University of Sunderland invests in “cutting-edge” film production facilities

Students at the University of Sunderland will soon be able to “flex their creative muscles like never before” as a major installation of “state-of-the-art” facilities nears completion.

From the beginning of 2023, students on the University’s media production courses will have access to a remarkable LED volume virtual production environment as well as a green screen stage, a full body motion capture system, an HD TV studio and outside broadcast facilities.

Nicholas Glean, senior lecturer in video and new media at the University of Sunderland, commented: “Our job is first to enthuse our students with a love for production and performance, and second to ensure their career prospects are as strong as possible when they graduate.

“Our students can go to producers who may still be nervous around virtual and augmented reality studios and other new techniques and say, ‘I’ve done this – look at my showreel’. Getting real, extended hands-on experience is hugely important.”

Over recent years, CJP Broadcast Service Solutions has implemented four major projects for the University’s David Puttnam Media Centre at the Sir Tom Cowie Campus, St Peter’s.

First came the refurbishment of an existing green screen studio, replacing legacy equipment which had largely been donated by broadcasters with the modern StarTracker Studio virtual production system. Recognising sustainability as a major concern, the project included installing an LED lighting rig to replace power-hungry legacy lamps.

CJP upgraded the campus multi-purpose production studio to HD, using largely Ross Video technology including Xpression graphics and a Carbonite switcher, Media IO and Storage for ingest and asset management. The last stage of the project is the Virtual Production stage, featuring a 10m x 3.5m LED volume.

Allied with the StarTracker and VP PRO XR from Mo-Sys, which combines multiple camera tracking with powerful real time photorealistic graphics based on the Unreal engine, this is an impressively large stage, allowing students and other users to create scenes only limited by their imaginations.

Christopher Phillips, managing director of CJP, added: “We have worked with the University of Sunderland to achieve what they need to be the leaders in their field. But even more important, we have helped them link everything up with real-world workflows.

“The whole production centre mirrors the way the best modern professional centres work. Having facilities that do not compromise on quality and functionality is a really important part of preparing students for their future careers.”

By Matthew Neville – Correspondent, Bdaily

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