Shortcut LED Stage – a unique 360° LED stage – has been built in the heart of the Nordic film studio Nordisk Film’s HQ in Copenhagen. Film makers, production companies and other visual storytellers will now be able to shoot and tell stories in a flexible, creative, cost-cutting and climate friendly way. Several film productions have already used Shortcut LED Stage before the official opening.
Nordisk Film, among the oldest film studios in the world, has now opened Shortcut LED Stage, one of the most advanced and unique LED stages ever built, providing endless possibilities of creative, flexible, climate friendly and cost-cutting visual storytelling. With Shortcut LED Stage, Nordisk Film brings Virtual Production – the future of film production – to the Nordics and moves to the top when it comes to making the newest technology available to film makers, production companies and visual storytellers.
It is the Nordisk Film-owned VFX and post-production company Nordisk Film Shortcut that is behind Shortcut LED Stage – a 360° LED stage, 16 metres in diameter, with walls and ceiling totally covered with LED panels. It is the world’s first full 360° LED stage which makes it very unique. On Shortcut LED Stage it is possible to shoot actors, sets and props against vivid, photorealistic, virtual backdrops – everything from alien planets and fantasy worlds to underwater shoots, vast deserts, and vibrant cities from across the world – and you can shoot scenes taking place in many different locations and countries in one day. The advanced LED technology and full 360-degree lighting setup means that Shortcut LED Stage can reproduce complex scenarios in a totally lifelike way with perfect reflections and naturalistic lighting. Shortcut LED Stage is also perfect suited for commercial shoots where actors and products can be filmed in unique stylistic worlds or far-away locations can be recreated.
Positive reception of Shortcut LED Stage
Virtual Production and LED Stages are the flexible, creative and cost-saving film production of the future, which has really taken off and is already being used on many film and series productions. It can also be more climate friendly, for instance because you no longer need to transport large film crews around the world to shoot on location and because of the extended usage of virtual sets. According to a US analysis, cited in Variety, CO2 emissions are significantly lower with 100 percent virtual production compared to shooting on location. Another calculation shows that the production company behind the TV series “Snowfall” more than halved its production costs by switching from on-location filming to Virtual Production on a LED stage. This indicates that Virtual Production helps cut cost as well as reduce carbon footprints.
“Both global streaming services and film companies, the local Nordic film and TV production community, as well as agencies behind global brands, have woken up to Virtual Production. For more than 10 years, Nordisk Film Shortcut have developed content for virtual backgrounds and planned and executed the often complicated shoots where live action and virtual content must play closely together. With Shortcut LED Stage we're moving into the super league. I'm blown away by how well we've done with our unique 360-degree lighting set-up, and we've already received very positive feedback from international industry professionals who describe it as the best LED stage they've ever seen”, says Martin Madsen, Head of VFX and VP at Nordisk Film Shortcut.
Great interest in shooting on Shortcut LED Stage
The first film productions have already moved onto Shortcut LED Stage which will be used for scenes for the next Department Q film “Boundless” and Ole Bornedal's highly anticipated psychological thriller “Nightwatch – Demons are Forever” – and many other projects are in the pipeline.
“Since we announced the construction of Shortcut LED Stage, we have experienced great interest from production companies in the Nordic countries and Europe that are now looking towards Copenhagen, and we expect activity to be high. The many possibilities Shortcut LED Stage offers are not only ground-breaking for film and TV, but also offer plenty of new possibilities when it comes to production of commercials, music videos, product launches, live events and much more”, explains Rikke Crosby, CEO of Nordisk Film Shortcut.
About Nordisk Film Shortcut
Nordisk Film Shortcut, founded in 1991 by Nordic film studio Nordisk Film, is a leading VFX and post-production company in Scandinavia with more than ten years of experience with Virtual Production, VFX and the creation of fantastic worlds. Nordisk Film Shortcut has been closely involved in the development of a range of VFX based productions and is, for instance, behind the virtual worlds and VFX work of Netflix productions such as ”The Rain”, ”Equinox” and ”Black Crab”.
Facts about Shortcut LED Stage
- The world's first full 360° LED stage.
- 16 metres in diameter and close to six metres tall. Walls and ceiling are covered with LED panels and full or partial LED floor can be laid.
- The screens emit up to 6,000 nits, providing a tremendously wide and detailed light spectrum.
- Vehicles, boats and planes up to 15 metres can be placed inside Shortcut LED Stage.
- 100% green energy: Nordisk Film’s owner, media group Egmont, has invested in a Danish solar plant that from 2023, among other, will cover the power consumption in Shortcut LED Stage. This is an advantage for productions wanting to minimize their carbon footprint.
- Designed in partnership with Creative Technology, part of NEP Live Events, a leading AV technology company. Creative Technology and NEP Group have built some of the largest LED stages around the world.