Sony and Norwich University launch virtual production studio: FEED reports from the opening

When I stepped into the Norwich University of the Arts’ brand-new virtual production studio this week, I couldn’t quite believe I was still in the same city. The space feels less like something tucked away in East Anglia, and more like a high-end virtual set on a Hollywood lot. With a sharp LED wall and motion tracking rigs suspended above us, the space was complemented by a dazzlingly detailed desert-landscape set that had been arranged by Pinewood Studios earlier that week.

If there’s one thing that this facility achieves, it’s placing Norwich firmly on the virtual production map. Built in collaboration with Sony, the studio is not just another teaching lab; it’s the first educational/commercial space in the UK equipped with both Sony Verona panels and a Venice camera system. And standing in front of the nine-metre LED volume (comprising 6.7 million pixels at full power), it’s immediately obvious what that means. Landscapes shift in real time and perspectives adjust as you move. You walk a few steps, and suddenly you’re on a moonlit ridge in the Rockies.

A new generation of storytellers

This new facility allows performers to step into any world the creative team can build, from neon-lit sci-fi cities to historically accurate medieval halls. For students, that means hands-on access to the same tools that are currently shaping modern filmmaking, gaming, broadcasting and VFX. For local studios and production companies, it means a new creative playground right on their doorstep.

“It’s a bold leap forward,” vice-chancellor designate professor Ben Stopher told FEED during the launch. “We want our students learning with the same technologies used at the highest levels of the industry – not just watching from the sidelines.”

What we saw on opening day was the product of a quietly ambitious three-way collaboration:

• Sony: supplying both the hardware and the engineering expertise.
• Target 3D: integrating Optitrack camera tracking to ensure every pixel in the virtual environment moves in perfect sync with the physical camera.
• Norwich University of the Arts: envisioning a hub where students, researchers and commercial clients collide.

The studio itself is housed next to the university’s Immersive Visualisation and Simulation Lab, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Chris Couzens from Sony Europe summed it up at the launch: “Working with the Norwich team has been a joy. The passion behind this project is what makes it special.”

A new creative hub

Local production houses have already shown serious interest, and the studio expects to become a magnet for companies needing mid-budget virtual production without London pricing. Students will get front-row seats to these commercial shoots, learning from active professionals instead of hypothetical scenarios.

To us, the opening of this space wasn’t just a ribbon-cutting moment. It was a clear signal that Norwich is no longer a ‘regional’ player, and is confidently entering the conversation about how virtual production is taught and put into practice in the UK.

Check out some bonus Sony content here!