Cinematographer Greig Fraser faced a specific problem while shooting Rogue One in 2016. He struggled with the limitations of traditional green screens during production. This frustration sparked an idea to use large LED screens as part of the set itself. A team including Richard Bluff and Rob Bredow from Industrial Light & Magic began developing this concept. They worked alongside Kim Libreri of Epic Games to refine the technology. Director Jon Favreau later collaborated with ILM on The Lion King project in 2019. This work helped visualize shots within a CGI space more effectively. When Favreau started The Mandalorian series, he found the perfect opportunity to deploy the new system. The result was a revolutionary approach to visual effects that changed how scenes were captured.
Technical Architecture
The StageCraft process surrounds live-action actors with high-definition LED video walls. These walls display computer-generated imagery backdrops instead of using chroma key screens. Production teams can realign the background instantly based on moving camera positions. Unreal Engine handles the real-time three-dimensional rendering of these environments. Other partners include FuseFX, Lux Machina, Profile Studios, Nvidia, and ARRI. The facility housing this equipment is called The Volume. It allows the entire CGI background to be manipulated in real time. This setup replaces the need for post-production compositing of backgrounds after shooting. Actors perform within a physical environment rather than against an empty void.Evolution To StageCraft 2.0
ILM iterated the technology to StageCraft 2.0 during the second season of The Mandalorian. This version featured a larger volume compared to previous iterations. Specialized software like Helios was introduced as part of the upgrade. Helios is a rendering engine designed by ILM specifically for StageCraft hardware. The expansion allowed for more complex scenes and higher resolution displays. Physical changes included adding more LED panels to the existing structures. These upgrades enabled productions to achieve greater visual fidelity without sacrificing flexibility. The evolution demonstrated how quickly virtual production tools could adapt to new demands.Global Infrastructure Expansion
A second permanent volume opened at Manhattan Beach Studios in Los Angeles in March 2021. Another location began operations at Pinewood Studios in London by February 2021. Fox Studios Australia received a larger custom volume with higher resolution capabilities. A fourth volume was announced for Vancouver in November 2021 and planned for early 2022. These facilities used more LED panels than the original Manhattan Beach setup. ILM also provides pop-up virtual production configurations in other locations worldwide. Each site offers increased capacity and better image quality for diverse projects. The infrastructure grew rapidly to meet the rising demand from television and film industries.