From Hollywood to God's own country

Plans unveiled for £1m “Game-Changing” extended reality studio – set for Yorkshire debut this summer

The UK’s first specialist innovation centre in the live events industry, XPLOR, has revealed details of a dedicated £1m Extended Reality (XR) studio on its Wakefield campus later this year.

Revealed as the Centre for Virtual Production, the studio is the first of its kind in Yorkshire, and will be situated within the XPLOR facility, forming part of the wider Production Park campus - the UK’s leading destination for the live events and creative industries.

Utilising the same technology as Disney’s live-action Star Wars series the Mandalorian, the XR tech offers creatives, film and production studios, businesses and creative agencies alike, the ability to build fully immersive video sets; to film commercials, virtual events or live broadcasts.

Dubbed the ‘Green Screen Killer’, the augmented reality studio places presenters and characters in live, real-time rendered content backgrounds on an LED backdrop. It uses extremely high frame rates from an Unreal Engine to generate exceptional photo-realistic quality visuals and immersive experiences.

Whether simulating the depths of space or creating a Covid-compliant conference or event, XPLOR’s Development Director, Jim Farmery, said the possibilities for the fully immersive backdrops are endless.

Jim said: “We’re really excited to be launching the XR studio this year – one of the first of its kind in Yorkshire – and in offering a trial run of its capabilities to SMEs and businesses across the region.

“Before we install it in its final home within the XPLOR development this Autumn, we’re holding a residential weekend in August for businesses across the North’s creative clusters to come down and take part in a hands-on trial of the tech.

“We're gathering insights from the attendees to gain a holistic view of the tech’s multi-sector application; whether that’s from freelancers, TV production companies, events businesses, creatives or design agencies.

“We believe it represents a really exciting investment in the future of the region’s blossoming creative industries, which we hope will further bolster Yorkshire’s position as a world-leading centre of excellence in film, TV and live event production.”

Any freelancers, micro-businesses or SMEs - across various creative sector industries – are encouraged to come forward if they are interested in finding out more.