We had an amazing set of speakers this year, covering all area's from Digital Humans, VP for kids TV, AI, Simple VP, Complex VP to name just a few. 

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David Grey

Digital Meets Handmade: Can VP enhance stop-motion?

Aardman Animations is reimagining stop-motion filmmaking through a pioneering R&D project exploring virtual production. Real-time tools, digital twins, and a cross-platform XR sandbox are being tested across the full creative pipeline—from story development to delivery. The goal is to evolve workflows, boost efficiency, and unlock new creative possibilities while preserving the handmade artistry that defines stop-motion.

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Ed Tracy

How to Train Your AI Monster

AI is transforming the way stories are told. Explore how artificial intelligence can enhance creativity, strengthen narrative structure, and avoid the common pitfalls of weak storytelling. Discover practical ways to use AI tools to craft more engaging, impactful stories for today’s audiences.

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Esteban Lecoq

LILITH AI Lecture Performance

AΦE Company presents LILITH AI Lecture Performance—an intimate exploration of life, death, and the intersection of technology and human experience. Inspired by a personal encounter with mortality, the work introduces the digital offspring Lilith and the interactive installation LILITH.AEON. Through movement and narrative, it examines humanity’s timeless pursuit of immortality, merging ancient longing with modern innovation.

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Lauren Newport-Quinn

Innovating with Indies: Empowering Marginalized Voices in Virtual Production

A 10-month collaborative project led by the University for the Creative Arts, in partnership with Mo-Sys Engineering, Sunbelt Rentals, Ligatura Films, and others, demonstrates how opening educational and research spaces to independent production companies enables marginalised storytellers to expand their narrative techniques. By using virtual production workflows, the project developed a solid MVP, ready for investor funding and wider industry recognition.

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Zoltan Batho

Future-Proofing Creative Talent in the Virtual Production Era

The AVENUE Project is building a new talent pipeline for the fast-changing creative industries. It showcases innovative training methods, industry-academia partnerships, and fresh approaches to curricula and careers. Designed for creatives, educators, and technologists, it highlights how Virtual Production is reshaping preparation for the next generation of storytellers.

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Andy Harris

Automated Props in Action: Build a live scene with us

This interactive experience puts the audience at the heart of the action. After selecting a genre, volunteers will perform a live scene while a designer builds visuals in real time based on audience input. It then demonstrates the impact of automated props through case studies from major productions, showing how automation brings new levels of immersion and creativity to live experiences.

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James Simpson

Breaking Mocap: Battle-Testing Motion Capture in Live Concerts

What’s the best motion capture system for live shows? Insights from Copper Candle’s collaboration with the University of York reveal how real-time capture performs in unpredictable gig environments. Explore the challenges, solutions, and breakthroughs from projects like Copper House in Fortnite, where new artists perform in an interactive, gamified festival space.

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Daniel Evans

Beyond Big Studios: Making Virtual Production Work for Small Creatives

Virtual production isn’t just for big studios. Insights from the Media Cymru Seed R&D project showcase inclusive VP solutions designed for Welsh SMEs. Case studies such as Flying Without Wings—created with neurodivergent creatives—demonstrate how VP can be both scalable and accessible, with cost-effective approaches that open the door for regional and underrepresented creators.

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Morgan Skillicorn

Realtime Roads: Procedural Real-time Unreal Engine Environments for Flexible Vehicle Shooting

Realtime Roads is a custom Unreal Engine system built in C++ to generate fully procedural, real-time driving environments for virtual production. Developed as part of an MSc project, it provides a dynamic alternative to traditional 2D plates in LED volumes. The project details its technical approach, integration with nDisplay, and the challenges of creating high-performance environments for virtual vehicle shoots.

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Ross Floyd

The Robots Are Here: Remain the Human in the Loop

The Robots are Coming strategies are revisited, examining how AI is rapidly reshaping film and VFX. Ross Floyd explores the opportunities and challenges for creatives in this shifting landscape, highlighting AI’s impact on content creation while stressing the importance of preserving the human touch in an era of automation.

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Alex Taylor

Showcasing Rapid and Iterative Development Workflows in Virtual Production for Advertisements

Fast workflows for designing and delivering virtual production sets for advertising and TV are showcased through the sci-fi vitamin ad SanaSol. Alex walks through the process from previs to final shoot, showing how small teams can use LED walls and Unreal Engine for rapid iteration, and offering practical approaches for guiding clients new to VP and ICVFX.

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James Ward

Homemade VP / Bedroom VP: End-to-End Virtual Production on a Budget

This session shows how green screen virtual production can be done at home with minimal kit—just a laptop, camera or phone, and free software. James Ward demonstrates a complete workflow, plus a DIY system running entirely on a SteamDeck handheld. Discover scalable, low-cost approaches that make high-quality virtual production accessible to small creators and studios alike.

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Phillip Moss

Showcasing Rapid and Iterative Development Workflows in Virtual Production for Advertisements

Green screen virtual production can be done at home with minimal kit—just a laptop, camera or phone, and free software. James Ward demonstrates a complete workflow, plus a DIY system running entirely on a SteamDeck handheld. Discover scalable, low-cost approaches that make high-quality virtual production accessible to small creators and studios alike.

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Gaynor O'Flynn

Innovating with Indies: Empowering Marginalised Voices in Virtual Production

The Converger is an innovative fusion of art and technology that blends immersive storytelling, createch, and performance to reshape digital narratives. It explores creative and technical challenges, pushing the boundaries of interactive storytelling while connecting with the latest advances in immersive media.

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Chris Bouchard

Using Gaussian Splatting on the Volume at Film Soho: A Revolutionary Leap in Location Scanning for Virtual Production

Exploring how Film Soho is pioneering the use of Gaussian Splatting in its virtual production pipeline, transforming the way location scans are captured, processed, and deployed. By leveraging this cutting-edge technique, filmmakers can achieve photorealistic volumetric environments with unprecedented speed and fidelity. Attendees will gain insight into why Gaussian Splatting could be a game-changer, democratizing high-end virtual production for projects of all scales.​

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Viktoriya Atanasova

The Impact of Real-Time Audio on Actor Performance Quality in VP

Real-time audio playback can elevate actor performance on virtual production sets. Drawing on four experimental productions, this work shows how key sound cues enhance immersion and delivery. Covering the full process from pre-production to post-production, it reveals how sound brings digital worlds to life.

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Maja Oszczypała

Virtual Production Pole Performance Video

A virtual production pole-dancing project developed at the CoSTAR Realtime Lab uses motion capture, real-time Houdini simulations, and Unreal Engine to challenge stereotypes while showcasing the athleticism of pole dancing in an ethereal visual style. It includes a full project breakdown, learning insights, and behind-the-scenes perspectives.

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