New BBC One comedy Bamous has become the first terrestrial TV programme to be filmed within a dedicated xR studio.
The production team chose White Light’s multi-award winning SmartStage to film the show, working with director of photography Chris Hollier in the early stages of development.
“Having collaborated with White Light since their first foray into xR production nearly four years ago, we have seen our ongoing R+D elevate sports broadcast to a game-changing new level,” said Hollier. “On receiving the brief, I knew [their] experience in xR for broadcast, combined with the innovation behind SmartStage, would be pivotal to bringing the vision for this pilot to life.”
SmartStage uses natural lighting, reflections, real-time presenter tracking, optimised camera angles and increased visibility of the virtual world.
Andy Hook, White Light’s technical solutions director, added: “Four years ago we delivered the first-ever xR broadcast, when Eurosport utilised ‘The Cube’ for their international coverage of the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games. To date, SmartStage has enabled us to deliver over 500 hours of xR broadcast and deploy state-of-the-art installations for clients around the globe.
“We are now able to offer the broadcast market, as well as many other sectors, an all-encompassing solution for both expertise in xR innovation, and dedicated studio facilities. Bamous was filmed using our SmartStage at London’s Science Museum and in collaboration with Fifty Fifty, MalfMedia and disguise, we are very proud to have helped execute the first xR broadcast to be seen on terrestrial television as yet another milestone on our xR journey.”