STARTS LAB Oulu VP Studio: A Virtual Studio Meeting International Quality Standards

The new VP studio at Oulu University of Applied Sciences, developed over two and a half years by Mediatrade, is a good example of a technologically advanced turnkey solution.

Mediatrade had the honor of being selected as the system designer and integrator of the VP studio within the EU-funded STARTS LAB Oulu project at Oulu University of Applied Sciences. The project package consisted of system design, equipment delivery, configuration, installation, and in-depth user training, making it a strong example of Mediatrade’s broad expertise and ability to deliver a complete studio on a turnkey basis. The studio was handed over to the client on schedule in August 2025. In addition, the overall project was preceded by the studio’s trunk cabling design, which was commissioned and carried out in December 2024.

Foundation laid in Mediatrade’s Test Studio

Designing and building a studio that enables In-Camera VFX production requires extensive expertise and experience that go beyond traditional production methods. This production method combines solutions from across the broad spectrum of the AV and media industries into a complete image production system, which must operate seamlessly as an integrated whole. In-depth knowledge of constructing and utilizing such a system can only be gained by building and working with one in practice.

As Mediatrade’s operations are guided first and foremost by a commitment to quality and integrity, we have an obligation to generate knowledge and experience to serve as the foundation for the solutions we design and provide. The STARTS LAB Oulu VP Studio is largely based on Mediatrade’s Research and Marketing VP Studio, which was built at our Vallila office in early 2023. In other words, the foundation of the STARTS LAB Oulu VP Studio is the result of two and a half years of hands-on development and testing.

Production Methods and Tools of the STARTS LAB Oulu VP Studio

The In-Camera VFX production method is a complex workflow with strict technical tolerances. At the same time, it offers a rewarding way to create images in an immersive studio environment, enabling a qualitative improvement over the traditional green screen method. In-Camera VFX refers to a VFX workflow in which a virtual environment created for compositing is recorded directly on camera together with foreground actors and set pieces. The virtual environment is projected into the background of the recorded image either with an LED video wall or a video projector. To create the virtual environment, methods such as videoplate, 2.5D compositing, or game engine–based virtual worlds can be used.

Mediatrade designed the STARTS LAB Oulu VP Studio as a so-called hybrid studio. In other words, the studio supports both the In-Camera VFX- and the green screen workflow. It was equipped with an LED video wall consisting of 72 panels which have the capacity to function as a high-quality green screen as well as with a virtual production software, enabling both production methods.

Tools for Creating an Authentic Illusion

Virtual production is about creating a convincingly authentic illusion and the studio must provide the tools to achieve this. Such tools include, for example, a camera tracking system that allows game engine rendered images to be aligned in real time with the recording camera’s perspective, and a lighting method that makes it possible to transfer the virtual environment’s imagery to the studio lighting.

A common quality issue in virtual productions is that foreground actors and set pieces do not appear to exist within the virtual world; instead, the image can be separated into distinct foreground and background elements within the same composition. This problem arises when the conditions of the virtual environment do not seem to extend to and interact with the actors and sets in the foreground. For the illusion to work, there must be authentic interaction between the virtual world and the foreground.

The single most important factor in creating this interaction is light. Light must come from the correct angle, the right intensity, timing, and color. Achieving a deep level of consistency through traditional lighting control methods alone is impossible. For this reason, a specialized lighting control method has been developed for virtual production: Image Based Lighting. In this method, the virtual environment is mapped to a pixel-mapping matrix, which the programmed studio lights interpret in real time. This approach makes it possible to achieve precise consistency between the lighting conditions of the virtual environment and those on the studio floor. Since our client’s objective is to enable and implement high-quality virtual productions as part of their education programs, we designed the studio as a comprehensive solution that offers its users:

1. A hybrid workflow supporting both In-Camera VFX and green screen production methods
2. The Image Based Lighting method
3. nDisplay and LiveFX projection methods

Ensuring Quality

The In-Camera VFX method was first used in a major production in 2019, when Disney employed it in the filming of The Mandalorian, a TV series within the Star Wars saga. Since then, the method has gained widespread popularity, and In-Camera VFX studios equipped with LED video walls are now being established at a rapid pace around the world.

The lack of industry standards has however led to a wide variety of solutions of differing quality. For this reason, we were pleased when Netflix released its guidelines for VP studios in the summer of 2024. Since their publication, Mediatrade has adopted these guidelines in its own test studio and has advised its clients to follow them as well. Accordingly, we designed the STARTS LAB Oulu VP Studio as a comprehensive solution capable of meeting and exceeding the image quality specifications defined by Netflix.

Among other things, a thorough understanding of processes such as color management pipelines is an absolute necessity in modern VFX production. This is why it is crucial to train future professionals in environments where quality standards are both documented and assured.

Project Manufacturing Partners

Mediatrade has been fortunate in its collaboration with high-quality manufacturing partners. All partners selected for this project are long-standing collaborators of Mediatrade and represent the very best in their fields, both in terms of quality and as developers of industry-leading technology. As noted earlier, the In-Camera VFX production method operates within strict technical tolerances. For this reason, it is essential that the studio is equipped with hardware capable of performing reliably within the required specifications. Below is a list of the key manufacturing partners and equipment:

1.  LED Video Wall: ROE Visual Black Pearl 2v2 and Megapixel Helios Jr. processor
2.  Camera Tracking: Mo-Sys Engineering StarTracker and VPPro software
3.  Image Based Lighting: Creamsource Vortex8 and Vortex4 LED panels
4.  VP Production Software: Assimilate Live FX Studio

About the Client

Oulu’s University of Applied Sciences has proven to be an ideal partner for Mediatrade. From the very beginning of the project, it was clear that we shared the same values as guiding principles for the project’s objectives. Together, we set out to build a solution that meets the highest international standards in the field. This created an atmosphere of enthusiasm and trust that carried the project to a successful conclusion.

“Mediatrade’s uncompromising commitment to quality, grounded in its extensive professional expertise gave us confidence that we would receive a studio meeting international quality standards,” says Petteri Stáven, Technical Manager of the STARTS LAB Oulu VP Studio. “This is especially important in a project like a VP studio, where it can be difficult for the client to define quality criteria.”