We are pleased to announce the launch of the new Advanced Media Production (AMP) studio in PROTO, Gateshead. The studio is offering pioneering virtual production and 3D technology capabilities to filmmakers, academics, and creatives across the UK, making it the first of its kind in the region.

The North East is home to a fantastic film and TV industry. With the development of facilities such as the AMP studio in Gateshead and the recent news of a major film studio launching in Sunderland, the region has never had such tremendous growth potential.  

About the Advanced Media Production Studio

Nestled near the Gateshead quayside, the AMP studio offers a range of state-of-the-art technology such as 360-degree photogrammetry capturing, a motion capture system and tracking cameras. The highlight of the studio has to be the large 8x3.5m curved LED screen which provides seamless, razer-sharp visuals. This allows high tech kit used in global productions such as Disney’s The Mandalorian to be easily accessible to North East businesses. Operated by Target3D and Digital Catapult, the Gateshead studio is the first of two AMP studios which form the Digital Catapult’s wider UK network.

What is Virtual Production?

Virtual production is a film-making technique that combines digital technologies, such as LED walls, games engines, and motion capture, with live footage of actors to create scenes. Since the pandemic, filming techniques such as virtual production have really taken off, and the technology is here to stay. The advantages to using virtual production over more traditional filming methods are countless. A few of them are...

Time Saving

If you are shooting a sunset scene, gone are the times that actors will have to get as many shoots done as possible in a short amount of time. With virtual production the sun will never set, allowing directors to take as much time as they need, make creative changes upfront and saves time waiting for the right time of day, light conditions or weather.  

Cost Saving

Rather than flying to a location to film in a particular area, a virtual production stage allows you to travel the globe without having to move people or transport any difficult equipment. Quicker scene changes, less travel time and less work needed in post-production can reduce the overall cost.  

Global Collaboration

No longer do studio teams need to be all in one place. Due to the technological advancements of virtual production, filmmakers can now build their team with creatives and technical specialists all over the globe without being under the same roof.  

The Launch Event

Last week, Digital Catapult North East Tees Valley held a launch event to show off the studio’s capabilities, including a live demonstration of motion capture and Virtual Production on the new LED screen.  

We heard from Jeremy Silver, CEO of Digital Catapult, and Allan Rankin, Managing Director of Target3D, who shared insights into the technical capabilities of the studio, the reasons for its development and the bright future of the North East’s film and TV industries.  

Following this, we were delighted to be joined by keynote speaker Louisa Bremner, Virtual Production Supervisor, who took us through the history of film production and the development of technology in the last few years. She also highlighted that virtual production has less of a gender imbalance and you are more likely to find women in higher positions than in traditional film studios.  

Jessica Driscoll, Director of Immersive technology at Digital Catapult, and Alison Gwynn, Chief Executive of North East Screen, then joined our panel to answer questions about the region’s screen industries and the impact the studio will have. Alison passionately conveyed how a studio like this in the region could help the effort in producing the skilled crew that will be needed by 2027. Currently, the North East has 500 crew, and this number will need to increase to 8500 in line with current plans.  

Conclusion

Thank you to everyone that came along to our launch event last Wednesday and that has supported us thus far.  

If you would like to find out more about the Advanced Media Production studio or if you have an idea for a project you would like to use the studio for, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can check out our website or contact our Studio Manager, Sophie Craggs at: sophie.craggs@sunderlandsoftwarecity.com

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