Offering services in film production, motion control systems, and most recently virtual production, Runimation Studios has become a specialist in high-quality tabletop product shoots often involving fluid dynamics and reflective materials.
The company found that traditional backdrop methods such as printed canvases and physical set builds were ineffective at achieving the desired results. Greenscreen was also not an option, as this does not work on reflective or translucent surfaces. These traditional approaches were proving time-consuming, lacking flexibility, and often caused glare or low contrast from flat-looking backgrounds. Therefore, Runimation Studios sought a solution that would overcome these challenges, support high-speed filming, integrate seamlessly with robotic camera systems, and deliver realistic backgrounds.
After extensive research and testing, we chose Absen’s Pixel Reality 1.9mm LED panels for our new virtual production backdrop. The Absen LED stood out for its superior brightness and colour as well as its high refresh rates and exceptional scan ratio. Most importantly, Absen offers local repair support in Germany as part of its maintenance guarantee. This is a huge benefit for us as it provides the reassurance of a quick turnaround if any problems occur, ensuring minimal downtime, comments Robert Eder, CEO of Runimation Studios.
The 40 LED panels (32 for background, 8 for a reflection surface or ceiling), driven by a Brompton SX40 and a Brompton S8 processor, were installed as a curved wall. This allowed for real-time, high-speed virtual production with minimal latency and exceptional visual fidelity. The ability of the motion control robot to transmit positional data ahead of its actual movement is vital to the workflow. Combined with Assimilate LiveFX as the central data node, this integration enables high-speed recording against the LED wall at 240fps and beyond, delivering premium precision and performance for demanding production environments.
Absen’s Pixel Reality (PR) Series stands out for its stunning display performance, excelling in its in-camera visual effect offerings, enabling a smoother filming process.
Supporting HDR, the LED panels allow videos with extreme dynamic range to display, alongside a 7680Hz refresh rate and 16-bit grayscale, ultimately helping avoid visible scan-lines and colour banding. With heat dissipation effects and a revolutionary carbon fibre and die-casting alloy composite structure, the panels are lightweight and durable — perfect for backdrops that require moving and adjusting, with easy front and rear maintenance.
The deployment of the Absen LED backdrop has now provided Runimation Studios with a compact yet powerful virtual production setup that delivers cinematic visuals with unmatched precision. The ability to simulate dynamic environments in-studio has opened new creative possibilities and streamlined production workflows. Directors and clients are now able to view final compositions live on set, improving communication and creative decision-making, and enhancing Runimation Studio’s service offerings.
Absen’s PR 1.9 LED panels are able to transform virtual production capabilities, enabling studios like Runimation to achieve unparalleled visual precision and efficiency. We are immensely grateful for the opportunity to collaborate on this project and are excited to continue our partnership. We look forward to further expanding our reach and excellence in virtual production studios worldwide, explains Debbie Zheng, Managing Director of AbsenLive.
Absen’s LED panels have empowered Runimation Studios to push the boundaries of virtual production in a compact, high-performance environment. With plans to double their panel count and continue expanding their virtual production offerings, Runimation Studios is setting a new standard for tabletop productions.
