ROE Visual has announced its involvement in Studio Ulster, one of Northern Ireland’s most advanced virtual production studio. The studio selected ROE Visual’s LED solutions to build several LED volumes in their studio complex, as the company has claimed in a statement.

Officially opened in June 2025, Studio Ulster is a facility located within the Belfast Harbour Studios complex. Developed in partnership between Ulster University, Belfast Harbour, and Northern Ireland Screen, with partial funding from the Belfast Region City Deal, the 75,000-square-foot studio is designed to try to support a full spectrum of content production, ranging from television and feature films to immersive gaming and animation.

Studio Ulster is home to three virtual production stages, respectively named VP1, VP2, and VP3, and each is designed with in-camera VFX at its core. All three studios are equipped with ROE Visual’s Ruby-C curved 2.2 LED panels and CB3 LED ceiling panels, while the VP3 studio features a Black Marble BM4 LED floor; Brompton Technology LED processors power all LED panels.

VP1 – The Flagship Stage

VP1 is among the most advanced virtual production stages, featuring the Nant Studios-certified Dynamic Volume System. This 61-meter-wide seamless LED canvas is constructed from nine 8-meter-high wall pods and five motorized ceiling pods, creating a configurable volume of 327.5 square meters.

With rapid reconfiguration options, productions can adapt the LED environment in a fraction of the time usually required. It enables real-time, immersive environments for film and television production.

VP2 – Ideal for Automotive and Mid-Scale Productions

VP2 features a continuous LED wall-to-ceiling “cap” design, making it the perfect environment for car processing work and moderate-scale virtual productions. Like VP1, it is equipped with ROE Ruby-C 2.2 and CB3 ceiling panels, delivering color-accurate visuals across a digital surface.

VP3 – The CoSTAR Screen Lab

VP3 hosts the CoSTAR Screen Lab, led by Ulster University and part of the UK-wide CoSTAR initiative. This space forms part of Europe’s largest virtual production research and development network, fostering innovation and skills development across the creative industries.

VP3 features an integrated LED floor utilizing ROE Black Marble BM4, enabling extended reality (XR) workflows—ideal for broadcast, live performance, and experimental virtual sets.

Together, these stages aim to support everything, from real-time world-building using Unreal Engine to high-quality 2D video playback.

“Virtual production has truly come of age at Studio Ulster”, affirmed Richard Williams, CEO of Northern Ireland Screen. “This facility pushes the boundaries of what’s possible on screen and enables directors to bring any imagined world to life, right here at Belfast Harbour”.

Studio Ulster is also home to one of five national CoSTAR Screen Labs, part of a UK-wide initiative supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). With this research component integrated directly into the studio, Studio Ulster looks forward to offering a unique blend of commercial production capabilities and academic innovation.

“We’ve taken the spirit of Belfast’s shipyards—precision, ambition, and pride—and applied it to the future of storytelling”. explained Professor Declan Keeney, CEO of Studio Ulster. “ROE Visual’s LED volume plays a foundational role in helping us offer world-class tools to visionary creatives”.

One of the first productions will be a BBC Northern Ireland drama series about the Titanic, produced by Stellify Media, which will utilize the LED volume and digital production tools to bring the story to life in real-time.

“At ROE Visual, we are proud to contribute to the global evolution of virtual production”, added Olaf Sperwer, Business Development Virtual Production at ROE Visual. “Studio Ulster showcases how technology like our BP2V2 panels can power a new era of storytelling—combining creativity, flexibility, and realism like never before”.

“We’re honored to collaborate once again with NantStudios”, concluded Frank Montero, Managing Director for ROE Visual US, “First on their flagship facility in Melbourne, Australia, and now with this impressive new studio complex in Ulster, Ireland. This partnership reflects our shared commitment to pushing the boundaries of virtual production. We look forward to continuing our work with NantStudios and supporting the industry’s ongoing innovation”.