Technology is evolving across industries, and the production business—as proven by the ongoing actors strike for protections against artificial intelligence—is no exception.
Just one example of this shift is Vū, a virtual production company that is revolutionizing the event, immersive and filming industries through its network of four unique studios across the country, including in Las Vegas.
“Today, we’re the largest network in virtual studios,” said Tim Moore, CEO of Vū. “But I think what’s unique about our studios is we do a wide breadth of things.
“Most virtual production studios focus on the feature film market, so we’re diversified in the fact that we go after short form, we do some features—we also do commercial work.”
Vū Las Vegas, a 40,000-square-foot venue with two sound stages located south of the Las Vegas Strip, has certainly made its mark since opening in April 2022. The location has been extremely well-received by the Las Vegas community, Moore said, having worked with the NFL, ESPN and Fontainebleau Las Vegas, the long-anticipated resort slated to open this winter.
The venue utilizes a massive LED dome, spanning 140 feet in width and 20 feet in height, to provide a virtual background for clients so they can avoid having to travel to different locations—particularly hubs like New York City or Los Angeles—to film a commercial or a movie.
“So, it’s almost half of a football field,” Moore said. “And the cool thing about it is it has a ceiling on it as well, that’s made out of LED, so when you put set pieces inside there, it’s very immersive.”
The immense diversity of the Las Vegas portfolio sets it apart from its peers, Moore said, like the other three Vū studios in Nashville, Tennessee; Orlando, Florida; and Tampa, Florida.
The Southern Nevada studio has produced commercials and even a film starring Academy Award-winning actor Nicolas Cage, and also hosted E-gaming and other sports-related events that use the LED dome to immerse spectators.
Moore pointed to a press conference at Vū in August, when representatives of the NFL, the Super Bowl Host Committee and more used the venue’s LED screen and ceiling to show off branding and planning regarding Super Bowl LVIII, which will be played at Allegiant Stadium in February 2024.
“So, every week it’s something new and interesting,” he said. “And I would say that the Vegas market just brings in so much unique entertainment, that we’ve benefited from being in that market.”
Las Vegas also has a competitive edge because of its proximity to Hollywood, its consistently good weather and ease of transport, Moore said. Vū has benefited from being close to major markets like Los Angeles without actually having to operate in them, he said.
While strikes by unions like the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists have shut down production in Hollywood over the past several months, Moore said, Vū Las Vegas continued to see high demand.
“I think it is something unique about the Vegas market, that they don’t run by all the same standards and rules as Hollywood does,” he said. “We’ve really liked working in Vegas because of how cooperative the city’s been. I would say that even despite some of the disruptions that were happening in Hollywood, Vegas has continued to be a thriving market.”
Vū has its eyes on expanding its operations in Las Vegas even further, Moore said, and is excited about the possibilities of what’s ahead.
He cited an ongoing legislative effort to bring more film production to Nevada through tax incentives as one reason Las Vegas is a viable place to be for production right now and in the future.
“I just can’t say enough good things about Las Vegas—the Sphere, all the new attractions that are coming into town, Formula One (and the) Super Bowl,” Moore said. “We just see so much opportunity on the horizon, so we’re grateful to be there and look forward to expanding our operations more.”