SP Studios: In-Camera Visual Effects Have Never Looked So Good

Not long after exiting the 410, I see Khasan Aripov waving me down as I approach SP Studios. It’s a vast building – 12,000 square feet to be exact – conveniently located right beside Toronto Pearson Airport. Renowned for its advanced technology and comprehensive creative solutions, I am excited to be here and learn more about one of the fastest-growing virtual production studios in Canada.

Since the uptick during the pandemic, virtual production has continued to be in high demand as a result of slashed budgets, sustainability concerns, as well as the sheer practicality of more creative flexibility and faster turnaround times for shoots. 

To feed these needs, the SP Studios facility is decked out with a wide selection of cameras  (including the only Bolt-X camera in Canada!), as well as lenses, lighting, grip and motion control equipment. But the pièce de résistance, standing at 46 feet, is SP Studios’ LED wall – the highest-resolution LED wall in Canada.

Having the gear is one thing, but understanding how to facilitate a highly technical virtual production pipeline between several teams (VFX, lighting, camera, etc.) is a whole other ball game.

With this in mind, Khasan has recruited some of the brightest in the biz for his on-site team of virtual production supervisors. Together with agency creatives, this team continues to deliver breakthrough creativity in advertising, with recent collaborations including work with American Express, Apple, and TD OLG.

So, I wonder out loud, how does SP Studios foster these collaborations, and how does the integration of the LED volume wall impact the workflow? 

“The success of an ICVFX (in-camera visual effects) LED volume job is the result of collaboration among all departments and meticulous planning,” Khasan tells me, as I gawk at the giant LED screen in front of me. “At SP Studios, we always strive to get involved in a project as early as possible to align on any collaborative efforts needed during the pre-production phase.”

As an example, Khasan tells me how he and his team will always consult with the art department beforehand for scenes that require extensive foreground set builds. “This ensures we can LIDAR scan assets to be placed in the virtual space or, at the very least, gain an understanding of the colour palette and design. We also do this during the planning and budgeting stages, working with the director to determine the types of assets needed to achieve the project's goals, which also proves to be significantly helpful.”

A recent collaboration with TD Insurance and creative agency, Diamond, exemplifies the success of this collaborative approach. Khasan recalls how the TD brief called for a laundry room environment, so the SP Studios team created the surroundings in Unreal Engine. “Sourcing a still image that could deliver the dynamic parallax effect envisioned by the director, Matty Manhire, would have been impossible,” Khasan explains. It’s this kind of proactive problem-solving that demonstrates SP Studios’ ability to tackle any challenge, ensuring the team delivers innovative solutions for every kind of creative project.

In another shoot for the Government of Canada, the creative featured multiple locations across the country. In a traditional production workflow, this type of brief would have taken weeks of planning and several days of travel to accomplish. But with only one day to shoot, the promise of shooting all of the locations in a single space greatly appealed to production company Off Screen Romance and its director, Jesse Blight. 

With SP Studios’ help, the team was able to transport its actors to a diverse range of locations within minutes, capturing talent in seven different environments, all within a single studio shooting day.

SP Studios remains at the forefront of helping Canada navigate the evolving landscape of virtual production, facilitating the learning curve in this emerging sector of the creative industry. By providing hands-on guidance and expertise, SP Studios is ensuring that directors and creatives feel confident and equipped to utilise the full potential of this innovative technology.

“In many instances, our VFX supervisors work closely with directors and other departments to address any potential red flags,” Khasan explains. Virtual production, with its reliance on tools like Unreal Engine, is rapidly evolving, and SP Studios understands the importance of staying adaptable. As Khasan points out, “we don’t expect everyone to always stay completely up-to-date,” recognising that new tools and updates come frequently, making it essential to stay flexible and responsive to creative needs.

One of the standout features of SP Studios is its in-house virtual art department (VAD), which plays a crucial role in bringing creative visions to life. The VAD enables clients to visualise their projects in real-time, providing an invaluable opportunity to see the final product as it’s being created. This real-time feedback speeds up the production process, saving clients countless hours and allowing projects to go live much sooner. It’s this kind of efficiency that positions SP Studios as an integral part of Canada’s growing virtual production ecosystem. By introducing these new technologies and workflow efficiencies, the team is making it easier for creatives to explore new, ambitious ideas without the traditional constraints of time and resources.

Khasan and his team are also working to build confidence among directors, many of whom are encountering virtual production for the first time. “We’ve noticed that many new directors tend to hold back on more ambitious ideas when shooting in front of the LED wall,” Khasan explains. This hesitation often comes from a lack of familiarity with the technology or uncertainty about its capabilities. But once directors experience their first shoot with the LED wall, they often find their confidence growing, with directors embracing larger-scale, more ambitious concepts. This process of fostering creative confidence is vital to the continued growth of virtual production in Canada, and SP Studios is proud to be part of this educational and transformative journey.

The versatility of virtual production is another factor that sets SP Studios apart. Khasan emphasises that “every project is unique, requiring a fresh and innovative approach to execution.” By constantly encouraging directors to push the boundaries of what’s possible, SP Studios helps create ground breaking work that exemplifies the power of this technology. 

One prime example of this is in its work with Scotiabank on the MLSE project, where Khasan and his team once again collaborated with director Matty Manhire to seamlessly integrate a practical bus with the LED volume, the VAD team, AI, and VFX experts from Alter Ego.

“Remarkably, all of this was achieved in a single day,” Khasan recalls, showcasing the speed, efficiency, and creative potential of virtual production.

Through SP Studios’ innovative approach and advanced technology, Khasan and his team are not only empowering directors to bring their boldest creative visions to life, but also make it possible to execute these ambitious projects within budget. By combining cutting-edge virtual production techniques with efficient workflows, SP Studios is helping shape the future of the Canadian creative industry, where the sky’s the limit for what can be achieved.