MIAMI—Grup Mediapro’s Mediapro US subsidiary has launched what it is billing as the largest virtual production center in South Florida.
The new facility includes a giant LED wall - 24 meters wide, 7 meters high and with over 1,000 panels - at its Miami studios.
The opening is part of a multi-year agreement signed between Mediapro US and BrandStar, one of the longest-standing production companies in the United States, and represents a notable expansion of Mediapro's operations into the virtual production sector.
As part of the deal, BrandStar designed, constructed and installed the LED wall and will offer support services for the operation of the virtual production system.
This audiovisual installation will use Unreal Engine software, a 3D creation tool allowing the live blending of real environments with digitally created elements.
Grup Mediapro reported that the launch is part of an ambitious plan to equip its main production centers with virtual production technology over the course of 2023-24. In this first phase of its rollout, the group plans to open centers in Miami, Barcelona, New York and Madrid.
In Barcelona, the virtual production set will be launched in late 2023. This studio will be located in 22@, Europe’s largest urban audiovisual production hub, and will combine 235 square meters of LED panels with green screens.
In the third quarter of this year, the group will add a new, 1,500 square meter virtual production center in New York. The second phase of this strategic plan will be completed with the 2024 launch in Madrid of another center. In later phases, Grup Mediapro will deploy this technology in all its production centers.
In a statement announcing the virtual production studio, Miami-Dade County mayor Daniella Levine Cava said that “the film industry is one of Miami-Dade’s most special economic drivers. Expanding the footprint of Miami-Dade County’s film and production capabilities is one of our key strategic initiatives, and we are honored to see this new partnership bring a first-of-its-kind studio to our county. I look forward to seeing a new level of production coming into Miami-Dade thanks to this new partnership.”
BrandStar founder and CEO Mark Alfieri added that “the company is delighted to be opening a facility in Miami-Dade County. The ability to combine our experience in producing over 300 TV episodes and 1,000 commercial video projects a year with that of the Grup Mediapro team will create new opportunities for the TV and film industry.”
Each year, Mediapro US produces more than 5,500 hours of TV content and operates 10 TV channels. With a 200-strong team of staff, Mediapro US provides production services to numerous TV shows for clients such as CNN, ESPN, beIN Sports, HolaTV, Hemisphere Media Group and CONCACAF.
