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An LED volume wall at the John Hopkins Regina Soundstage could help reinvigorate Saskatchewan’s film production industry.
The wall holds a series of linked LED panels set out in a 320-degree circular formation. It stretches up to the ceiling, complete with roof panels.
Anand Ramayya, founder of Karma Film, said the wall’s digital sets can take actors anywhere they can imagine in their wildest dreams.
The LED volume wall is the biggest in Canada. (Lisa Schick/ 980 CJME)
“With the volume wall, you can basically recreate any location that you can imagine,” said Ramayya. “So anywhere in the universe, we can shoot it right here in Saskatchewan.”
The digital sets are built on a computer with artificial imaging, then imported onto the wall’s screens.
Ramayya said the wall is a top-of-the-line piece of film-making equipment.
“It’s all shot in real time. It takes a lot of computing power to do that, but that is the innovation with the volume LED wall,” he said.
The technology is used to make the popular Star Wars series ‘The Mandalorian,’ and has also been used to shoot ‘The Book of Boba Fett.’
The wall in Regina is the largest LED volume wall in Canada, and the second-biggest in North America.
Laura Ross, Saskatchewan’s minister of parks, culture and sport, said the province’s film industry will have a bright future with the light wall.
The titles of film productions coming to use the LED volume wall are projected on the screen. (Lisa Schick/ 980 CJME)
“This is groundbreaking for our province – for our country, really – but it’s putting Saskatchewan on the map when you look at the film industry,” she said. “It’s big.”
Ross said film companies are attracted to Saskatchewan because working in a smaller market cuts down on travel costs and expenses.
The wall is not owned by the province, however. Creative Saskatchewan signed a lease with the production company Volume Global, which owns the wall. Volume Global has invested $12 million into operating the equipment.
It is now available for rent by production companies, and it’s already booked until the end of 2025.
Premier Scott Moe said this is a big win for the film industry.
“When you walk in there and see the motion picture productions that are coming to shoot here, or are very interested in coming to shoot here … those are not one- or two-million-dollar productions, those are $100-million productions,” Moe said.
The action-packed TV series ‘King of Killers’ is slated to return to shooting with the wall, and action film ‘Hostile Takeover’ is up next to use the wall.
In 2012, the Saskatchewan government cut the film tax credit, which badly hurt the film and television industry in the province.
In a news release, the provincial government said that funding increases in April of 2022 to the Creative Saskatchewan Feature Film and Television Production Grant have led to $28 million being committed to 46 productions in the province.
The government said that it has led to an economic output of $128 million and more than 800 jobs.
“It’s through our natural resource-based economy that we are able to make these investments alongside the industry, and then enhance what that investment means to Saskatchewan people,” said Moe.
— With files from 980 CJME’s Lisa Schick
