Mexico. Simplemente has one of the pioneering virtual production studios in Mexico, which allows the making of accessible and state-of-the-art films for projects of any size. The company has just celebrated the first anniversary of its avant-garde LED stage located in the historic Churubusco Studios.
The volume features 200 square meters of high-density LED panels arranged on an immersive 270-degree screen. There are 782 2.3mm AOTO RM LED panels for a total resolution of 14252 x 2582, providing nearly 5 times the resolution of a 4K display for maximum photorealism on a giant canvas.
The volume is powered by eight of Brompton Technology's industry-leading Tessera SX40 LED video processors. The design and integration of this main volume are based on the extensive testing that Simplemente conducted on its smallest R+D volume of 25 square meters.
The company was founded by Monica Reina and Rune Hansen in 2000 and has always operated at the forefront of technological innovation, embracing digital cinema, live streaming, virtual reality, and virtual production from the beginning. Simplemente clients range from independent artists and creatives to production houses and film schools and major television networks in Mexico and Latin America, and the studio offers production, integration, training and rental services.
"We had been obsessed with Brompton processors for a long time," Reina explained. "The LED panels we had been using since about 2017 came with a different processor and it just outgrew us; We wanted to do more, but we couldn't demand it enough. In 2023, while we were testing the new main volume, we were excited to be able to upgrade it to new AOTO LED panels with the integrated Brompton receiver cards and Tessera SX40 processors."
Hansen added: "Incorporating Brompton first into our test volume helped us understand what we could do. Color accuracy was a big priority for us in the testing phase. We found that Brompton's pixel processing clearly delivered the best results and allowed us to control gamma, shutter speed, and all these things that we couldn't do before. Now we can really increase the frame rate and slow motion and get great results."
To kick off its new volume at Estudios Churubusco, Simplemente recently finished filming two consecutive seasons of the upcoming Amazon Prime original series "Every Minute Counts." The drama series focuses on the catastrophic 1985 earthquake that struck Mexico City and subsequent rescue attempts and stories of survival. The series will premiere in late 2024.
"The virtual production was perfect for this project because we were able to recreate the city in the right period, as well as the large-scale destruction, and make everything so intensely realistic." I remember my father and I helping with the rescue efforts in one of these real locations, and entering the volume and seeing it made me come back immediately, it was very immersive," Reina shared.
"Being able to capture everything on camera was critical for the filmmakers," Hansen added. "It's such an intense story that really helps the actors and the whole crew feel like they're there. The volume inspired them a lot. The integration of the art department and set builders to extend the volume with physical pieces from the set was amazing and added realism. The Brompton processors allowed us to do live color grading on the wall using 3D LUTs, which was a huge creative benefit."
In the last year since opening the Churubusco Studios stage, Simplemente has also used it to film multiple commercials for various brands, as well as a groundbreaking reality TV series "Desafío India Club Cinépolis" for the Cinépolis cinema chain. They even used the volume to film Mexico's second presidential debate on April 28, 2024, which attracted more than 16 million viewers, a record number.
"The democratization of virtual production has been very gratifying," Hansen said. "It's amazing that all kinds of people come and get to try virtual production for the first time, and they feel very energized and engaged when they can see the environment, the light, and frame things correctly. The whole process ends up being much more creative and collaborative, and the possibilities are very exciting."
"We are thrilled to support Simplemente to bring top-notch virtual production to the Mexican market," shared Adam Callaway, global director of virtual production and streaming at Brompton Technology. "Their stage at Estudios Churubusco is state-of-the-art, and it's exciting to see Simplemente doing everything from prestige television to educational training and commercials. It's a real resource for the film community at large."
