Virtual production, a film production technique that combines digital environments with live-action footage, is taking the film world by storm — and Full Sail is meeting the industry’s new standards by opening a $3-million virtual production studio on its Winter Park campus.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on March 8 during the school’s Hall of Fame Week. Members of school’s leadership team, including Rick Ramsey, Full Sail’s Education Director of Visual Arts, and Garry Jones, the school’s president, cut a ribbon bearing Full Sail’s signature orange hue at 10 AM. Phil Anderson, the mayor of Winter Park, was also in attendance.

An open house for students, staff, and alumni followed the ribbon-cutting. Attendees got an up-close look at the studio’s technology, including Brompton LED processors, 500 total LED tiles, and a 40-foot wide and 16-foot high LED wall. Kyle Frazer, the studio’s manager, worked with Rick during the open house to demonstrate the studio’s technology and explain how that technology will prepare Full Sail’s students for the professional film industry.

The celebration for Studio V1 didn’t stop there: An educational session about the upcoming film 9 Windows, Studio V1’s first on-campus production, was held on Wednesday. And, during another educational panel on Thursday, “Virtual Production: What Does it Mean for the Future of Filmmaking?”, the studio’s leaders and industry pros from HBO and Skulley FX broke down the virtual production process and discussed how the technology is changing professional filmmaking.

More information about 9 Windows and other Studio V1 productions will be available later in 2022.