Provision of Virtual Production Equipment and Services for StudiosUK Facility

Tender description

Digital Catapult is looking to establish StudiosUK, a cluster of interconnected research facilities leveraging 5G and future networks capability to enable the exploration of convergent visual content production technologies - such as the use of high-density LED walls, motion-capture, real-time rendering engines and new forms of real-world capture. The Supplier is to provide services and equipment to enable the effective implementation of the facility. Lot 1: Digital Catapult is looking to establish StudiosUK, a cluster of interconnected research facilities leveraging 5G and future networks capability to enable the exploration of convergent visual content production technologies - such as the use of high-density LED walls, motion-capture, real-time rendering engines and new forms of real-world capture. Studios UK will be a cluster of interconnected facilities that leverage private 5G standalone (5G-SA) networks with multi-access edge compute (MEC) infrastructure hosting machine learning algorithms to enable real-time animation, wireless data transfer, volumetric capture, motion capture and AR broadcast; thus, enabling co-creation, remotely testing applications and experiences for Film and TV productions. These studios will be utilised for collaborative research and development projects, skills training initiatives and commercial productions within the creative and manufacturing sectors. Examples of projects could include productions utilising in-camera VFX and Virtual Production, 5G enabled device testing, digital twin testbeds, real-time multi-site collaboration and tools and workflow development. A procurement exercise for one of these sites (Proto/NETV, and some of the accompanying connectivity) was undertaken earlier this year and the Digital Catapult is now looking to procure for the Virtual Production Test Stage (VPTS) for the remaining site, the (https://www.digicatapult.org.uk/labs/digital-catapult-virtual-production-test-stage-at-target3d) which Digital Catapult currently operates as part of a joint venture with a SME. The Digital Catapult is looking to build on the investment in the VPTS, temporarily based in Guildford but due to relocate to another site in London in Summer 2022, by purchasing additional equipment enabling the facility to be more in line with industry standards and provide added sustainability and longevity of the project. This in turn will increase impact and access to the research facility. This Procurement is for the supply of virtual production equipment and integration services to support the implementation of the new Studio based on the specification as detailed in this ITT. Out of Scope - The equipment to build a 5G testbed infrastructure and 5G testbed system integration services. These are not part of the scope of the services and equipment required in this procurement.