CoSTAR Realtime Lab: Virtual Production Tool Box

The CoSTAR Realtime Lab sought a collaborative partner to help democratise the Virtual Production process by creating a foundational media player that is accessible, intuitive and simple for creative content creators to use.   

Synopsis

CoSTAR Realtime Lab is dedicated to advancing research and development (R&D) in Virtual Production, to help independent filmmakers, production companies and creators of immersive digital experiences be more efficient, cost effective and accessible. 

The process of building convincing environments for Virtual Production is complex and resource-intensive, requiring substantial technical skills, time, and computational power. Complex studio configurations and the need for on-site specialists in real-time engine production further restricts access to these advanced techniques.  

The CoSTAR Realtime Lab is collaborating with an R&D partner to help democratise the Virtual Production process by creating a foundational media player, that is accessible, intuitive and simple for creative content creators to use.  The focus of this project is to develop an Open-Source solution. As well as access to our leading-edge facilities at Waters Edge in Dundee, support from our research team, and cash funding of up to £50,000, the awarded company will then have a period of exclusivity to specialise the outputs to support more specific commercial opportunities. This call has closed but you can read more details about the programme in our Full Call Brief document.

Announcement about the successful company coming soon.

Social Impact

Environmental Sustainability and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) are central to our work at CoSTAR and all our Access Programmes. All projects, regardless of their main R&D focus, are expected to have a demonstrable engagement with either EDI, sustainability or both. This will be supported by training and mentorship in social impact areas that include; equitable design, developing environmental sustainability principles and working with diverse user groups.  

For more detail on this and guidance on what to include in your proposal, please see the full Call Brief document. 

Timeline 

Open Date for Applications: Thursday 27 March 2025

Closing Date For Applications: Wednesday 14 May 2025 at 14:00 GMT

Project Duration: 4-6 months