S4 Studios, a creative design and full-service production studio has partnered with Brompton Technology to deliver a high-efficiency virtual production workflow for Expedition Files, the new hit series from the Discovery Channel. With the support of Brompton’s Tessera LED video processors, S4 Studios achieved an ambitious production pace across its LED volume, completing up to 25 shots per day, while maintaining exceptional image quality and real time control across its LED stage.
Filmed at XRM Studios (soon to be rebranded as Brandon Studios) in Burbank California, the demanding shoot required constant environment changes, rapid turnaround, and seamless coordination between physical and virtual elements. S4 Studios’ LED volume, comprising ROE Visual BPv2 (Black Pearl) panels, driven by Brompton’s 4K Tessera SX40 LED video processors, enabled lightning-fast setup changes without sacrificing creative flexibility. Working closely with stage partner XRM Studios, S4 Studios built a custom Stream Deck interface for managing the processors during live shoots.
“On most shoots, LED processors only control brightness and colour temp,” explained Geoffrey Kater, owner at S4 Studios. “Brompton gave us so much more – input switching, nit levels, ShutterSync, phase, fade-to-black, freeze functions – all mapped to a Stream Deck for real-time changes. That kind of flexibility became a vital part of our on-set workflow.”
Adam Callaway, global lead, virtual production & broadcast at Brompton Technology, added: “S4 Studios has created a uniquely nimble virtual production pipeline, and we’re thrilled to be part of it. This is a great example of how our Tessera processors can be leveraged for much more than display, becoming an active tool for real-time creative control on high-intensity productions. We look forward to seeing how the team continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible.”
Look out for Installation‘s latest deep dive into AV and broadcast convergence in our next edition, available ahead of IBC 2025 from September 5th.
