CJP Broadcast Service Solutions, systems integration, production and content digitisation specialist, has partnered with Mo-Sys to implement a comprehensive virtual production centre at Solent University, Southampton. The centre now features a full complement of leading-edge technology, giving students unparalleled creative opportunities.
Five years ago, Solent called on Mo-Sys to support a greenscreen studio, using the StarTracker camera position tracking system. More recently, CJP has worked with Mo-Sys and others on the setup of an additional large, high performance LED stage. Powering the virtual environment in real time is the VP Pro XR graphics system from Mo-Sys, widely used by the industry worldwide for final pixel production.
VP Pro XR, which is powered by the Unreal engine for stunning photorealistic imaging, incorporates a number of unique features designed to ensure immersive and convincing virtual production. This includes Cinematic XR, which brings the movie visual language of depth of field into the virtual production environment, giving the cinematographer the ability to pull focus seamlessly between the real and computer-generated elements.
The recent project also implemented the latest version of camera tracking, StarTracker Max, working with the studio’s Red Komodo 6k camera. Mo-Sys provided intensive training for staff on VP Pro XR and StarTracker Max through the Mo-Sys Academy. The five-day courses – which are available to all – give a thorough understanding of the elements of virtual production and how to succeed in its implementation. This training provided a key part of the skills transfer which is at the heart of the Solent studio.
“Mo-Sys has been part of our production facilities for five years, and had certainly proven itself,” said Christopher Woolford, technical instructor at Solent University. “The new LED studio now has the latest camera-tracking technology from Mo-Sys – StarTracker Max – along with VP Pro, to give our students the skills they will need to take directly into the creative industries.
“Working with CJP for the studio install meant that we could take advantage of their huge knowledge and experience, ensuring we could use the studio to its fullest advantage from day one,” Woolford continued. “The new virtual production studio, a key part of our media faculty, was our biggest investment for a long time. CJP delivered on our goals by building a studio equipped with the best and most widely recognised technology.”
Kieran Phillips, sales and marketing director at CJP, added “In all our projects – whether for educational, commercial or broadcast clients – it is really important that we select the best equipment for the task in hand. Mo-Sys is a key partner for us, because its camera tracking technology is the industry standard, and with VP Pro it provides a practical and affordable route to creative freedom in live virtual production.”
CJP builds media production studios and mobile facilities for broadcasters, commercial users and education. It is the only major media systems integrator registered as a supplier with NWUPC, which provides framework purchasing agreements on behalf of universities and educational bodies across the UK.
CJP is a vendor-agnostic independent systems integrator. For more information on the company and its capabilities, see www.cjp-bss.co.uk.
