NEP launches new XL chromakey studio to support VR and AR production
NEP has built a 25m wide new green screen at its Media Park complex in Hilversum
NEP reports that it has built one of Europe’s largest green screens in one of its studios at the Media Park in Hilversum, The Netherlands. The green screen in Studio 4 is 25 metres wide, and NEP believes that its availability will ‘lower the threshold’ to use virtual sets for short-term productions.
As a result, virtual and augmented reality production tools including real-time data and statistics integration, in combination with highly realistic render quality, will be available to the entire broadcast market.
During the past two years NEP has invested in state-of-the-art render engine technology and has set up a team of 30 designers, technical artists and developers. The team is responsible for many TV productions in the Dutch market as well as in the United States, England, Germany, Thailand, Italy and the Middle East. In addition, they have developed an end-to-end workflow, including a software layer that can be seamlessly integrated with multiple-camera registration. A render engine from the gaming industry brings photo realism into the domain of broadcasting.
The new chromakey studio is connected to NEP’s core infrastructure and Centralized Production platform, which means it is well-suited for use on short-term or one-off productions and pilots.
Increased efficiency
The size of the green studio now enables programme makers to run bigger productions of any genre, ranging from big live entertainment programmes to game shows, and from large-scale talk shows to news broadcasts. At the same time, multiple small studios can be set up right next to each other so that when one programme ends, the next can be started right away. This means resources are used more efficiently and buyers only pay for the duration of the programme.
“We’ve been working with big content parties for some time now, but this way augmented reality can also be used for smaller productions,” said Ralf van Vegten, managing director of NEP. “After all, not everyone is able to set up his own studio, especially if you want to use augmented reality for a short time only. From now on, however, the inspiration[al] and creative possibilities of AR are open to nearly everyone.”
NEP also has the tools to run fully-fledged virtual projects, including AR, thereby offering a complete end-to-end solution. Van Vegten added: “Clients are welcome to visit us so we can show them what we’re capable of. We will take them on a journey of the creative process before the format is completed at the front, so they have a better understanding of the possibilities. And those are infinite with augmented reality.”