Based in Mexico City, Simplemente Mexico is one of Mexico's pioneering virtual production studios, enabling the creation of next-generation films accessible for projects of any size.
The company was founded by Mónica Reina and Rune Hansen in 2000 and has always operated at the forefront of technological innovation, quickly adopting digital filmmaking, live broadcasting, virtual reality, and virtual production.
Simplemente Mexico's clients range from independent artists and creatives to production houses, film schools, and major TV networks in Mexico and Latin America. The studio offers production, integration, training, and rental services.
Simplemente Mexico has just celebrated the first anniversary of its cutting-edge LED stage located at the historic Estudios Churubusco.
The volume features 200 square meters of high-density LED panels arranged in a 270-degree immersive screen. There are 782 AOTO RM 2.3 mm LED panels with a total resolution of 14252 x 2582, providing nearly five times the resolution of a 4K screen for maximum photographic realism on a giant canvas. The design and integration of this main volume are based on extensive testing conducted in its 25-square-meter R&D volume.
The LED panels we had been using since 2017 came with a different processor and we surpassed it; we wanted to do more but couldn't push it any further. In 2023, while testing for the new main volume, we were delighted to upgrade to new AOTO LED panels, explained Reina.
Hansen added: "Incorporating these technological advancements first in our test volume helped us understand what we could do. Color accuracy was a major priority for us during the testing phase".
To inaugurate its volume at Estudios Churubusco, Simplemente Mexico recently finished shooting two consecutive seasons of the upcoming Amazon Prime original series, Cada Minuto Cuenta. The dramatic series focuses on the catastrophic 1985 earthquake that struck Mexico City and the subsequent rescue efforts and survival stories. The series will premiere at the end of 2024.
"Virtual production was perfect for this project because we could recreate the city in the correct period, as well as the large-scale destruction, and make everything so intensely realistic", shared Reina. "I remember my father and I helping in the rescue efforts in one of these real places and walking into the volume and seeing it took me back; it was so immersive".
Being able to capture everything on camera was crucial for the filmmakers. It's such an intense story that helps the actors and the team feel like they are actually there. The volume inspired them greatly. The integration of the art department and set builders to extend the volume with physical set pieces was amazing and added to the realism, added Hansen.
In the past year since the opening of the stage at Estudios Churubusco, Simplemente Mexico has also used it to film multiple commercials for various brands, as well as an innovative reality game series Desafío India Club Cinépolis for the Cinépolis cinema chain. They even used the volume to film the second presidential debate of Mexico on April 28, 2024, which attracted over 16 million viewers, setting records.
The democratization of virtual production has been very rewarding. It's amazing to have all kinds of people come and try virtual production for the first time; they feel so energized and engaged when they can see the environment, see the light, and frame things correctly. The process ends up being much more creative and collaborative, and the possibilities are very exciting, said Hansen.
