13/03/2025 - The event will be held in April in the Dutch city of Breda under the theme “Shaping the Future of Digital Storytelling”

A picture from last year's edition (© BUas/Cradle)

Unfolding on 9-10 April, 2025, the fifth Annual Virtual Productions Gathering will once again bring together forward-thinking industry peers, creatives, and academics to examine the ever-evolving landscape of digital storytelling. Hosted by the Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas), this year’s event will be held under the title “Shaping the Future of Digital Storytelling”, expanding beyond the technical facets of virtual production (VP) to explore its game-changing impact on narrative creation. The two-day programme will include an Education Day on 9 April and an Industry Day on 10 April. Designed for professionals and academics involved in VP at educational institutions, the Education programme will offer a series of expert panels discussing the best practices and challenges of integrating VP within academic and higher education contexts, alongside ‘discovery sessions’ spotlighting VP projects from former media students.

The action-packed Industry programme will feature an array of presentations by notable filmmakers and creators utilising VP in their work. Among standout names in the line-up is cinematographer, director, and producer Kathryn Brillhart, whose recent work has integrated VP techniques to create in-camera visual effects (ICVFX). In her session, “Advancing Cinematic Artistry Through VP Paradigms, Emerging Trends, and Technologies,” she will discuss how incorporating these tools and practices into distinct, sustainable workflows can unlock new artistic possibilities and avenues. Erik ‘Wolfie’ Wolford, a cinematographer and CEO of Wolf Team Productions, will lead the presentation titled “‘Shooting Europa’, an Exploration Into the Latest ICVFX Techniques Shaping the Future of Filmmaking.” The session will take a deep dive into the latest ICVFX techniques for enhancing storytelling, including merging physical and digital sets and incorporating AI-generated backgrounds. The line-up also includes Final Pixel CEO and Co-founder Michael McKenna, who will discuss a ‘third way’ in content creation that unites “traditional storytelling values” with new tools (“Storytelling Beyond AI and Traditional Production: A Third Way in Content Creation”); and VP supervisor Adrian Weber of Fireframe Studios will explore  the potential of real-time tools for wider adoption, accompanied by case studies (“Beyond the LED Wall: The Expanding Role of Real-Time Tools in Media Production”). Among the other highlights in the Industry programme is a panel discussion, moderated by Beyond Horizon’s director Chris Ebeling, that will examine the current VP landscape and advancements redefining the future of digital storytelling. It will feature Morden Wolf founder, VP supervisor, and executive producer Rob Chandler, along with Brillhart, Wolford, and Weber.

Over the course of the event, a Marketplace will be set up for companies and service providers in the VP sector to exhibit their latest products and solutions. Live demonstrations will also be held at BUas’ VP stage, showcasing cutting-edge solutions aimed at elevating VP workflows and processes, such as Chaos Arena, a real-time ray-tracing solution for in-camera visual effects (ICVFX) on VP stages, and Assimilate’s Live FX, an “one-stop software solution,” designed for VP and live compositing.

Find the full Industry programme of the Annual Virtual Productions Gathering here.