Studio Ulster, billed as having “the world’s most advanced virtual production facilities” has now officially launched.
Spanning 75,000 ft². Studio Ulster is designed “to support productions at every scale, from blockbuster films and high-end television to AAA game development and world-class animation.”
Studio Ulster, chaired by Professor Anthony Lilley OBE, is the result of a £72 million investment, part-funded through the Belfast Region City Deal. Developed by Ulster University in partnership with Belfast Harbour and supported by Northern Ireland Screen, the facility offers large-scale virtual production stages “that set new global standards for real-time filmmaking.” The studio is designed to elevate the UK and Ireland’s capacity for commercial studio production using in-camera visual effects. Studio Ulster is also home to the CoSTAR Screen Lab — one of five national research labs created under the UK-wide CoSTAR initiative. The programme, backed by £75.6 million in funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and £63 million in new industry investment, “positions Studio Ulster at the forefront of global R&D in screen and creative technologies.”
“From the docks that built the Titanic to the LED stages that now build entire universes, Belfast has always punched above its weight. The launch of Studio Ulster marks a new chapter, one where cutting-edge virtual production, motion capture, and digital scanning converge to give filmmakers, game developers, and creatives the power to shape worlds in real time” said Professor Declan Keeney, CEO of Studio Ulster and BFI Board Member. “We’ve taken the spirit of Belfast’s shipyards, precision, ambition, and pride in what we build and applied it to the future of storytelling. This isn’t just a studio. It’s a global platform for imagination, powered by some of the most advanced creative technology anywhere in the world.”
Studio Ulster is the only purpose-built virtual production campus of its kind on the island of Ireland. Its ecosystem runs from 3D/4D scanning and motion capture to full-scale LED volume stages and post-production suites all under one roof.
“Virtual production has truly come of age at Studio Ulster,” said Richard Williams, CEO of Northern Ireland Screen. “While many filmmakers are aware of the basics, few fully grasp how radically the technology has evolved. Studio Ulster is a genuine game-changer, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible on screen and enabling directors to bring any imagined world to life, right here at Belfast Harbour. Northern Ireland Screen is proud to support this landmark facility, which redefines the studio offering not only in Northern Ireland but across the UK and Europe.”
“Studio Ulster is a transformative investment for the screen industries of the UK and Ireland,” said Professor Paul Bartholomew, Vice-Chancellor of Ulster University. “This incredible facility is more than a milestone, it’s a launchpad for the next generation of creators and storytellers. By bringing cutting-edge virtual production capabilities to Belfast, we’re enhancing the region’s global competitiveness and creative potential, in turn creating jobs and economic impact. As a university, we are immensely proud to have developed and delivered this ambitious new enterprise at the heart of Northern Ireland’s creative economy.”
Laura Livingstone, VFX Executive at Netflix said: “This is a pivotal time for our industry, where innovation is not just accelerating but fundamentally reshaping how we create and experience stories. On a recent tour of Netflix owned Eyeline in LA, I saw firsthand how advancements from a world-class studio directly inform the techniques we adopt in visual effects and beyond, helping storytellers bring creative visions to life. It’s more than just a facility; it’s a bridge between visionary creators, the local community, and global opportunity.
“Studio Ulster has the potential to shape the next generation of storytelling, and I’m proud to have helped launch this studio.”
Kyle Olson, Head of Virtual Production at Studio Ulster, said: “Having worked on virtual production stages around the world, I can confidently say Studio Ulster is a standout. The scale and sophistication of the space is remarkable, but what truly sets it apart is the world-class team. There’s a rare mix here of cutting-edge technology, creative innovation, and a collaborative spirit that’s second to none. With this studio, Belfast is positioning itself as a global competitor.”
Tech specs
- Globally unique 3D/4D Scanning Suite
- Custom-built, photogrammetry and volumetric scanning infrastructure enables rapid, high-resolution asset digitisation for avatars, props and environments. It has very few equivalents worldwide in scale or integration.
- Tallest motion capture stage in Europe
- The Mocap stage at Studio Ulster enables full-body, aerial, and multi-performer capture, supporting everything from gaming cinematics to action choreography.
- Studio Ulster is the first SMPTE 2110-Compliant Virtual Production Studio
- Designed from the ground up with SMPTE ST 2110 standards, Studio Ulster ensures advanced IP-based video infrastructure for seamless, broadcast-ready workflows – a first for a purpose-built VP facility in this category.
- Among the first in the world to install Brompton SQ200 8K Processors
- Brompton’s next-generation 8K-capable SQ200 processors offer unmatched colour accuracy, processing power and scalability for high-end LED wall performance.
- Studio Ulster features ROE 2.2mm Ruby C-LED Tiles
- ROE 2.2mm Ruby C-LED Tiles are purpose built for virtual production. They have ultra-fine pixel pitch, high contrast and high refresh rates, delivering photorealistic backdrops and precision parallax for camera tracking.
- VP1 has NantStudios Certified Dynamic Control Volume
- VP1 is built in collaboration with Nant Studios and features real-time calibration, dynamic control interfaces and integrated virtual lighting and camera systems, offering a production-ready, high-fidelity environment certified to global standards.
- Central to its capabilities is Nant’s proprietary Atlas tracking software, which allows the digital environment and camera frustum to adjust dynamically in real time with the LED configuration. This ensures precise calibration between physical and digital elements, significantly reducing setup time and enabling seamless interaction between the volume and the virtual assets.
- Realtime workflows embedded across the facility
- Fully synchronised, real-time data exchange facilitated across every core discipline: LED volume, camera tracking, motion capture, scanning, and postproduction. This supports modular production techniques and simultaneous multi-use of the facility, allowing teams to operate in parallel across stages. Designed with interoperability in mind, the system can seamlessly connect with studios and facilities beyond Northern Ireland, making it ideal for international co-productions, hybrid pipelines, and global delivery schedules.
- BREEAM Accreditation
- The facility as a whole operates on 100% renewable energy and has achieved a BREEAM Excellent rating, making it the only virtual production stage in the UK to hold this standard. Its main virtual production stage (VP1) is designed to meet BREEAM standards for sustainability, which is a first for the virtual production industry.
pictures: Patrick Hughes
Jon Creamer
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