Based in Mexico City, virtual production studio Simplemente just celebrated the one-year anniversary of its LED stage located at the Estudios Churubusco. The volume features 2,153-square-foot (200-square-meter) high-density LED panels arranged in a 270-degree immersive screen and are powered by Brompton Technology.
Staying ahead of the technology curve is not a surprise for the studio. Simplemente was founded by Mónica Reina and Rune Hansen in 2000 and has always been early adopters of Pro AV technology, embracing digital film, live streaming, VR, and virtual production ahead. With clients ranging from independent artists to production houses and film schools to major television networks across Mexico and Latin America, and the studio offers production services, integration, training, and rentals.
Simplemente upgraded its massive LED stage to celebrate that one year. The massive screen has 782 AOTO RM 2.3mm LED panels for a total resolution of 14252x2582, providing almost five times the resolution of a 4K screen for ultimate photorealism on a giant canvas. The volume is powered by eight of Brompton Technology’s Tessera SX40 LED video processors. The design and integration of this main volume is based on Simplemente’s extensive testing done in their smaller 25 square meter R&D volume.
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“We had been obsessing over the Brompton processors for a long time,” explained Reina. “The LED panels that we had been using since about 2017 came with a different processor, and we simply outgrew it—we wanted to do more but we couldn’t push it enough. In 2023 while we were testing for the new main volume, we were thrilled to be able to upgrade to new AOTO LED panels with the Brompton receiver cards built in, and the Tessera SX40 processors.”
Hansen added, “Incorporating Brompton first into our test volume helped us understand what we could do. Color accuracy was a huge priority for us in the testing phase. We found that Brompton’s pixel processing clearly delivered the best results, and allowed us to control the gamma, shutter speed, and all these things that we couldn’t do before. Now we can really push the frame rate and slow motion and get great results.”
To usher in their new volume at Estudios Churubusco, Simplemente recently wrapped shooting two seasons back-to-back of the upcoming Amazon Prime original series Cada Minuto Cuenta (Every Minute Counts). The drama series centers on the catastrophic 1985 earthquake that struck Mexico City, and the subsequent rescue attempts and survival stories. The series will premiere in late 2024.
“Virtual production was so perfect for this project because we were able to recreate the city in the correct period, as well as the large-scale destruction, and have it all be so intensely lifelike. I remember my father and I helping with the rescue efforts at one of these actual locations, and stepping into the volume and seeing it brought me right back, it was so immersive,” shared Reina.
“Being able to capture everything in-camera was critical for the filmmakers,” added Hansen. “It’s such an intense story that it really helps the actors and the whole crew to feel like they are there. The volume inspired them quite a bit. The integration from the art department and the set builders to extend the volume with physical set pieces was incredible and added to the realism. The Brompton processors allowed us to do live color grading on the wall using 3D LUT, which was a huge creative benefit.”
In the past year since opening the Estudios Churubusco stage, Simplemente has also used it to film multiple commercials for various brands, as well as an innovative reality game show series Desafío India Club Cinépolis for theater chain Cinépolis. They even used the volume to shoot Mexico’s second presidential debate on April 28, 2024, which drew a record-breaking 16-plus million viewers.
“The democratization of virtual production has been so rewarding,” said Hansen. “It’s incredible to have all sorts of people come in and be able to try virtual production for the first time, and they’re so energized and engaged when they can see the environment and see the light and frame things properly. The whole process ends up being much more creative and collaborative, and the possibilities are so exciting.”
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“We’re thrilled to support Simplemente in bringing top-tier virtual production to the Mexican market,” shared Adam Callaway, global lead, virtual production and broadcast, 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 to commercials. It’s a real resource for the broader filmmaking community.”
