The founder of TRICK 3D Studio, Chad Eikhoff, and the founder of Music Matters Productions, Aaron Soriero, today announced their partnership on Atlanta’s first extended reality (XR) stage using the game engine technology leveraged by Hollywood director Jon Favreau and others, Unreal Engine from Epic Games. The two founders have named this high-tech spot the Music Matters XR Stage and have set it up just northeast of central Atlanta in Peachtree Corners. As of the announcement today, the Music Matters XR (MM-XR) Stage is available for business for commercial, TV, film and music productions and virtual events.
The MM-XR Stage is outfitted with Absen LED walls, a ROE Visual Black Marble LED floor, Vanishing Point Camera/Lens Tracking System, lighting design and a full range of AVID and DiGiCo audio consoles, in addition to full range of additional options available from Music Matters Productions. These tools combine with 360-degree virtual backgrounds that are rendered using the Unreal Engine and then tracked, composited and recorded in real time. Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, industry professionals have dubbed these types of stages and tools ‘virtual production’ since the scenes are rendered from computer-to-stage rather than shooting scenes in an on-location environment.
“Georgia is leading across sectors from film and music, to tech and big business,” says Eikhoff. “The Music Matters XR Stage pushes what’s possible in content production across industries. As a creator who has been focused on extending the use of real-time technology across sectors, I saw the opportunity we had here in Atlanta, and I saw that Aaron and his team were the right people and place to help make it happen.”
While the practical benefits of shooting in a controlled environment that virtual production affords have been widely recognized during the pandemic, these techniques are winning additional favor due to the fact that XR environments can run the creative gamut – from photo-realistic, cinematic exteriors to out-of-box, abstract worlds – the possibilities are many. “Directors have strong creative visions, so the faster they can see their visions come to life, the better,” remarks Eikhoff. “This XR stage opens the possibilities to shoot with super speed and super capabilities – this really brings the immediacy and fun back to the production process.”
To learn more, visit http://www.mmp-atl.com.
