AUCKLAND, Today: Reel Factory has opened New Zealand’s first Volume Wall Studio, built specifically for commercial advertising, giving creatives ultimate on-set freedom powered by real-time tech.
It’s a permanent LED stage at their Rosedale facility, letting teams shoot anywhere in the world—or out of this world—without leaving Auckland.
Forget flat green. The Volume Wall surrounds talent with photoreal environments that move, light, and respond in real time, so performances and reflections feel natural on the day.
“You could shoot in a redwood forest, on Mars, in the Sahara Desert and at a supermarket all before lunch, without having to worry about weather, overnight shoot costs, permitting or relocations” says Reel Factory Company Director, Dan Watkins.
Built with Creative Technology, the 12m x 4m wall pairs with a 4m x 4m travelling panel. Tracking supports 2D, 2.5D, 3D; environments react to lighting and camera movement.
“It’s about unlocking the opportunities that are usually too hard, too expensive or flat-out unrealistic – like secure areas of airports or inside a volcano.” – Danelle Mouat, Reel Factory Business Director
Wall content can be custom-shot, pulled from stock libraries, built in Unreal Engine, or AI generated—giving creatives flexible pipelines from pre-vis to final pixels.
The tech isn’t new, volume walls starred in The Mandalorian and Thor: Love & Thunder—but temporary builds never suited 30–60 second commercials due to setup, testing, and pack-down costs.
“We’re lucky enough to use the wall every day,” says Reel Factory Cinematographer, Chris Watkins. “We’re constantly testing new ideas, combining it with our Bolt Motion Control Robot, Technocrane and cinema camera equipment to see how far we can push things creatively. It’s a lot of fun.”
“For creatives, the real power lies in understanding what’s now possible. “It’s not about replacing all location shoots,” says Reel Factory Business Director, Danelle Mouat. “It’s about unlocking the opportunities that are usually too hard, too expensive or flat-out unrealistic – like secure areas of airports or inside a volcano”.
Keen to test it? Reel Factory invites creatives, producers, agencies and brands to visit, experiment, and imagine new campaigns. Contact Dan Watkins at dan@reelfactory.tv to organise a look-see.
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