ARwall has delivered a newly constructed extended reality (XR) stage at Soapbox Films. The latest innovation from this partnership sees the installation of a brand new 30 x 12 ft., 1.5mm pitch LED backdrop for in-camera effects and virtual production.

With a new matte finish screen enabling the creation of rich, deep blacks and the elimination of glare from production lights, the company says these new panels are powered by a new generation of processor with a much higher refresh rate, which results in much more vibrant images with no striation artifacts or color banding.

A Full Virtual Production Services Partnership

This is the latest project between Soapbox Films and ARwall, who have had a strong partnership for over two years now. The vision shared by Chris Alender, CEO of Soapbox Films, and Rene Amador, CEO of ARwall, to mature virtual production into becoming another essential component of a filmmaker’s toolbox has resulted in them becoming one of a handful of full-service virtual production providers in the world that serve both major studio projects and fan films. This partnership is all about cutting-edge technology—providing stage, screen, tracking capabilities, creative environment design, virtual production dept, on-set operation, pre-visualization, and much more.

Previous projects include, most famously, Disney’s Muppet Haunted Mansion which was produced by Soapbox Films and the virtual production completed by ARwall. Other projects include productions for Lucasfilm, Zenni, 20th Century Studios, JW Marriott, MADEINTYO, Paloma Rush, and more.

ARwall believes this innovative stage is “news that will be gratefully received, in particular, by indie filmmakers who are interested in the emerging world of virtual production but stuck using legacy screens from the first wave of virtual production soundstages, now five years old in some cases.”

The Stage for the Future with ARwall and Soapbox Films

Soapbox Films and ARwall claim their latest stage enables new capabilities and quality of life features that are simply unavailable at other virtual production stages. These capabilities result in more set-ups per day, amenities and workflow suitable for A-list talent, and complete production support from development to post, according to the companies.

The next-generation stage features an AX Pro 1.5mm by Absen LED, providing advanced color and cadence qualities purpose built for in-camera virtual production, and a 6K horizontal resolution. The stage also provides access to the new ARFX Pro Plugin and ARFX Launcher with integrated rehearsal and quick-calibration tool sets which dramatically reduce downtime on set, and it’s powered by the new Vive Mars professional tracking system with genlock/sync support.

Watch a time-lapse video of the ARwall XR stage being built.

This represents a significant advancement in showcasing ARwall’s vision of single-operator virtual production departments powered by ARFX software, designed for fast and powerful in-engine controls made for the speed of production.

“We’re proud to show how ARwall has been able to pull together partnerships across the industry to make this type of stage possible, this is a win for those looking for an XR stage in LA that balances cost and quality,” said Amador. “This solution was made accessible with LED tech and products six years in the making, that are now available on our site. This is a solution for a modern content industry that’s learning from past efforts, streamlining towards a focus on creativity, and capturing the opportunities available from this tech today.”