UK - Launched in June 2023, Eastbourne, Sussex-based Racquet Studios was born from a film and photographic creative agency that recognised the potential of virtual production. A year in the making, and after rigorous testing and trialling, facilities for virtual film production, education, and specialist research and development were created, relying on Brompton Technology LED processing to power the LED setup.
Since opening, the facility has successfully supported business and production companies through technical innovation and created a progressive creative economy. It has now relocated to new premises to expand its capabilities and be closer to key partners, which include the University of Sussex, East Sussex College, and various independent training bodies.
“We have always intended to develop clear pathways to education through our facilities, and being closer geographically to partner sites will align us even more closely with them,” says managing director of Racquet Studios, Simon Skinner.
“Sharing our knowledge through education and training goes hand-in-hand with testing, trialling and experimenting with new technology, while continuing to work on commercial projects,” he adds.
Virtual production is being widely adopted because it enables creation of high-quality content, regardless of budget and time constraints, for short-form projects like advertising or music videos, as well as long-form work like high-end TV or film. “It has enormous creative potential,” says Skinner, “so experimenting with it is as important as addressing the skills gap.”
The new location includes a main studio for virtual production, while a second studio serves as a green screen cove and has a custom 360-degree sound installation able to record binaural audio. Additionally, there are rooms set up as dedicated pre- and post-production suites.
While the virtual production studio is currently equipped with a ROE Visual LED Volume, Racquet Studios works dynamically and collaboratively with a wide range of brands, matching products to specific projects and trying out new LED screens and associated technologies.
“When it comes to LED video processing, Brompton is the obvious choice for us from both a solutions and services perspective,” explains Skinner. “They are clear leaders that offer outstanding software and hardware, and the people and support are amazing. In our experience, these four elements are unparalleled.”
Brompton’s Tessera software has all the functionality needed, as technical director for Racquet Studios, Rob Ruardy, explains: “Extended Bit Depth is great for lower-light scenes,” he says. “We always use ShutterSync – every camera needs a bit of a tweak – and we use the LiveGrade integration quite a bit as well as the ability to export 3D LUTs. We also love being able to adjust colour on the fly. That’s saved us quite a few times.”
“We’ve been on a voyage of discovery for a long time, as new production technologies emerge,” adds Skinner. “And now we want to enable others to explore them, through formal education, training and CPD (Continual Professional Development), as well as through our regular open days. We invite local production companies, businesses, DPs, actors, gaffers, and anyone else interested to come and learn about the technology, to get hands-on and try things out.”
The new facilities enable Racquet Studios to develop the range of projects undertaken for clients, in terms of on-site and off-site work and creating digital twins of physical locations. It is also expanding its range of work and has recently formed a new Virtual Production department with industry giant Panavision. Working with Panavision's rental and services division, Panalux, Racquet Studios now offers creative development and specialist production services alongside the company's existing and well-established rental services.
“We're available to be drafted in as a ready-made team to fulfil any Panalux clients’ requirements for virtual production,” says Skinner. “It gives us the opportunity to operate from a superb London base in the shape of Panavision's Island Studios, while working on creative development and testing from our Sussex base in Lewes. We are also offering 'pop-up' VP solutions, serving as a second unit on both studio and location-based productions. The partnership presents opportunities for us to work on longer-form productions and larger projects, so it is an exciting time for us right now.”
“Facilities that offer both commercial and educational opportunities are vital for our industry,” concludes Brompton’s technical sales manager (UK and Ireland), Patrick Goodden. “Racquet Studios is an exemplar of this, and its move to be closer to Sussex’s educational institutions really demonstrates the team’s commitment to helping the next generation of virtual production professionals. We’re delighted that they’ve chosen our products as part of their facility and that students will be able to get hands-on experience with them.”
