Hong Kong Design Institute Launches Virtual Production Studio

Faye Bradley

Hong Kong Design Institute has announced the opening of a new virtual production studio at Shaw Studios, one of the biggest and most comprehensive film facilities in the Greater Bay Area. It is intended to support professional education in the sector and enhance filming facilities in the city.

The new studio boasts state-of-the-art virtual production tools, including Hong Kong’s largest Samsung microLED display, technology from virtual production specialist Disguise, and solutions from ARRI, raising local virtual production standards significantly.

Spanning 9,000 square feet, the studio is the largest filming venue in Hong Kong’s emerging virtual production industry. Facilities also include control rooms, workspaces, and dressing rooms. HKDI students, teachers, and industry professionals can collaborate to blend virtual and real scenes using the venue, technology, and equipment support, fostering opportunities for experimentation. During its initial phase, two film specialists who are HKDI graduates will benefit from the program described above.

“HKDI has always emphasised the integration of theory and practice, providing students with cutting-edge courses that closely align with the industry. The opening of the Virtual Production Studio means that students can operate virtual production systems widely used in the industry in a superior learning environment and with world-class facilities to hand, unleashing their creativity, turning ideas into reality, and leaving them better equipped for further studies and future employment,” said Dr Lay-lian ONG, principal of HKDI and IVE (Lee Wai Lee) in a press release.

HKDI previously achieved the distinction of being the sole institution in Hong Kong to receive training accreditation from three well-known film production brands – Disguise, ARRI, and Dolby – at the same time.