New studio & industry collaboration
leads the way in games innovation

The new studio will provide UCA students with the opportunity to develop their skills in a cutting-edge facility that uses the latest in virtual production technology. 

The Vicon Motion Capture and Virtual Production Studio is a purpose-built facility that has been designed to provide students with the opportunity to learn and create in a fully immersive and interactive environment. Equipped with state-of-the-art motion capture technology, green screens, and real-time rendering capabilities, the studio is the perfect place for students to explore the world of virtual production. 

Commenting on the launch of the new studio, Professor Terry Perk, Pro Vice-Chancellor at UCA, said: "We are delighted to launch our new Motion Capture and Virtual Production Studio, which will provide our students with an unrivalled opportunity to develop their skills in an innovative and cutting-edge environment. At UCA, we are committed to providing our students with the very best facilities and opportunities to help them reach their full potential, and this new studio is a testament to that commitment."  

The new Studio will be available for use by UCA students across a range of courses, from Games Animation, Games Art, and Games Design to Performing Arts, Visual Effects and Film Production.

The studio will also be used for research and innovation projects, providing staff and students with industry relevant experience and the opportunity to work on industry-leading projects.  

One of these projects is a collaboration between SKC Games Studio, a visionary video game developer known for its ground-breaking AI role-playing – and UCA’s researchers and students to leverage UCA’s technology to create real-time virtual characters (avatars) for a chapter of SKC’s latest video game – Project UN – Taradene 

Following the exciting announcement of UCA's involvement in the Games and Innovation Nexus (GAIN) project, this is one of five projects supported by XR Network+ Embedded R&D funding. It will see students develop performance capture and games production skills in a real-world setting and give SKC programmers access to UCA's world-leading research on AI algorithms. 

"This partnership exemplifies our dedication to providing our students with real-world learning experiences and aligning their education with industry standards, explained Andrew Bossom, UCA’s Industry Engagement Lead at the School of Games and Creative Technology.

“By combining our strengths and focusing on immersive storytelling, we will drive innovation and growth in character-driven narrative video games.

“Working with SKC Games Studio also presents a fantastic opportunity for our Games and Performing Arts students to engage with a live project in production.”

Asa Burrows CEO of SKC Games Studio added: “We are excited to partner with UCA and demonstrate the incredible possibilities when industry and academia unite. By leveraging UCA's cutting-edge technology and involving passionate students, we aim to create immersive gaming experiences that captivate players worldwide and push the boundaries of narrative game development." 

UCA’s new state-of-the-art facilities will advance the transfer of knowledge between academia and industry in areas aligned with Virtual Production and build upon its worldwide reputation as a global authority on creative technologies.

 Read the XR Network+ project announcement on their website.

To learn more about studying creative technology at UCA, visit the course pages.