Tampa Bay, Florida– December 20, 2021 // Vū Technologies, creator of the highly disruptive virtual production Vū Studio for film and video, announced today it has closed on a $10 million seed investment from Minneapolis-based ADX Labs, Inc. The investment appears to be the largest seed investment in Tampa Bay startup history.
“We are on a mission to build the world’s largest network of virtual production studios for the film, television, and advertising industries”, said Tim Moore, Vū Technologies co-founder and CEO. “This year we plan on building several more studios in North America to add to our existing network and begin building our network abroad”
Vū Studios are advanced sound stages utilizing value-added integration of proprietary and patented Vū technologies with key third party vendor products, including Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, Mark Roberts Motion Control and Mo-Sys motion tracking devices. Directors and producers are able to achieve startling savings of time and money by shooting against the fully-immersive, high definition LED Volumes of Vū Studios.
“The economics of Vū Studios extend to creativity” said Jon Davila, Vū Technologies co-founder and president. “Vū clients such as Mercedes, Apple, Neiman Marcus and the WWE have effectively expanded their creative boundaries by leveraging the advantages of Vū Studios.”
“Vū is, at this very moment, executing a national play,” said Mark Swanson, Vū Technologies CFO. “Virtual production principles are in an early stage of development, and Vū’s leadership of this revolutionary new approach to film and video production will only grow stronger with the North American Vū Studios network. Producers and directors no longer need the entire cast and crew in one studio or location, and enjoy game-changing savings and enhanced safety.”
Vū Technologies intends to utilize the entirety of today’s seed investment to rapidly build advanced new virtual production campuses in Las Vegas, Nevada, Nashville, Tennessee and other locations in the northeastern United States. The first Vū Studios virtual production campus was opened in Tampa Bay, Florida in 2020. Tim Moore said, “With the connected Vū Studios network operating in Tampa, Vegas, Nashville and several other US locations in Q1, we plan to add New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Orlando, Stanford and Toledo campuses before the end of 2022. With each additional campus, our clients gain additional benefits via the network effect of economic and logistical savings as well as remote operation capabilities.”
Steven M. Renner, founder of investor ADX Labs said, “Vū Studios represents the pinnacle of virtual production technology and integration. The unique Vū Studios offering has transformed the economics of film and video production. We are thrilled to have invested in the world’s largest virtual production network.” ADX Labs will contribute a new director to the Vū Technologies board.
Virtual production, a new and burgeoning sector of the professional film and video industry, offers and blends both Extended Reality and Mixed Reality technologies in advanced studio facilities. Typically rented by film, TV, advertising and corporate video producers by the day, week or month, Vū Studios empower directors to shoot their talent in largely enclosed high-definition video projection environments. “Vū Studios provide deeply immersive virtual environments for actors to perform as if they are on location,” said Moore.
Incorporating multiple technologies invented and patented by Tim Moore, the Vū Max, Vū Pro and Vū Essential are large circular sound stage studios which provide HD LED panels on all walls and ceilings. The Vū Dome is a sound stage in a massive 30 foot (9.1m) diameter dome structure with custom made curved HD LED internal surfaces, providing a 180 by 90 degree volume. Vū Walls, which can be constructed in effectively infinite sizes, provide advanced shooting environments for tracking shots.
“Vū Studios are so much more than just our advanced LED panels and rigging,” said Davila, “Vū has invested staggering amounts of R&D integrating camera tracking and real-time rendering applications to create immersive virtual environments for actors to perform in geographically diverse studios in real time.” Vū’s deep integration of LED, robotics, camera tracking technology and game engine know-how allows effectively realistic backgrounds to be generated in real-time, rendered from the point of view of the moving camera with perfect parallax.
Unique to Vū’s patented LED panels is an innovative system which allows Vū Studio soundstages to be theatrically lit from above the enclosed volume. “Directors and DPs can light their scenes according to the skill and knowledge acquired over their careers,” said Davila.
Media enquiries
For media enquiries, including interviews with the principals and key engineering leaders, please contact Emily Vivian, PR Manager, ADX Labs, Inc at evivian@adxnet.com
About ADX Labs
ADX Labs, Inc. is an American technology and services company focused on providing a range of innovative products and services for individuals, home-based businesses, and the small to medium enterprise market. ADX develops or invests in cloud computing and applications, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and machine learning, a console and casual game development studio, fintech and blockchain, virtual film and television production, music content and technology, and other crucial aspects of today’s technological world. ADX Labs, Inc. is the core company in a global group of technology, entertainment and services brands and businesses. Learn more at https://adxlabs.com
