Virtual production possibilities ‘almost endless’

The man cruising down city streets in a Chevrolet Camaro was, in fact, not moving at all. Behind him, towers passed by; in front, throngs of people from Manitoba’s film sector surveyed the scene.

They observed the LED screens showing the cityscape, encircling film cameras and soundproofing wall hiding the door the Camaro drove through.

Wednesday marked Avro XR Studio’s grand opening. Companies behind the virtual production studio are touting it as Manitoba’s first of its kind at ground level.

“A lot of people we’ve spoken to, they all say ‘Oh, you do virtual production? That’s cool, but when can I bring a car into the space?’” said Austin MacKay, co-founder of CoPilot Co.

CoPilot Co., which assists in film production and extended reality, partnered with AVentPro on the new studio. The latter company specializes in event production and audio visual services.

The two Manitoba businesses crossed paths via a mutual connection, said Garry Hale, AVentPro president.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, AVentPro launched a live broadcast studio with a virtual backdrop for events.

“We realized just how many of our corporate, non-profit and association clients could benefit from this technology,” Hale told a crowd Wednesday.

The company supplies and assists with LED equipment. CoPilot Co. has a background in designing virtual production stages and using the technology for filming.

Now, after a roughly $1 million investment, the St. Boniface-area site is open for booking.

“Our goal … is to inspire and educate local industry, improving productions,” said Reid Valmestad, co-founder of CoPilot Co.

Perhaps the studio, at 635 Camiel Sys St., will help attract international productions to Manitoba, he added.

Avro XR joins StudioLab xR in Winnipeg’s virtual production studio offerings. Matthew Dyck, associate creative director with UpHouse, has booked StudioLab xR for his advertising clients.

The downtown training hub has allowed UpHouse to pitch “more ambitious work” knowing it can be done, Dyck relayed. He recently did two campaigns for a customer: one involving high mountain skiing, another involving a tropical beach.

“We shot them both back-to-back in the same location,” Dyck said. “The possibilities are almost endless.”

He attended Avro XR’s opening to scout the studio. The virtual production space is roughly 1,500 square feet; there’s also a multi-purpose studio with a green screen, production office and kitchen.

Concerns around weather, traffic and disrupting communities by filming are eliminated by using virtual production studios, said Kenny Boyce, City of Winnipeg manager of film and special events.

“They can be there all day and all night,” Boyce said. “The more that we can throw at visiting productions — having direct flights, aggressive tax credits, really talented crews … they shop where they want to go make their film.

“Winnipeg has so much going for it right now.”

Some four productions were filming in Winnipeg on Wednesday, including November 1963, a thriller about John F. Kennedy’s assassination starring John Travolta. Manitoba logged $224.9 million worth of film production budgets in 2023-24, Manitoba Film & Music’s most recent report shows.

Valmestad sees Avro XR as a “very important stepping stone” to a full-scale virtual production studio.

The Mandalorian, a Star Wars television series, is among the shows shot through virtual production. Jette Studios, in Niverville, aims to create its own virtual production space, too.

Avro XR has launched booking on its website (www.avroxr.com).

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com