Real-Time Virtual Production

Let’s rewind. A few months ago, we were invited to Madrid, along with a group of South African directors and creatives, to experience this film tech ahead of its launch in South Africa. You can always tell when a room full of directors isn’t convinced: arms crossed, leaning back, waiting to be proven wrong. And as you’ll see from the images below, this was a particularly tough room. There were questions. Some scepticism. A lot of “okay, but what makes this different?” And then, slowly, as they tried it out and heard from directors already using it, you could start feeling real excitement.

To sanity check that we weren’t getting lost in the tech, we asked the team to explain it to a ten-year-old (us): your actors might be standing in a studio with blue walls around them, but on the screens, you see the world you’re filming in. A city, a mountain, a beach, whatever you need. As the camera moves, that world moves with it like it’s real. You can change the light, shift the time of day, even move through the space while you’re shooting, and everyone can see the final shot as it’s being filmed.

“South Africa already has world-class creative talent and a thriving production industry – what was missing was access to the latest production technology that combines virtual production with AI-driven workflows. This is not just about installing equipment; it’s about unlocking a new tier of creative possibilities for the South African advertising industry,” says Oscar M. Olarte, a virtual production pioneer and key innovator in the technology powering VRtuosus.

Oscar has spent over three decades at the intersection of film and technology, with work spanning global giants like HBO, Netflix and Amazon. He’s also helped shape the virtual production industry itself, authoring Spain’s Virtual Production White Paper, which won a Global Production Award at Cannes, and contributing to The VES Handbook of Virtual Production, the industry’s most comprehensive guide to virtual production techniques.

VRtuosus founded by eMedia in partnership with international experts, bringing together cutting-edge technology and innovation to Hyde Park officially launches 11th March 2026, and we’ve got a few spots for the opening. If you’re keen to experience the tech first-hand (and enjoy a glass of something while you’re at it), RSVP here to book your space. Limited spots.

For directors, this technology is a creative amplifier. Imagine being able to shoot a car commercial on a desert highway, streetscape in Tokyo and a bend on Chapman’s Peak – all in the same studio, in the same day, without a single flight or location permit. That’s what this hybrid virtual production setup at VRtuosus delivers. It enables directors, cinematographers, and creative teams to make faster, more informed decisions during production.

For crew, the workflow becomes more collaborative and more efficient. Cinematographers, art directors, and lighting teams all work together in a more integrated way, because the virtual environment updates instantly as they adjust lighting, camera and framing. The result is fewer shooting days, less waste, and more time spent on what matters most – the creative work itself.

With this tech, you don’t only create a once-off piece of content, you can create entire Brand Universes. Working hand in hand with your creative team, you can build a fully realised world for the brand that becomes a living, reusable asset. And here’s where it gets really cool: once that universe exists, it’s compatible and can be integrated across any format and any experience. A TV commercial, a branded content series, an immersive experience, or even a video game – all of them can be produced from that same universe. And it only gets better over time. Every piece of content you produce generates new assets that feed back into a growing repository, so each new production becomes faster and more cost-effective than the last. “We’re not just lowering the cost of one commercial – we’re fundamentally changing the economics of brand storytelling,” adds Oscar.

And importantly, it’s not about replacing people. “Hybrid Virtual Production creates new roles and expands the industry,” says Oscar. “Every production still needs camera operators, gaffers, art directors, producers, and all the traditional crew. But now we’re also creating demand for new skills – virtual art departments, real-time environment designers, AI workflow specialists, and technical directors. What this technology does is make South Africa a more competitive production destination internationally. When global brands and agencies see that they can produce world-class commercials here with cutting-edge technology, more work comes to South Africa – not less. We’re committed to training and upskilling local talent so that South African professionals are at the forefront of this new era of production. This is about growing the pie, not dividing it.”

South Africa has never lacked ideas, talent or ambition. And when you remove some of the usual constraints like time, travel, unpredictability, you create more room for the idea to do its job. And more opportunities for South African work to compete on a global stage, without needing to apply for a Schengen Visa.

Wanna (s)talk some more, contact the team at VRtuosus.