Abu Dhabi’s twofour54 launches new offering for broadcasting and gaming sector

Twofour54, the Abu Dhabi-based media, entertainment and gaming hub, has announced it is expanding its production facilities through its new offering, virtual solutions.

Launched in partnership with the Canadian media firm Ross Video, virtual solutions includes virtual studios, virtual production services, and extended reality (XR) features.

Using state-of-the-art cameras, virtual monitors, floating augmented reality (AR) elements, and customisable virtual sets, the solutions aim to target film, TV, and advertisement producers, broadcasters, event organisers, and gaming companies.

The virtual studios use three of Ross Video’s Voyager graphics platforms, which are based on the Unreal Engine to provide high-quality photorealistic visuals.

Virtual studio’s technology allows production companies to quickly change a set, deploy a new scene and look, or share a studio space with other businesses without any downtime due to set construction. Each of these benefits reduces the time and cost of production, limits negative environmental impact, and allows producers to focus on creating engaging and innovative content that captivates their audience.

Meanwhile, virtual production allows companies to create flexible production teams that can execute a variety of tasks remotely whilst the talent, news anchor or event host is on set. This service is provided by Ross Video’s cloud-enabled remote contribution solution, Interstellar.

Rounding out the virtual solutions, twofour54 will provide a full range of XR services, a new production trend for on-premise production that utilises a combination of real and virtual environments and interactions to reduce the cost of production. Available for live or pre-recorded content, the XR services feature large format LED screens that act as a direct replacement to traditional green screens.

twofour54 is expanding its world-class production facilities through pioneering Virtual Solutions. Launched in partnership with the Canadian media firm Ross Video, the new offering includes Virtual Studios, Virtual Production services and Extended Reality facilities. pic.twitter.com/6Zu2GKMlh8

— twofour54 Abu Dhabi (@2454abudhabi) April 1, 2022

Katrina Anderson, director of Commercial Services, twofour54, said: “A core driver of this success is the vast range of services and facilities provided by twofour54, all of which look to increase the ease of production and help these companies find new and innovative ways to create content and engage their audience. By providing flexible, technology-driven solutions that can create production cost savings as high as 80 per cent, this is what Virtual Studios is set to accomplish, so we are proud to be the first to bring this offering to the region through the end-to-end partnership with Ross Video and Rocket Surgery.”

She added: “Following the launch of twofour54’s new home at Yas Creative Hub, we continue to provide the very best facilities and services to the creative industries ecosystem in Abu Dhabi. Being a core driver of the emirate’s economic development, we will continue to advance the media sector over the coming months and years.”

To support production companies looking to capitalise on the new virtual studios, twofour54 partner Rocket Surgery, the creative arm of Ross Video, will be on hand to provide design and creative services. These services will include design consultations with the client, creative project management and a range of graphics’ packages.

The launch of virtual studios is the latest addition to twofour54’s existing facilities, which includes Studio City, a 300,000 sq m backlot comprising of 219,000 sq m of land for production companies to build their own sets, 81,000 sq m of standing sets, a range of studios, an experienced production, creative and technical crew and multiple post-production houses.