Virtual Production Studio Networks

The project consortium applied for this initiative to address the urgent need for updated skills among teachers and students working with Virtual Production (VP). VP is transforming industry workflows by enabling real-time visualization, remote collaboration, and stronger synergies between film, game, and animation specialisations. As demand for VP services, and skilled specialists in particular, continues to grow, many educational institutions still lack access to the necessary infrastructure and expertise. Breda University of Applied Sciences, one of the first universities in the EU to establish a VP stage on its campus in 2021, provided a unique advantage to the consortium. By leveraging BUas pioneering VP studio, the project enabled rare opportunities for testing, experimentation, and knowledge capture. With experienced teachers eager to share best practices, the initiative set out to prepare students for future careers by providing hands-on training, developing teaching materials, and building a skills-sharing platform. Overall, this initiative aimed to support educators and students across Europe, fosters a network of skilled creatives, and positions partners as leaders in the future of digital production.

VPSN aimed to prepare educators and students for the growing role of VP in the creative media industries. By bridging creative and technical education, it sought to identify emerging skill demands, explore how different disciplines can complement one another, and develop frameworks for integrating VP training across disciplines. Through hands-on workshops, qualitative and quantitative research, and close collaboration with educational institutions and industry partners, VPSN provided direct experience with VP technologies to its target groups. The team created teaching guides, exercises, and technical implementation guide to support the future adoption of VP in education. These resources were distributed through partner institutions and shared via their online portals. Another key outcome was the creation of a digital platform to openly share all resources, enabling broad access beyond formal institutions. The team regularly shared new knowledge and developments at the annual Virtual Production Gathering, contributing to the ongoing goal of building a European network of trained VP facilitators and strengthening digital transformation, resilience, and capacity in higher education.

Efficient project management tools were implemented for knowledge sharing, storage, and daily communication Literature review for VP applications in industry and education was continuously updated, with findings regularly discussed Quantitative and qualitative studies were conducted involving internal partners, training participants, and external professionals, analyzing digital innovation impacts, ethical considerations, and educational effectiveness. NR XXXX Hands-on VP workshops were delivered both online and onsite The VP Manual (3-part series) and complete teaching framework were continuously developed and updated. Extensive course materials were created, including slide decks, templates, assessment tools, and training exercises. Industry-standard templates were produced, including Director's Treatment, Production Bible, and Shot Lists. All results and knowledge gathered in Work Packages 2, 3, and 4 were disseminated through the project website www.vpstudionetwork.com and associated social media channels. A community knowledge base was established. Results were prepared for dissemination through seminars, conferences, and academic publications. An ongoing news section was maintained for continuous knowledge sharing.

VPSN successfully achieved its target results, creating better VP understanding across creative educations and preparing teachers and students for the technological shift. WP2: All research phases successfully completed. Key deliverables: research methodology, white paper with 100+ literature review, specialist interviews, and findings presented at major conferences reaching 5,000+ participants. WP3: 6 workshops were successfully delivered focusing on VP skills development, soft skills improvement, and fostering creativity. Comprehensive preparatory materials including scripts, mood boards, previsualization, and environments were developed. Behind-the-scenes video were produced and disseminated. WP4: Complete teaching frameworks for HEIs were developed, including VP Manuals, full resources package with slide decks and assessment tools, technical framework, Train the Trainer materials, and production templates (Director's Treatment, Production Bible, Shot Lists, Learning Logs, Pipeline documentation). WP5: The VPSN platform was successfully launched and regularly updated, including social media activities. Educational film was created, and extensive professional networks were established. VPSN 2.0 application was successfully funde