MARS Studios

With a number of studios offering performance spaces behind closed doors, Bild Studios has taken the concept to a new level with a fully functional, COVID-19 ready warehouse, offering a top-of-the-line disguise xR performance space. TPi speaks to some of those responsible for bringing this new space into (extended) reality…

Since the global pandemic, there have been a number of companies and individuals who have turned their attention to the development of studio spaces for artists to film live performances. The scale of these projects has varied from stripped-back acoustic sessions, all the way to the cutting edge of live video rendered backgrounds and extended reality (xR) sets. But the space that Bild Studios has created offers something out of this world – it’s no wonder they named it MARS Studios.

With the aid of video rental house and LED supplier, 80six, Bild’s MARS project is a specially designed performance space in a secure location in Surrey Quays. With COVD-19 test stations on the door, plenty of room for social distancing for crew and a designated artist area to keep them at a distance, it’s the ideal facility in which every step for an artist or crew member has been thoroughly thought out to ensure everyone’s safety. Walking TPi through the past few months of work was Bild’s Rowan Pitts. Speaking via Zoom from one of the MARS personal work pods, he discussed the history of the project.

“The technology we have at MARS – such as camera tracking data being used to drive real-time content with disguise xR technology – is something we have been investigating for the past four years,” stated Pitts. However, with COVID-19 putting an immediate end to live events, the company, alongside 80six, began in earnest to explore this technology and how it could be utilised in the studio environment.

“Like many others in our industry, the day lockdown happened, all our immediate work was put on hold, which led to a conversation with Rowan

Top Left, Ellie Goulding, New Heights, live xR performance; Bottom left and right, Rina Sawayama, xR music video.

and the entire Bild team about the idea of creating a performance space,” mused 80six Director, Dan Hamill. “Although this technology has been around for a number of years, now all of our clients are looking for this type of solution.”

Pr ior to this, Hamill suggested that people had never taken to the solution fully due to the fact that many of 80six’s clients created events for a live audience and the use of xR is not always on the top of show designers’ priorities list. “But in the past few months, we have had a number of conversations where we have looked at how the use of xR can increase the production value of a performance taking place on a virtual stage.”

The original MARS was going to be a smaller offering, with one potential location being 80six’s brand new warehouse. However, the end result was much grander, with a space that is 73m by 45m and a height of 7m – plenty of space for incoming productions to work with.

“We got a little carried away,” laughed Pitts. “But jokes aside, we looked around at the other offerings that were cropping up and one shortfall we saw with using established premises was that you wouldn’t be able to cater for big-name acts with the necessary green room spaces and the necessary safety measures.” In fact, MARS has already welcomed a number of top-tier artists, from newcomer Rina Sawayama all the way up to Ellie Goulding.

The performance space is centred around an LED backbone, which can be separated into two categories: in-camera LED and lighting LED. The rear wall, which acts as a backdrop to all performances, is ROE Visual Diamond 2.6, with the floor comprising ROE BM4. The curved LED wall measures 13m by 4m, with the floor measuring 5m by 10m.

LED is also used for all the scenic lighting. “We have a number of smaller screens that are placed on dollies and four smaller pods above the stage,” explained Pitts. “The idea is that the pixels on these surround screens light the performer with the same content that is also being streamed on the rear wall. It’s a technique that has been used while making films, but it’s interesting to see how it has moved into these xR projects.”

Essential to the project was the disguise media server backbone with disguise gx 2cs running the screens. “We’ve been working alongside disguise for some time when it comes to xR,” stated Pitts. “Over the years, they have developed a whole range of features that makes the process much simpler.”

To capture the majority of the footage, Bild deployed an ARRI Amira camera on a jib. “This is the main camera we offer as an in-house package,” explained Pitts. “As most of the work we are doing is verging on a music video-type shoot, we needed a cinematic video package. But we are very flexible in terms of a camera package and have a number of Blackmagic cameras supplied by 80six that are also available if necessary.”

Pitts described some of the lessons that he’d learned from the project and what it could mean for Bild’s future. “Performances such as Dave’s at the BRITs showed the capability of this type of technology and how it can work in a live event,” he commented. “We have been looking into these offerings for some time, but the main challenge has been communicating to people how it might be able to be used. COVID-19 has helped people take the leap as there just are not that many options available right now.”

With MARS all set up and ready to go, the team from Bild are already in the midst of speaking to potential clients to use the space for a variety of shoots, with the creative crew poised to see just how far they are able to push xR and, who knows, perhaps even take this technology into the live events of the future. TPi Photos: Bild Studios www.bildstudios.com www.80-six.com