Dimension Studio

Market position

Described by its private equity backer as having grown from a small UK studio to a global production provider used by major Hollywood studios, with one of the largest and most experienced virtual production teams; it works alongside larger VFX vendors such as DNEG and Framestore rather than solely competing with them.

The company combines end-to-end virtual production with a volumetric digital crowd pipeline that captures real performers in full costume on location, presented as a more efficient and cost-effective alternative to building digital characters through traditional VFX and animation. It also operates mobile capture stages that travel to sets and, with partners, one of Europe's largest LED volumes.

Technology

Dimension builds real-time environments in Unreal Engine displayed on LED volumes for in-camera VFX, with real-time control applications used on set to trigger environmental events and interactions. Its volumetric capture pipeline supports 10-bit colour and produces 3D performance assets for hand-off to VFX vendors; on Wicked it used the Polymotion Truck, a mobile volumetric studio developed with Mark Roberts Motion Control, to capture 76 supporting cast members over two days, processing more than 75 minutes (about 100,000 frames) of volumetric content. Other capabilities include previs and techvis, virtual worlds, performance capture and generative AI, with an Applied Tech team working on pipeline and technology advancement and a stated move of virtual production workflows to the cloud using AWS and Arch Platform Technologies.

Go-to-market

Direct engagement with studios, VFX supervisors and producers on named productions, reinforced by published project case studies, industry press, awards and festival presence such as SXSW, plus partnerships including DNEG 360, Sunbelt Rentals, Mark Roberts Motion Control, AWS and Arch Platform Technologies, and the Virtual Circle co-production initiative with cinema operator Vue.

Film and television studios and VFX vendors (including Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, Apple, Netflix, Peacock and Framestore), plus broadcast, sports, music, brand and location-based entertainment clients such as Shiseido and Balenciaga.

Geography

Headquartered in London with studios in London and Newcastle (with earlier operations in Gateshead), a West London virtual production complex, and mobile capture stages deployed on location internationally; investment was intended to expand production capabilities in the UK, US and Europe.

History

Founded as Hammerhead VR in 2014, the company took early debt funding from Creative England (later Creative UK) to prototype the Syren VR game and, in a second loan, to develop a location-based entertainment experience in the ABE universe, which was paused when location-based venues closed during the pandemic. Alongside the Gateshead operation it launched Dimension Studio in London around volumetric capture and digital humans, and by 2022 had grown from a team of 20 to 90 with revenues reported as doubling year-on-year for three consecutive years. In April 2024 DNEG launched DNEG 360, a division operated by Dimension, and in June 2024 the company received a multi-million-pound investment from US private equity firm Growth Catalyst Partners. It subsequently opened a West London virtual production studio complex with DNEG 360 and Sunbelt Rentals. Dimension is described as a founding studio of Journey, a global design and innovation agency.

Risks & controversies

Development of the ABE location-based entertainment title was paused when location-based entertainment venues closed for roughly 18 months during the pandemic, illustrating the company's exposure to shifts in the entertainment production and venue markets.