An LED volume is a large curved wall of LED panels used as a real-time digital backdrop for film, television, commercials, and photography. Environments created in Unreal Engine are rendered live on the wall, allowing productions to capture complex backgrounds in-camera instead of relying on green screen.

Because the environments are displayed on the LED panels, they also produce natural reflections and interactive lighting that match the digital environment, creating more realistic results.

Using an LED volume allows productions to capture environments directly in camera rather than creating them entirely in post-production.

Benefits include:

• Realistic lighting and reflections

• Reduced post-production work

• The ability to shoot multiple environments in a single day

• More control over time of day and weather conditions

• Faster production timelines

LED volumes are commonly used for commercials, music videos, narrative productions, product photography, and branded content.

Virtual production combines real-time 3D environments with live-action filming. Digital environments are built in Unreal Engine and displayed on the LED wall.

A camera tracking system allows the environment to adjust perspective as the camera moves, creating realistic depth and parallax.

This allows filmmakers to capture scenes in real time while blending physical sets with digital worlds.

Virtual production is especially useful when a project requires environments that would normally be difficult, expensive, or time-consuming to film on location.

Common use cases include:

• Commercials and branded content

• Music videos

• Automotive shoots

• Narrative productions

• Product photography

• Social media and content campaigns

Instead of traveling to multiple locations or relying heavily on green screen, productions can capture dynamic environments directly on the LED volume while maintaining full control over lighting, weather, and time of day.

Both LED volumes and green screens allow filmmakers to place actors into environments that aren’t physically present on set, but they work in very different ways.

With a green screen, the background is removed and replaced with a digital environment later in post-production. This requires additional compositing and visual effects work after filming.

With an LED volume, the environment is displayed live on the LED wall during the shoot using real-time rendering. The camera captures the environment directly in the shot, allowing actors, lighting, and reflections to interact naturally with the scene.

In short, green screen environments are added after filming, while LED volume environments are captured in-camera during production.

Virtual environments for our studio are built using real-time 3D software such as Unreal Engine. Our artists design and construct digital locations that can be displayed on the LED volume during filming.

The process usually begins with concept references, storyboards, or real-world locations. From there, our team builds the environment using a combination of 3D modeling, textures, lighting, and digital assets. These environments can range from realistic locations like homes, city streets, or landscapes to fully stylized worlds.

Once the environment is built, it is optimized to run in real time on the LED wall. When the camera moves, the environment responds instantly to maintain correct perspective and depth, creating a natural sense of parallax in-camera.

Depending on the project, environments can be built from scratch by our team, adapted from existing Unreal Engine assets, or supplied by the production and optimized for the LED volume.

A virtual production studio combines traditional filmmaking with real-time digital environments displayed on large LED walls. Instead of filming actors in front of a green screen and adding environments later in post-production, virtual production allows those environments to appear live on the LED volume during filming.

Using tools like Unreal Engine and camera tracking, the environment responds to camera movement and perspective in real time. This allows filmmakers to capture complex locations in-camera while maintaining realistic lighting, reflections, and backgrounds.

Virtual production studios are commonly used for commercials, music videos, film scenes, product photography, and branded content.

Virtual production and green screen are both useful tools depending on the project. With green screen, environments are added later during post-production. With an LED volume, environments are displayed live during filming, allowing actors, lighting, and reflections to interact naturally with the scene.

LED volumes can reduce post-production work and allow filmmakers to see the final environment while shooting. Green screen is still useful for shots that require heavy visual effects or fully digital environments.

Most virtual production environments are created using Unreal Engine, a real-time 3D rendering engine widely used in film, television, and game development. Unreal Engine allows digital environments to be rendered live on the LED wall and respond to camera movement through tracking systems.

At Golden Hour, our team uses Unreal Engine to develop and display environments for productions on the LED volume.

An LED wall in film production is used to display digital environments during filming. Instead of adding backgrounds later with green screen, the environment is rendered live on the LED panels behind the actors.

This allows filmmakers to capture scenes in-camera with realistic lighting, reflections, and perspective while maintaining full control over the environment.