Tampa-based Vu Technologies Corp. has opened its largest studio yet.
The company opened its 32,000-square-foot virtual production studio in Orlando, following two other locations it opened this year. The mass expansion follows a $17 million seed round the company closed March 1.
When it came time for Vu to decide where to open its fourth facility, the firm analyzed 15 U.S. cities before choosing Orlando, co-founder and CEO Tim Moore said during the grand opening event. Orlando’s LED volume is the biggest in the company, and Moore said Vu is “investing the most” in Orlando out of any of its markets.
However, someone in the industry told Moore expanding to Orlando was a mistake, suggesting film hubs like Los Angeles or New York instead.
“I told him, ‘I don’t think you understand,'" Moore countered. "We aren’t building a studio; we are going to build the future. We are going to Orlando because that’s where the builders are. That’s where the dreamers live.'”
The new studio has already landed some key projects, including a simulcast for ESPN. The studio’s main stage hosted retired NFL star Rob Gronkowski, along with his four brothers and father, for the so-called “GronkCast” aired by ESPN. The family provided commentary and interviews during an Aug. 20 Ultimate Fighting Competition fight.
Vu is best known for its fully enclosed spaces where motion capture and real-time compositing take place so virtual environments for TV and film can be produced easily on camera.
The technology includes large LED walls used to generate virtual backgrounds as a replacement for traditional green screens and used in the popular Star Wars TV show "The Mandalorian."
It saves time and money for production crews, Orlando General Manager Lindsey Sandrin told Orlando Inno.
Vu’s ability to draw such high-profile work to its Orlando studio is one example of the benefits it brings to Central Florida, said Charlie Lewis, manager of Vu investor Waterfall Ventures Investments.
In addition to bringing national exposure to Orlando, the new studio brings innovative technology to the region that makes it more competitive for virtual production work and beefs up Central Florida’s claim to the title of “MetaCenter,” the nation’s hub for metaverse technologies.
“A lot of people don’t understand, it’s not just a gigantic TV," Lewis said.
