Brompton Technology’s LED processing solutions are powering a 26ft by 8ft INFiLED curved LED display for a new virtual production studio at Detroit Country Day School, a private co-educational school in Michigan, US. Brompton believes it to be the first professional-grade VP and VFX studio in any PreK-12 educational institution in the US, from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
The facility features a rack-mounted 4K Tessera SX40 LED video processor and two Tessera XD 10G data distribution units. They work with the INFiLED DBmk2 1.9mm pixel pitch wall, a curved structure made of high-resolution LED screens that displays virtual environments for filming. The system runs at a 4K resolution (3840 x 2160).
The XR studio is part of a larger complex called ‘The Studios’ which includes a vodcasting studio and VR lab. The donor-led project creates opportunities for students to engage with professional-level production tools.
The virtual production studio’s technical infrastructure, designed in collaboration with 4Wall Entertainment as the integration partner, includes a RED camera with Mo-Sys tracking system and Disguise media servers that work with the Brompton LED processors.
The XR studio is already being utilised across the curriculum, with students as young as prekindergarten creating content while learning about virtual production workflows. In one recent project, an 11th-grade student created a documentary about the Detroit riots of the late 1960s using the studio’s VR.
Mike Medvinsky, creative technologist at Detroit Country Day School, said: “The overall goal for ‘The Studios’ is to create a space where students’ creativity meets technology – and they have a space to create, seek, and tell their stories. We are designing ways to use the studio spaces, not only as a film and content capture environment, but also as a place-based teaching destination, where students and teachers can come to our XR studio as their classroom and bring a location to them.”
He added: “When the 1.9mm pixel pitch INFiLED tiles were installed, there was an instant difference in the quality of the LED assets that we were putting on the volume. Firstly, through the eye, and then through the camera. It made such a difference.”
Will Jennings, senior project manager, who led both the design and installation on behalf of 4Wall, concluded: “The INFiLED tile with Brompton LED processing is a dynamic combination, creating gorgeous visuals in person, but more importantly, looks incredible on camera.
“During the design process, we focused not only on how the tools will go together, but how to put full control in the hands of the volume operators. Brompton’s reliability and advanced feature set make it as obvious a choice in classrooms as it is on the set of a feature film.”
