Northern Eire’s Studio Ulster is launching its digital manufacturing facility that represents greater than $96.5 million (£72 million) in funding.
Belfast-based Studio Ulster mentioned it’s celebrating its launch at present because the world’s most superior digital manufacturing facility spanning 75,000 sq. toes.
Studio Ulster is designed to help productions at each scale, from blockbuster movies and high-end tv to AAA recreation growth and world-class animation. The power integrates real-time engines, in-camera visible results, volumetric seize and movement monitoring right into a seamless, sustainable pipeline that redefines how tales are created, rendered and delivered.
Studio Ulster is the results of a £72 million funding, part-funded via the Belfast Area Metropolis Deal. Developed by Ulster College in partnership with Belfast Harbour and supported by Northern Eire Display screen, the power presents large-scale digital manufacturing levels that set new world requirements for real-time filmmaking.
It’s designed to raise the UK and Eire’s capability for industrial studio manufacturing utilizing superior in-camera visible results, establishing a world-class benchmark for the trade. Studio Ulster can be residence to the CoSTAR Display screen Lab, one in all 5 nationwide analysis labs created beneath the UK-wide CoSTAR initiative. This program, backed by £75.6 million in funding from the Arts and Humanities Analysis Council (AHRC) and £63 million in new trade funding, positions Studio Ulster on the forefront of worldwide R&D in display and artistic applied sciences.
Studio Ulster is a digital manufacturing facility.
“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” mentioned Professor Declan Keeney, CEO of Studio Ulster and BFI Board Member, in a press release. “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.”
Northern Eire continues to place itself as a premium manufacturing vacation spot, bolstered by the UK’s beneficiant display sector tax reliefs for high-end TV, movie, animation and online game productions. Mixed with world-class infrastructure and a talented native workforce, the area is quick changing into a go to hub for world content material creators.
Studio Ulster is the one purpose-built digital manufacturing campus of its type on the island of Eire. Its built-in ecosystem consists of every little thing from 3D/4D scanning and movement seize to full-scale LED quantity levels and post-production suites all beneath one roof.
“Virtual production has truly come of age at Studio Ulster,” mentioned Richard Williams, CEO of Northern Eire Display screen, in a press release. “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.”
Digital manufacturing applied sciences are reshaping how tales are informed, enabling filmmakers to create limitless worlds on a single web site. Past artistic freedom, these instruments provide vital price and time efficiencies by lowering the necessity for bodily units and placement journey, whereas additionally supporting vastly extra sustainable manufacturing practices.
“Studio Ulster is a transformative investment for the screen industries of the UK and Ireland,” mentioned Professor Paul Bartholomew, Vice-Chancellor of Ulster College, in a press release. “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 Government at Netflix, mentioned in a press release, “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 Digital Manufacturing at Studio Ulster, mentioned in a press release, “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.”
