Mo-Sys partners with BDS in Italian distribution deal

Mo-Sys Engineering has appointed BDS as a dealer for the Italian market. The agreement marks the expansion of BDS’ portfolio while strengthening Mo-Sys’ market leading position and further improving the accessibility of its solutions for broadcast, film and corporate projects throughout Europe.

From its headquarters in Rome, Italy, BDS has over thirty years’ experience in augmented reality and VFX for film and TV. The company has been a leader in the Virtual Reality market since 2007 and more recently expanded to meet the growing demand for Virtual Production. Now able to offer all of the tools for VP, including professional services and skilled people, BDS has successfully completed a number of high-profile LED VP projects using Mo-Sys precision camera tracking.

The company has also made a strategic investment and established a permanent VP studio equipped with Mo-Sys StarTracker, Alfalite LED and Xsens motion capture technology which will be used for demonstrations and training.

Sacha Biagio Virgilio, Vice President at BDS commented, “We are excited to represent the Mo-Sys brand in Italy. We have known Mo-Sys for many years and both companies share common goals to democratize Virtual Production and support customers with the highest calibre skilled staff. Italian customers will now benefit from local sales support as we meet the growing demand from broadcasters, education institutions, film studios and media organizations.”

BDS will represent the full suite of Mo-Sys products to include StarTracker, the industry’s leading inside out optical tracking solution and the recently announced bMR (Broadcast Mixed Reality) which combines an LED content server with multi-camera switching and a MOS-based on-air graphics system. Mo-Sys’ established line-up of robotic camera heads for broadcast and film, such as the gyro stabilized G30 will also feature alongside MoRail, the new, high-performance motorized rail which enables cost-effective creative PTZ / ENG camera movement within regular or virtual newsroom studios with tracked Unreal graphics.

“As a growing number of directors, cinematographers and broadcasters see the value that Virtual Production can bring to their projects, we are giving them the tools to create incredible content together with regional support,” said Michael Geissler, CEO of Mo-Sys. “We look forward to a successful partnership with BDS and working together to bring the VP tools, technology and education necessary to further develop the Italian VP industry.”

Mo-Sys to feature as key technology partner at Netflix Post Production Summit

Mo-Sys is proud to announce its collaboration with Netflix, and its involvement as a technology partner at the new Post Production Summit taking place at the Netflix production center in Madrid Content City (Tres Cantos).

Netflix Post Production Summit

From October 14 to 29, Netflix is hosting a series of training sessions which align with Mo-Sys’ own commitment to training and development through its Academy. The summit will focus on post-production, visual effects and virtual production for around 300 participants. The event will bring together producers, technicians, students and trainers from film schools, alongside editors, cinematographers, directors and other creatives.

Attendees will have the opportunity to visit two state-of-the-art virtual sets built by Netflix especially for this initiative. The workshops and activities will focus on various aspects of the industry, such as the production of visual effects, color management and high dynamic range (HDR) image creation. The event will also showcase pioneering techniques such as visual effects made directly from the camera (also known as In-Camera VFX or ICVFX).

Mo-Sys will be providing its StarTracker camera tracking technology for the event. StarTracker is known as being the industry’s leading ‘simple-to-use’ marker based optical tracking for virtual production. The team will also share insight and present the latest developments from Mo-Sys’ successful Academy which has expanded internationally.

Stephen Gallagher, Mo-Sys Marketing Director added: “We are proud to have been invited as a Technology Partner alongside the likes of LG, Arri, Epic and Sony to support Netflix at their new Post Production Summit in Spain. It is a great initiative that gives us the opportunity to showcase our camera tracking technology, share insight from our Academy and contribute to the discussion around Virtual Production education.”

The Post Production Summit confirms the strategic importance of the Spanish audiovisual industry. Mary-Kathryn Kennedy, Vice President of European Production at Netflix, explains, “Spain has the unique opportunity to consolidate itself as an international benchmark, at the level of the most technical and advanced industries”.

The conference also aims to reduce the technical gap and the lack of professionals in some of the currently most demanded positions, such as post-production supervisors, visual effects producers and technicians specialized in virtual production.

Read more: https://www.businessinsider.es/netflix-organizara-post-production-summit-madrid-content-city-1138109

Mo-Sys at KitPlus Show Twickenham

Following on from the success at Salford earlier in the year, Mo-Sys Academy once again provided a series of Virtual Production training sessions in the Learning Zone at this year’s second KitPlus Show in Twickenham, on Friday 30 September 2022. The event was a great opportunity to showcase Mo-Sys’ latest Virtual Production solutions, training and workshops.

Virtual Production Learning Zone

Mo-Sys Academy’s Dominic Smith held a series of hands-on Virtual Production training sessions offering attendees the chance to interact with the camera tracking technology on display. The free taster sessions gave visitors insight as to the technology and techniques used in Virtual Production and the opportunity to get hands-on experience with Mo-Sys’ ground-breaking VP technologies.

Mo-Sys Academy offers an exciting new opportunity to learn Virtual Production from industry-leading professionals, featuring skills and techniques that are at the forefront of the modern broadcast and film industry. 

As you’ll see in the video above, filmmaker Philip Bloom interviewed Dominic to find out more about Virtual Production and what Mo-Sys Academy offers.

Check out the video below for a BTS look at the Mo-Sys Learning Zone:

The Future of Virtual Production

During the show, Mo-Sys also hosted a panel discussion on ‘The Future of Virtual Production’ with panellists including Alex Boutellier of Ravensbourne University London and David Levy Director, Business Development, Global Solutions at ARRI. The session provided insight and useful information around the career development paths that exist, whilst addressing the skills shortage and the importance of training.

Watch the seminar in full below:

The Future of Virtual Production

Mo-Sys receives Blackmagic Design Innovation Award

Mo-Sys Engineering has been recognized and receives the first Blackmagic Design Innovation Award during IBC2022 for its significant and continued contribution to advancing Virtual Production technologies.

Mo-Sys receives Blackmagic Design Innovation Award

Innovation lies at very heart of Mo-Sys Engineering. From its HQ in Greenwich, London the company has pioneered Virtual Production technology for decades. Mo-Sys created the first easy to use, marker-based camera tracking solution StarTracker, which is recognized as the industry’s leading camera tracking product for its accuracy, reliability and robustness. StarTracker is used extensively by leading broadcasters, major film studios, high-end drama and corporate clients around the world.

The company has also developed an unrivalled level of on-set experience through its direct support of content producers like Netflix, BBC and ITV, where Mo-Sys’ Virtual Production technology has brought prestigious projects like Strictly Come Dancing, Limitless and Macy’s Day Parade to life. This on-set knowledge and experience is utilized to drive continuous innovation and product development.

Mo-Sys has also made a significant commitment to education. It was the first company to establish a Virtual Production training Academy, and offers a range of unique hands-on courses based around practical, small group learning geared to build students confidence and provide valuable experience. Mo-Sys’ Academy offers courses for all levels, providing students with an introduction to Virtual Production, as well as upskilling industry professionals and collaborating directly with universities to transfer knowledge, teach-the-teacher and shape curriculums.

Coinciding with the Blackmagic Design Innovation Award, Mo-Sys unveiled a raft of new products at IBC. Customers were treated to their first look at StarTracker Max, the next generation of professional inside-out camera tracking. The programmable and motorized rail system for PTZ and ENG cameras, MoRail was demonstrated for news and sports broadcast and bMR, Mo-Sys’ new solution which combines an LED content server with MOS/NRCS data driven on-air graphics was also announced.

The Blackmagic Design Innovation Award is a brand new annual award recognizing an organisation that is pushing the boundaries of science and technology using Blackmagic Design products. This special award has been created to identify and recognize unique and creative implementations of Blackmagic Design technology in both product and solution design for solving technical and financial barriers to customer challenges.

“Mo-Sys is one of the great rising stars of the Virtual Production industry, and their approach redefines the boundaries of cost-effective virtual creativity,” said Tim Siddons, Director of Sales, Blackmagic Design EMEA. “Their approach to designing and delivering the StarTracker virtual studio system, based around URSA Mini, ATEM and HyperdDeck, provides a complete solution that removes the complexity of virtual studio configuration and calibration, enabling customers to focus on the creative aspects of delivering their visions.”

“There is a strong alignment between Blackmagic Design and Mo-Sys. Both companies are pushing boundaries and making technology more accessible to a wider market. Mo-Sys developed the first optical tracking system 25 years ago and has continued to move Virtual Production forward VP through innovation”, said Michael Geissler, CEO of Mo-Sys Engineering. “It is great honour that our contribution has been recognized with this award and I’d like to thank the Tim and the team at Blackmagic Design.”