-in-class display and optical tracking technologies. We look forward to collaborating with this impressive group of industry leaders and seeing what we can help establish to support future VP applications.”

Planar and OptiTrack will also work with SMPTE to produce training at all levels, building on SMPTE’s longstanding expertise in technical education. The companies will help develop unique offerings for general education, professional development, technology training and business planning and scheduling, with emphasis on applicability to the real world, drawing on Planar’s established leadership in LED video wall technology and on-camera broadcast studio installations as well as OptiTrack’s position as the largest motion capture provider in the world.

Disguise, a leading technology platform enabling visual experiences at the highest level, and award-winning multimedia production company, Moment Factory, launch a collaboration to combine their groundbreaking expertise in extended reality (xR) experiences and enable new storytelling possibilities in the music, live entertainment and broadcast industries.

[ The Art of AV: Experiential Projects that Elevate ]

As the pandemic accelerated the adoption of virtual production across the world, it created new opportunities with new technologies connecting virtual and real worlds. These technologies are influencing many types of experiences and are even enhancing the live shows that have returned post-pandemic. Moment Factory and disguise’s mission for this collaboration is to create and deliver a multitude of immersive experiences for musicians and artists in broadcasts, live streams, concerts and other live events, as well as boost innovation initiatives within extended reality.

Extended Collaboration

The collaboration will focus on Moment Factory’s use of disguise’s state-of-the-art hardware and software, in-depth technical expertise and global community of partners and users, whilst promoting Moment Factory’s conception and production of wide scale creative, innovative and immersive experiences. Customers of both can expect new technology, better tools, a more integrated production process when working with both and greater opportunity for the community and users within the xR ecosystem.

Moment Factory co-founder Dominic Audet is excited about disguise and Moment Factory’s collaboration and mission to create amazing xR experiences. “By creating this collaboration with disguise, we will enhance our common delivery capacity for live xR events around the globe. Following a ten year-long relationship, sharing common DNA in music and live events, it is only natural to combine our visions to continue bringing amazing experiences to life all around the world.”

Disguise CEO, Fernando Kufer agrees, “We have a pipeline of joint initiatives lined up that will push the boundaries on what experiences we can create for people using extended reality. After working with Moment Factory for many years and seeing the amazing projects they have delivered using our technology, I am confident that we will push each other to break boundaries in music and entertainment. With Moment Factory, we will bring new meaning to the disguise motto of create together,” said Kufer.

It may seem hard to believe that two decades have passed since the introduction of Xbox, but November 15, 2021 marked the 20th anniversary of the launch of the popular gaming platform.  Los Angeles-based design studio Xite Labs created Extended Reality (xR) environments for the digital broadcast celebration, which found Microsoft sharing favorite moments and memories with the Xbox community.  The broadcast aired on the official Xbox channel on YouTube, Twitch and Facebook for fans around the world.

The digital broadcast featured Robbie Bach, the first head of Xbox; Phil Spencer, who currently heads the brand; and Sarah Bond, head of the Xbox Creator Experience, reminiscing about how far Xbox has come in 20 years.  They appeared in signature black and green-toned xR environments crafted by Xite Labs as video clips from the vault highlighted products, fans and events from the past two decades.

"We created three different worlds for Xbox looking at design language from the heritage of the Xbox brand," said Creative Director Vello Virkhaus, who is partnered with Greg Russell atXite Labs. "One world was built off of the boot sequence from the original Xbox that seemed familiar enough to a regular Xbox gamer to be a cool throwback.

"We also made a tachometer world, which was inspired by the Xbox 20th Anniversary brand artwork. This environment featured a tribute video montage that conveyed the passage of time while showcasing the different types of content Xbox has produced over the years," Virkhaus explained. 

The third xR environment was "a completely new world inspired by Halo, and featured a custom stage floating in a surreal Halo-inspired forest, with a massive virtual screen behind the presenter," he added.  "It was very well received by the team at Halo and we were thrilled by the response from fans."

Xite Labs was awarded the project after joining forces with The Production Network and completing a round of highly successful productions at Microsoft Studio 127, where the company is a resident supplier of AR and production design content. "Once the Xbox team understood Xite's capabilities and became familiar with our body of virtual production work, they recognized what type of partner our team could be," noted Virkhaus.

"We went from telephone kick off calls and concept sketching torevisions and modeling.  Xite's design team employed Maxon's Cinema 4D and Otoy's Octane Renderer, finally migrating designs into Unreal Engine, and patching all the lighting into DMX," Virkhaus said. "We learned the importance of a good laser scan mesh and the high level of accuracy needed to execute high- precision xR."

Adobe Substance Designer, Quixel Mixer, Blender and disguise media servers were also utilized throughout the production process.

The shoot was the first xR production done at Xbox's new Studio X in Redmond.

WorldStage is expanding its expertise in xR production with the opening of xRStage Times Square @ New 42 Studios. The venture is a partnership of WorldStage and New 42, a performing arts nonprofit that operates New 42 Studios, an array of 14-column-free rehearsal studios, at 229 West 42nd Street.

xRStage Times Square is the latest WorldStage LED Smart Studio location offering a production facility with a dynamic LED stage and fully immersive xR production capabilities. Extended Reality (xR) is a new production technology that combines live-action camera tracking and real-time rendering to create immersive and interactive virtual environments. As a pioneer in the development of technical solutions to support xR productions, WorldStage continues to expand the availability and accessibility to this new production process. To date, WorldStage has built studios in Secaucus, NJ, Nashville, TN, two in the San Francisco Bay area, and several in tradeshow environments.

"In working with our partners at New 42, it became increasingly clear to all at WorldStage that both organizations should focus on the opportunity we have with this new venture, says WorldStage vice president of lighting Terry Jackson. "We are now able to bring a powerful production studio to the heart of midtown Manhattan where the Broadway community and many others will be able to explore the creative and technical advantages that virtual production has to offer."

Already well-known for its 14 rehearsal studios, ten of which fit the entire footprint of a Broadway stage, New 42 Studios has attracted theater, film and television clients as well as nonprofit performing arts companies in the two decades since its founding. Now, the addition of xRStage Times Square will provide those clients with new production opportunities and serve a growing roster of customers eager to take advantage of advanced technologies for their projects. New 42 partnered with WorldStage to utilize the LED volume for its June celebration in Times Square called "Let's Get This Show on the Street."

"xRStage Times Square is a very flexible space that suits many different uses," notes WorldStage creative director Shelly Sabel. "With its adaptable seating configurations and LED volume, the space can serve fully immersive xR productions, projects requiring LED backdrops, pre-recorded presentations, live broadcasts and hybrid events with live and virtual audiences. It's the kind of versatile studio that meets the needs of just about any project."

The studio has customizable room layout options for bleacher seating from 64-140 people, plus lounge, banquet, classroom and meeting seating. The dynamic LED stage features a ROE 3.1mm c3ONE LED back wall (19.67 feet x 15.73 feet) and angled side walls (13.77 feet x 15.73 feet) for a total of 48 feet of horizontal space. The studio also boasts an interactive 5.1mm LED i5Floor.

The studio has a built-in production booth and a broadcast-ready video village located on stage and, like WorldStage's other xR production stage locations, offers a complete camera and video package, full lighting and rigging, audio and a webstreaming package. xRStage Times Square also provides all the services and amenities needed for any production, including dressing rooms, green room and catering space.

"In the coronavirus era, it's especially important to manage and provide all the necessary services within one facility," says Jackson. "xRStage Times Square is a unique, problem-solving space right in midtown Manhattan. Broadway, commercials, film, TV, corporate presentations--any production, live or recorded, will recognize the value, ease of use and flexibility."

Creative firm XR Studios was among the first to incorporate disguise’s new xR workflow for an immersive performance by Katy Perry for Malay e-commerce platform Lazada’s annual Super Party. The new workflow, released to the general public in April 2021 through disguise’s new r18 software, includes a feature that extends the virtual scene to allow cameras to zoom in and out of each scene. 

With these capabilities, the community of disguise users can now build even more exciting and elaborate scenes that mix the physical and virtual worlds.

[Disguise Launches r18 Software with xR Capabilities]

“The virtual zoom allowed us to work outside the box because we can now simulate shooting in a space that is ten times larger than ours,” said J.T. Rooney, chief creative officer at XR Studios. 

Silent Partners Studios were the xR content designers on this project, and by partnering with XR Studios, they were able to create worlds that went beyond the limits of the physical screens. Perry performed against a giant Pierrot statue, Escher-inspired architecture, swan sculptures, and a fireworks display, with the camera zooming in and out on her in the virtual space—creating a huge sense of scale.

Of course, using this kind of technology for the first time isn’t without its challenges. Not only were there tight turnarounds and short deadlines, but there was the added challenge of incorporating a brand-new input into the workflow. 

“As always, creating worlds and content in xR is challenging, but it’s consistently a rewarding adventure to figure out the virtual space,” Rooney said. “This new workflow is something that has been discussed for a long time and the XR Studios team was excited to see how we could help push it further, give suggestions, and test and develop it in a live show environment.”

By using the new virtual zoom feature, XR Studios was able to achieve shots that were previously unattainable. “Adding the virtual zoom to the workflow meant we could creatively see more of the scene and build a more elaborate environment,” Rooney said. 

“Over the past 12 months, XR Studios has been trailblazing the use of our xR workflow,” said disguise CEO Fernando Kufer. “From their early days delivering Katy Perry’s first xR-powered performance on the American Idol season 18 finale, to, nearly a year later, pioneering our latest software features in their third collaboration with the artist. We love seeing them constantly break boundaries in xR production.”

The What: Modulo Pi has added new Extended Reality (XR) capabilities to Modulo Kinetic, the fully integrated media server solution. Designed with the needs of pro AV players in mind, the new version of Modulo Kinetic upgraded with XR features will make production of virtual and hybrid events significantly simplified and accessible, according to the company.  

The What Else: The new XR features in Modulo Kinetic address the need for virtual and hybrid events in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and physical distancing guidelines. The new capabilities include an enhanced chroma keyer, improved embedded 3D engine, as well as  the support of camera tracking for the Panasonic AW-UE150, Stype, and Vive systems.  

Based on these new capabilities, pro AV professionals will be able to produce virtual events featuring background replacement, extended reality, augmented reality, and scenic extension. These technologies help enrich the elements usually met in physical events with immersive 3D environments, 3D objects, animations, and the ability to switch scenes, contents, and cameras in an instant.  

The Bottom Line: The Modulo Kinetic platform embeds all necessary tools to produce real-time virtual sets: previsualization tools for real-time 3D study, simulation and VR, a 3D environment and user-friendly 3D engine for real-time generative content, an improved chroma keyer, powerful 2D real-time compositing tools, a timeline sequencer, as well as a nodal editor to easily add interactivity in a show. 

Modulo Kinetic’s new version with XR capabilities as well as other new features and enhancements is planned by end of the year. 

A platoon of camouflaged soldiers steps from a Blackhawk helicopter and eases quietly through the yellow-green night-vision glow toward its target. Once the troops assemble against an exterior wall, an explosion blasts through an adjacent door. The midnight raid is on.

It’s not real for visitors to the First Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton, IL, but a new virtual reality (VR) exhibit with vivid audiovisual elements gets them as close to the action as possible.

“The museum wanted to show the experience of a modern soldier and [what it’s like] to be in their shoes,” said Kevin Snow, creative director at Luci Creative, one of the firms behind the VR experience. “We wanted to create some sense of empathy for how hard it is, through their eyes. The natural progression was to start looking at what we might do through the VR world.”

The First Division Museum tells the history of the first permanent division of the regular U.S. Army, formed in 1917, to serve on the Western Front of World War I, through tanks, artifacts, and more from every theater of war where the division has served.

Part of a major exhibit redesign completed in August 2017, the museum’s VR experience transports 14 visitors at a time to a compound raid from the cabin of a replica Blackhawk. Video content captured from a four-camera rig, including 360-degree footage, gives visitors the soldiers’ point of view, while augmented stereo sound effects blend with human voices for a realistic immersion into a modern military campaign.

“We felt that allowing people to get on board a Blackhawk helicopter, put on a VR headset and be immediately transported to the moment of being on the helicopter with a squad—and then go with those guys through the entire operation, and really see what it would be like—was something unique,” Snow said.

Museums are moving outside the traditional exhibit space by exploring creative ways of getting visitors inside their stories and subjects. Audiovisual technologies are playing a lead role in these immersive and interactive spaces.

At the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, a 400,000-square-foot facility that welcomes more than a million visitors every year, a reimagined submarine exhibit combines video, audio, and physical media and effects to put visitors in a simulated World War II battle.

The U-505 Dive Simulator draws visitors deeper into the story of the collection’s 251-foot German U-505 submarine, captured off the coast of Africa in 1944, with an immersive, videogame-based sensory experience.

The simulation begins with a tutorial that weaves in historical context, showing how submarine crews reacted to threats from other vessels and aircraft in a combat setting. Then, the user is propelled into the heat of battle, with a challenging dive order to avoid a torpedo that leads to one of four outcomes based on the user’s skill level.

“The museum wanted to make it really difficult, actually, but approachable at the same time,” said Austin Mayer, interactive director at Leviathan, a creative agency specializing in digital media and interaction. “That [led to], ‘How do we make it fun, how do we make it immersive?’”

Each simulation station faces three HD LCD screens with a 5760x1080 composite resolution, arranged to give the user a wide-angle visual. Audio of the simulated mission—the sounds of the engines, a commanding officer barking orders—hits the user in 4.1 surround delivered by four loudspeakers in the headrest. Two ButtKickers, one under the seat and one on the steering column, take the place of subwoofers and give the sensation of movement and impact.

Creative uses of audio are also part of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson, MS, which tells unvarnished stories of the civil rights movement in the state. Visitors walking through the first two of eight galleries randomly trigger flash points and hear barking dogs or harassment from disembodied voices. The effect addresses the culture of fear that African-Americans experienced in the Jim Crow era in the Southern U.S.

The museum’s centerpiece is a towering, reactive light sculpture that fills the central area connecting all seven other galleries, named “This Little Light of Mine” for one of three civil rights-era rallying songs used in the exhibit. Sensors placed in four different zones in the room detect movement, so as more people gather in the gallery, more voices are heard singing. Addressable LED strips adhered within the sculpture also react with increased intensity as the crowd grows, creating a brilliant, unifying collage of light and color.

“The initial story of civil rights is such a dark story, and it's such a strong story [that] evokes such strong emotions in people, that we needed a space for people to stop and take a breath before they continued their journey,” said Richard Woollcott, vice president of museum planning and exhibit design at Hilferty and Associates.

“The sculpture was designed to remind everybody that it was the combined forces of everyone working together, all of those lights coming together, to create the civil rights movement,” he added.

Ninety miles east in Meridian, MS., the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience incorporates RFID-triggered projection and curved LED screens to educate visitors on the state’s native creative luminaries, including William Faulkner, Oprah Winfrey, and Jim Henson.

Design firm Gallagher and Associates, which counts exhibits at the International Spy Museum and the National Archives in Washington, DC among its clients, drew from its team members’ experience in theatrical art and design for the museum project. The group’s extensive projection mapping experience was key to a series of overhead-projection pieces, including an exhibit on literary figures where 4K video animates a blank writing desk and typewriter with details on the writer’s life and writing style.

“The projection mapping technique we used really connects in a unique way a physical object [with the] cinematic storytelling environment,” said Ariel Effron, creative director at Gallagher and Associates. “That involves the very manual labor of mapping every key of the typewriter to be able to project them pixel accurate. We gain this sort of theatrical magic of the small-scale set.”

The museum’s culinary experience takes this concept a step further. When visitors place RFID-tagged plates at specific locations on a dining room table, RFID readers trigger tailored video content from the overhead projection system. Visitors learn about regional cuisine and the favorite foods of famous Mississippians, like Elvis Presley’s peanut butter and banana sandwich.

The museum also features a video experience that takes visitors on a simulated boat ride through the state’s natural history, using a series of staggered, curved LED screens that engulf viewers for a three-dimensional effect.

“I think [that arrangement of screens] creates a much more immersive environment,” said Effron. “It puts visitors in a very realistic envelope.

“When you take it from two dimensional to the third dimension, the peripheral vision of each visitor is surrounded. You are now inside this environment.”

Drones may fly high but Kevin Kelly, president/COO, Stampede, has a firm grip on their presence in the AV industry.

“History has shown time and again that the adoption of new technologies is driven by enthusiasts, passionate early adopters who see the potential before anyone else does,” Kelly noted. “This is true in both the consumer and commercial marketplaces.”

New facets of commercial AV can begin as an idea in search of commercial validation, driven by a core group of companies evangelizing the benefits of new technology. “It's the visionaries who open the eyes of the mainstream systems integrators. This has always been the case,” said Kelly.

That gradual adoption through specialists, followed by core adoption by traditional systems integrators is evident with drones. “The adoption rate for any new technology is always due, in part, to the appetite a traditional business has for taking on any new category,” he added. “Drone technology is evangelized by those with a personal interest in it and is driven by folks who get excited by it.”

Although systems integrators are not getting a lot of requests for drones at the moment, as education and government accounts start including them in their quote requests, integrators will incorporate them as well, according to Tim McPherson, sales manager, VSA.

“Integrators and installers will have to pursue the drone market and include drones in their repertoires to remain competitive,” he explained. “Right now, many systems integrators prefer to go with what they know. Sometimes it takes a customer to request a product for it to really take off. So, I don’t think it will be long before integrators start to include drones in their product lines. Especially as Amazon, UPS, and Fedex look to drone delivery for their customers.”

McPherson’s initial drone experience was for a sale to a government contractor. “They used a drone to record a spot for a new Humvee; it was a phenomenal video. Since then, I’ve seen a lot of cool videos taken by drones. Most of the major universities—including Penn State and the University of Nebraska’s HuskerVision—are using them.”

In addition to the education market, McPherson currently works with drone customers ranging from mom and pop videographers to the New York Mets, and houses of worship to communications firms and many amateur video artists. Most clients are interested in how drones can help them stand out from the competition.

Recently, VSA had a top-of-the-line drone project for a parks department that wanted to gain insight as to the health of its various parks without having its employees walk around the parks for hours, or even days. Using drones, the staff was able to see what upgrades and additions were needed in a matter of minutes or hours, and the collected data was readily available.

“From the AV integrator’s point of view, drone technology is something they are probably preparing for,” McPherson said. “Most Fortune 500 companies will partner with integrators when these types of projects come up for maintenance and other needs. Those who integrate and install production equipment, though, already know how drones can benefit the end user.”

So, what's next from manufacturers in drone technology? Intel, for one, is taking drone technology to the next level and generation of products and solutions.

“We see drones as a valuable tool to capture data safely, accurately, and efficiently,” said Cindy Ng, head of marketing, Intel Drone Group. “Our focus for the next generation of drone technologies is increased automation of both the data capture, and, more importantly, the data management and analysis. Managing and inferring insights from these large data sets is driving the digital transformation and will aid in the business decisions of enterprises across industries such as oil and gas, utilities, construction, and agriculture. We can expect to see emerging applications for this technology that help businesses automate everyday tasks and identify, analyze and predict issues in a way that could not be done before.”

Let’s Get Physical

If all new technologies engender a sense of anticipation and excitement, drones do so times ten. “Whenever you can interact with a product because of physical movement, it likens that product to playing video games with a lot of personal movement and direction,” Kelly said. “There’s a visceral feeling of linkage between the hand and eye control and movement. This visceral linkage, coupled with the growing awareness of economic and life-saving benefits drones deliver, will ultimately prevail in moving drones from the enthusiast era into the mainstream business of systems integrators.”

There are, of course, obstacles integrators face when adopting drone technology, he cautioned. “The challenges are some of the same ones that have challenged the development and advancement of every major technological innovation since the dawn of time; they include human resistance, human inertia, legitimate regulatory and safety concerns, licensing, and, yes, security concerns. Slowly, but inevitably, these challenges are being addressed in ways that are ensuring public safety and safety of operation. As they are being addressed, the concrete human and business benefits of drones are being discovered, tested, and proven in real world applications every day. It's this reality that is making drones an inevitable business component for systems integrators and this is becoming more apparent each day.”

The learning curve represents another obstacle for some integrators, McPherson said. “I haven’t seen a lot of marketing to integrators from manufacturers. If you’re like me, you have to have your hands on the product to get real world experience and learn how it applies to the industry and to your customers. As distributors or wholesalers we have to learn as we go. With so many manufacturers and with technology changing every day, I have to know a little about a lot of products.”

Typically, McPherson is on the phone with sixty or more clients per day, many of whom are communications professionals or videographers. “I bring up the advantages and disadvantages of drones in about 25 percent of these conversations.

Public opinion has been another factor challenging the industry, Kelly pointed out. “For the first year in which drones were a consumer product, it was all about privacy. Today, people talk about the economics of drones; they make money and save money. I know of an integrator who put together a drone system for Miami Beach lifeguards. The drones are equipped to fly a life preserver to someone in trouble and can reach the swimmer faster than a lifeguard can get to them.”

Real or Virtually Real?

As the use of various mixed reality technologies grows within the pro AV community, drones will take part in more and more solutions. “If you can program a drone to do something then that drone can be part of an even larger solution that includes VR (virtual reality), AI (artificial intelligence), and smart tech in general,” Kelly said. “In fact, this is a great example of how one radical new idea—drones—suddenly becomes a more mainstream component of even newer, more radical ideas, VR and AI enabled systems.”

And it’s the human imagination that creates the big new breakthroughs, then limits them through fear and inertia, finally liberating them through the creation of the next big idea, he noted. “This is the history of technology. It always has been and, I suppose, it always will be.”

As an AV techie, McPherson is excited to see what experiences VR will provide by drone footage. “We’ll see an increase in drones for AV as costs go down and more people obtain licenses to operate them. The increase will be in the corporate market and in real estate as realtors use them more and more to showcase video projects from various, difficult to photograph, angles.”

Advanced Education has been named the Canadian distributor for Veative’s educational virtual reality (VR) solutions.

“Veative is a VR-focused education company that creates innovative VR curriculums at an affordable price point to transform how students are learning,” said Advanced executive vice president, Mark McPherson. “Veative is the first content provider in the space to develop an affordable and practical virtual reality solution for schools. It combines immersive and interactive education modules with plug-and-play virtual reality headsets and controllers. We are proud to bring their innovative technology to more K-12 schools in Canada than ever before!”

Veative is a global provider of education technology and learning simulations for schools and industries, using immersive technologies such as 3D, virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality. Curating an ever-growing STEM library—currently with over 450 modules—Veative works to engage students with concepts.

“Everyone is talking about VR right now, and many are worried that this is a fad. But we strive to show the importance of having this tool in the classroom, which allows focused attention on topics, and is a valuable part of the learning process. With learning modules mapped to the curriculum, we can deliver a powerful VR solution for K-12 schools that will engage students with concepts, closing the gap between knowledge and understanding,” Dave Dolan, Veative’s director of product management, noted. “Advanced Education is the perfect partner for us to bring our solutions, with modules in both English and French, to Canada’s classrooms. We know that our partnership will be successful based on their impressive track record in introducing new edtech solutions to K-12 classrooms across Canada.”

The What: At InfoComm 2018, IHSE will demonstrate an all-new solution to extend and switch immersive reality signals over long distances using Draco KVM systems.

The What Else: Extending the distance between source computers and users, and switching between VR/AR applications are impediments to more widespread adoption of these technologies. IHSE's Draco KVM solutions allow high-performance computers for VR/AR systems, CAVEs, and large LED walls to be located at a remote distance of up to 80 kilometers via a fiber connection. This approach eliminates the need to locate expensive PC hardware equipment close to users or to purchase multiple high-performance computers. Redundancy options for mission-critical systems are also available.

The Bottom Line: The new solution addresses growing interest in virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) systems in a wide variety of pro AV market sectors: in corporate and education applications such as product design and prototyping; in situational training and advanced control environments; and in retail and leisure applications including cinemas, shops, and museums.