Dark Matters Selects Brompton Technology 4K Tessera Sx40 4K LED Processor for Studio Complex
Dark Matters is one of the most advanced and innovative virtual production centers in Europe. From Simulcam and LED in-camera VFX technology to motion capture, it offers filmmakers and visual creatives a complete end-to-end service and unparalleled control over the last shot. The Dark Matters team selected 10 4K Tessera SX40 4K LED processors for their integrated studio after hearing positive reviews about Brompton Technology LED processing from colleagues in the industry.
Dark Matters was founded last year by industry veterans Romain Cheminade, Jean-Louis Eude and Yaniss Boulanouar. Located 27 kilometers outside of Paris, the 15,000-square-meter complex features six customizable virtual production stages and 700 high-quality custom LED panels powered by industry-leading Brompton Technology LED processing.
“At the forefront of every story is a human story,” said Cheminade, who is also the CEO of Dark Matters. “We talked to people we know and trust who have been working with Brompton for years. They all spoke highly of their Tessera LED processors and 24/7 service support, so we decided to invest in them and have never regretted our decision.”
The company’s LED panels are designed and specified by co-founder and CTO Boulanouar, who has over 20 years of experience working with Chinese LED manufacturers to design and import LED panels for live and broadcast events. Since one of the key requirements for Dark Matters’ LED stock was a rich color gamut, Boulanouar chose a panel with 16-bit depth, a 7680Hz refresh rate and a 2.6mm pixel pitch. Combined with the industry’s “gold standard” Brompton LED processing, they provide exceptionally lifelike visuals, especially in the dark and high brightness spectrums. “Our ultimate goal was to get as close to reality as possible, which is why we chose custom LED panels powered by Brompton’s Tessera processors to give us a really dynamic color range,” recalls Boulanouar.
“Our largest stage, ‘Dark Space’, is nearly 4,000 square meters and was designed for large-scale productions; we could even fit a commercial aircraft in the room!” exclaims Partouche, VP of Virtual Production at Dark Matters. “The other five stages range in size and are fully soundproofed, all featuring reinforced concrete floors that can withstand a weight of 10 tons per square metre, and high ceilings that easily exceed 12 meters, making them the ideal venue for any type of creative production. “
What makes Dark Matters unique in the ever-expanding landscape of virtual production facilities is its comprehensive end-to-end solution, providing support during the pre-visualization, technical visualization and pitchvis project phases. “When a client comes to us with a project, we first explore their vision during the pre-visualization phase. Then we help them build the sequence, fine-tuning it to perfectly match the director’s vision before we start shooting,” explains Partouche road.
“Our team of artists has years of experience in film, animation, and video games,” adds Cheminade. “This means we can provide more or less help, advice and technical assistance to help our clients realize their vision. High quality creative layouts for live video game movies, animation, VR and camera prototyping and interactive Support for event visualization are just some of the ways we can help.”
According to Cheminade, one of the most important things its teams can do is use resources efficiently. “There are a lot of creative assets that were built for the pre-visualization stage. We worked hard to improve the quality of these assets so we could use them in Simulcam, and then further improve the quality so that we could use these elements on the LED wall. Brompton’s Tessera software was The LED wall management feature, combined with ease of use and great graphics, helps in this. By doing so, we create a seamless pipeline between all the services and departments involved in the production.”
Dark Matters’ LED panel inventory is the largest overall LED setup, comprising a screen measuring 25 meters long and 6 meters high, which can be used as one large volume or split into smaller LED configurations for different stages of virtual production.
“We made sure that for every possible LED setup, we had enough Brompton processors to take full advantage of Tessera features such as HFR+, Ultra Low Latency, Frame Remapping, ShutterSync and Dark Magic,” Cheminade added. “One of my favorite things about the Brompton is that you know it will always do exactly what you want it to do. When you’re shooting, you don’t have any technical issues at all, so using something as reliable as Brompton’s Tessera SX40 LED processor Equipment is critical to everything we do.”
Dries Vermeulen, Business Development Manager (Europe) at Brompton Technology concluded: “Dark Matters is a great example of how talented people have come together to create a unique studio complex and service for clients.” “It’s really impressive to see such a young business bring so much expertise and knowledge to the industry. We are delighted that the team has chosen Brompton LED Processing to power their cutting edge LEDs. Dark Matters is the most innovative company to start a real-time technology revolution.” One of the most innovative companies in the world, and we are excited to join them on this exciting journey!”
