Visual effects (VFX) and content company Dexter Studios (CEO: Kim Wook and Kang Jong-ik), a company specializing in visual special effects (VFX) and contents, has opened a brand new virtual production studio.
Dexter Studios announced on November 11 that it had launched its first virtual production studio, “D1,” in Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do.
A virtual production studio is a studio that can simultaneously film actors and backgrounds upon projecting a 3D background on a large LED wall in real-time. Because the studio immediately applies VFX outputs, it reduces costs and eliminates any restraints in terms of time and space. As such, the studio can help overcome issues with shooting on location or overseas following the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, a virtual studio can cut down on the overall processing time thanks to a structure that enables collaboration.
The new D1 virtual production studio is special in that it can plan and produce its own content using both a dedicated virtual production studio department and an LED stage. Dexter Studios has been laying the groundwork for D1 by establishing a VP Headquarters two years ago to make sure it had all the necessary capabilities for a dedicated virtual production pipeline. The VP Headquarters is divided into Pre-visualization Team, Unreal Environment Production Team, Filming Team, and Development Team to perform specific and specialized tasks.
Also noteworthy is the fact that Dexter Studios collaborated with Lux Machina in the US for the first time in Korea. As a leader in virtual production solutions and engineering, Lux Machina has developed a wide range of workflows and stages for virtual productions, including season 1 of “The Mandalorian,” “Han Solo: A Star Wars Story,” the Oscars, the “2020 League of Legends World Championship,” and more.
In addition to Lux Machina, multiple global companies such as ARRI, the world’s largest film equipment maker, and EpicGames, developer of the real-time 3D engine Unreal Engine, also helped Dexter Studios open D1.
An official at ARRI said, “It is an honor to be able to participate in the launching of D1, which will be a milestone in the evolution of Korean virtual production and Mixed Reality technology in Korea. With D1, Dexter Studios will solidify its position as the leading VFX company in Korea.” He added, “And of course, ARRI will continue to support Dexter Studios going forward.”
D1 not only improved its overall capacity by selectively adopting solutions proven to be successful overseas, but also equipped its facilities with the best LED panel processors, rendering technology, and systems to provide high-performance real-time remote monitoring and streaming capabilities.
D1’s first production is “The Moon,” a feature film by director Kim Yong-hwa, which recently finished shooting. Dexter Studios successfully completed the filming of The Moon at D1 last month, and is currently reviewing and preparing for new projects (movies, dramas, OTT, advertisements, etc.). Moreover, given that virtual production studios represent a shift in the paradigm for production and not just a flash in the pan, Dexter Studios plans to open its second virtual production studio D2 in the near future.
Dexter Studios CEOs Kim Wook and Kang Jong-ik said, “As an all-in-one comprehensive content company with a robust post-production line from planning to VFX, DI, and sound correction, we plan to use D1 to produce high-quality content in collaboration with other departments and affiliates going forward.” They added, “Dexter Studios will continue to build an integrated gateway for efficient content production, including movies, TV serials, advertisements, and immersive content, and boost our competitiveness on the global stage through the convergence and development of our core technologies.”
