Its nickname says it all: Wuxi Studios is known as ‘Chinawood Studios’. Established in 2013, the place holds a distinguished position as a nationally acclaimed digital film industrial park, seamlessly integrating commercial film technology with a vibrant leisure destination that brings the enchantment of a ‘movie city’ to the fore. Wuxi Studios is owned and operated by the China Research Institute of Film Science & Technology (CRIFST).
The new LED volume studio is part of a development that Wuxi Studios considers a milestone: the grand launch of a virtual production lab studio, heralding a new, cutting-edge virtual production facility in China. This ground-breaking addition showcases China’s largest LED volume, powered by Brompton Technology LED processing.
Zhang Wei, Director of CRIFST, explains that this integrated high-tech project combines LED virtual filming technology, 5G network transmission systems, and artificial intelligence. “The establishment of this volume outlines the virtual production standard and marks a significant step forward in China’s virtual filming technology,” he states, further emphasising that apart from featuring some of the industry’s most cutting-edge equipment, the new virtual production lab studio has also curated a team of talented individuals who are some of the brightest minds in the field.
The new semi-circular LED volume measures 44m in width, 10m in height, and 23m in diameter. It is constructed using 1,760 ROE Visual Black Pearl BP2V2 LED panels. The sheer scale of this colossal LED setup demanded a robust LED processing solution capable of delivering uncompromising visual excellence. To provide an ultra-realistic sense of immersion, the CRIFST team chose the industry-leading Brompton Technology 4K Tessera SX40 LED processors. They have a total of nine processors, accompanied by an additional 36 Tessera XD 10G data distribution units. This combination delivers stunning visuals of the highest quality and offers a flexible and sophisticated single-box solution designed specifically to overcome the challenges of large LED display systems.
The 4K Tessera SX40 LED processor combines Brompton’s industry-leading feature set and easy-to-use software interface with the company’s highest-ever capacity processor. Tessera SX40 offers support for full 4K screens at 60Hz with 12 bits per colour output. It supports a zero-latency up/down scaler that matches the source to the screen as well as all of Tessera’s industry-leading processing features. These include HDR and Dynamic Calibration as well as Extended Bit Depth, HFR+ (High Frame Rate), Frame Remapping, and more. Additionally, Stacking can be used to control multiple SX40 processors as one.
Compatible with all existing Tessera fixture inventory, the SX40 is designed to be used in combination with the Tessera XD Distribution unit, providing a cost-effective and powerful system for supporting the biggest and boldest LED projects.
When discussing the reasons behind the selection of Brompton Tessera processors and the benefits they will bring to the studio’s tech team, Wei is unequivocal.
“Brompton stands out as the leading manufacturer of LED processing in the industry, and we required the best technology for our new studio,” he explains. “The Tessera processors excel in colour science, offering near-perfect colour reproduction and support for BT.709, DCI-P3, and BT.2020 colour spaces. Furthermore, they boast Extended Bit Depth, enabling flawless rendering of HDR content.” Wei also notes that Tessera features such as system wide Genlock and synchronisation, ShutterSync®, Frame Remapping, OSCA, and ChromaTune address even the most demanding shooting requirements by delivering real-time colour control and unparalleled, true-to-life colour accuracy.
With the completion of the new LED volume, Wuxi Studios has witnessed an increasing number of film productions scheduled to shoot at the studio. One of these is STELLAR ECHO, the first short film to be produced using China’s biggest LED volume.
“We love working with Brompton LED processing technology,” states Chen Zhu, COO of ROE Visual. “It’s an easy, intuitive way of working and the control options to make the screen look its best are almost infinitive.
“The collaboration at Wuxi Studios, again, showcased our expertise in creating a remarkable virtual production performance. We look forward to developing more advantages and taking part in further thrilling projects together.”
“We are thrilled that the CRIFST team have recognised the exceptional performance and reliability of Brompton LED processing and chosen to incorporate our flagship Tessera SX40 processors as an integral part of their LED setup,” concludes Elijah Ebo, Director of APAC Operations at Brompton Technology. “This new LED volume represents a significant leap forward for the China’s film industry, and we eagerly anticipate witnessing the remarkable projects that will unfold there.”