The V Studio | Central London Film Studio

The V Studio at Film Soho is a virtual production studio in London designed for creative storytelling, free from the constraints of location permits, unpredictable weather and the logistical challenges that often come with location shooting.

Recently, a team of filmmakers came to the V Studio with an ambitious brief.

Producers Nilante Ebon-Cole and Danielle Goff needed to film their BFI Network-backed short film Hindsight, directed by Remi Moses and shot by Fola Abatan. The story unfolds entirely from a single perspective inside a moving car, travelling through more than 30 locations across London at different times of day and night with varying weather conditions.

The V Studio at Film Soho is a virtual production studio in London designed for creative storytelling, free from the constraints of location permits, unpredictable weather and the logistical challenges that often come with location shooting.

Recently, a team of filmmakers came to the V Studio with an ambitious brief.

Producers Nilante Ebon-Cole and Danielle Goff needed to film their BFI Network-backed short film Hindsight, directed by Remi Moses and shot by Fola Abatan. The story unfolds entirely from a single perspective inside a moving car, travelling through more than 30 locations across London at different times of day and night with varying weather conditions.

The challenge was clear. With a budget that allowed for just three shooting days, a traditional vehicle process setup using a low loader was simply not possible with the existing script. The team wanted to find a production solution that would both allow them to keep the script they wanted to shoot, while also allowing enough time for performance, experimentation and creative flexibility. The production needed to capture a huge number of locations while maintaining continuity, realism and a cinematic visual style.

This made Hindsight an ideal candidate for virtual production.

The challenge was clear. With a budget that allowed for just three shooting days, a traditional vehicle process setup using a low loader was simply not possible with the existing script. The team wanted to find a production solution that would both allow them to keep the script they wanted to shoot, while also allowing enough time for performance, experimentation and creative flexibility. The production needed to capture a huge number of locations while maintaining continuity, realism and a cinematic visual style.

This made Hindsight an ideal candidate for virtual production.

The V Studio team supported the Hindsight production in the capture of the many driving plates needed for the shoot. These plates, which were captured across London over a weekend, were played back on the studio's LED wall, allowing the filmmakers to move seamlessly between locations and times of day while remaining in a fully controlled environment. The ability to make creative adjustments on set gave the team far greater flexibility than would have been possible on location.

For cinematographer Fola Abatan, the virtual production workflow offered an opportunity to refine the image in ways that would have been difficult on a traditional vehicle process shoot.

The V Studio team supported the Hindsight production in the capture of the many driving plates needed for the shoot. These plates, which were captured across London over a weekend, were played back on the studio's LED wall, allowing the filmmakers to move seamlessly between locations and times of day while remaining in a fully controlled environment. The ability to make creative adjustments on set gave the team far greater flexibility than would have been possible on location.

For cinematographer Fola Abatan, the virtual production workflow offered an opportunity to refine the image in ways that would have been difficult on a traditional vehicle process shoot.

"Because everything was shot through the front of the car, it would have been a thousand times harder to shoot on real locations – especially with repeat takes, rehearsals and logistics," says Abatan. "During pre-production we aimed to get everything perfect. Before the shoot, especially during the final tech recce, we loaded in all the plates and adjusted colour temperature, contrast and other details. The virtual production setup gave us the ability to experiment on the fly."

"I felt very privileged because it allowed me to bring post-production into the shoot itself. It took a moment to realise how much control I actually had."

"Because everything was shot through the front of the car, it would have been a thousand times harder to shoot on real locations – especially with repeat takes, rehearsals and logistics," says Abatan. "During pre-production we aimed to get everything perfect. Before the shoot, especially during the final tech recce, we loaded in all the plates and adjusted colour temperature, contrast and other details. The virtual production setup gave us the ability to experiment on the fly."

"I felt very privileged because it allowed me to bring post-production into the shoot itself. It took a moment to realise how much control I actually had."

Described as “a heartfelt coming-of-age short film that explores friendship, family and the quiet loneliness that creeps in as we grow up,” the film relied on the audience believing every moment of the journey. Rather than spending valuable production time moving between locations, the filmmakers worked closely with the V Studio team to recreate London's streets and changing environments inside the volume. This allowed director Remi Moses to focus on performance to a much greater degree than otherwise possible.

Because the entire film is viewed through the front windscreen of the car, the production was able to benefit from close consultation from the V Studio team, led by VP Producer (and Head of Studio) Kate Phibbs and VP Supervisor Chris Bouchard.

The V Studio's 4.5m motorised revolving turntable played a key role in the shoot. With the vehicle positioned on the turntable in front of the LED volume, the team could precisely adjust the angle of the car to match each location and scene. This removed the need to repeatedly reposition vehicles on a real road, helping maintain continuity and keeping the production moving efficiently throughout the schedule.

Beyond simply displaying backgrounds, the V Studio's workflow combines the LED wall with fully integrated image-based lighting (IBL). Rather than relying solely on traditional lighting fixtures, the content on the LED wall contributes realistic ambient light, reflections and environmental cues that respond naturally to the scene.

The V Studio's 4.5m motorised revolving turntable played a key role in the shoot. With the vehicle positioned on the turntable in front of the LED volume, the team could precisely adjust the angle of the car to match each location and scene. This removed the need to repeatedly reposition vehicles on a real road, helping maintain continuity and keeping the production moving efficiently throughout the schedule.

Beyond simply displaying backgrounds, the V Studio's workflow combines the LED wall with fully integrated image-based lighting (IBL). Rather than relying solely on traditional lighting fixtures, the content on the LED wall contributes realistic ambient light, reflections and environmental cues that respond naturally to the scene.

This proved particularly valuable on Hindsight, where the production needed to recreate more than 30 locations with different moods, weather conditions and times of day. As the driving plates changed, the light inside the vehicle changed with them, helping to create believable transitions while maintaining continuity and realism. The integrated image-based lighting system allowed the filmmakers to work quickly while retaining creative control over the look of each scene.

Working closely with director Remi Moses, cinematographer Fola Abatan and the wider production team, extensive preparation was carried out before the shoot. Locations, driving plates and lighting setups were tested in advance, allowing creative and technical decisions to be refined before cameras rolled. This level of preparation gave the filmmakers the confidence to focus on performance and storytelling once on set.

This proved particularly valuable on Hindsight, where the production needed to recreate more than 30 locations with different moods, weather conditions and times of day. As the driving plates changed, the light inside the vehicle changed with them, helping to create believable transitions while maintaining continuity and realism. The integrated image-based lighting system allowed the filmmakers to work quickly while retaining creative control over the look of each scene.

Working closely with director Remi Moses, cinematographer Fola Abatan and the wider production team, extensive preparation was carried out before the shoot. Locations, driving plates and lighting setups were tested in advance, allowing creative and technical decisions to be refined before cameras rolled. This level of preparation gave the filmmakers the confidence to focus on performance and storytelling once on set.

Reflecting on the experience, Abatan praised the collaborative approach between the production and the V Studio team:"The workflow with Kate and VP Supervisor Chris Bouchard, and the whole team was great. They really laid everything out for us and made the process as easy as possible."

Across just three shooting days in the volume, with the all-important pre-light day, the team successfully captured more than 30 London locations. Using driving plates played back through Assimilate Live FX, alongside the studio's integrated image-based lighting workflow, the production was able to create convincing shifts in location, atmosphere, weather and time of day while maintaining realistic reflections and interactive lighting inside the vehicle.

The result is a film that delivers an ambitious London road journey on an independent short film budget — demonstrating how virtual production, in-camera visual effects (ICVFX) and LED volume filmmaking can remove logistical barriers without compromising creative ambition. By bringing together careful preparation, close collaboration and a flexible virtual production workflow, the Hindsight team were able to focus their time where it mattered most: on performance, storytelling and creating a cinematic experience for the audience.

Reflecting on the experience, Abatan praised the collaborative approach between the production and the V Studio team:"The workflow with Kate and VP Supervisor Chris Bouchard, and the whole team was great. They really laid everything out for us and made the process as easy as possible."

Across just three shooting days in the volume, with the all-important pre-light day, the team successfully captured more than 30 London locations. Using driving plates played back through Assimilate Live FX, alongside the studio's integrated image-based lighting workflow, the production was able to create convincing shifts in location, atmosphere, weather and time of day while maintaining realistic reflections and interactive lighting inside the vehicle.

The result is a film that delivers an ambitious London road journey on an independent short film budget — demonstrating how virtual production, in-camera visual effects (ICVFX) and LED volume filmmaking can remove logistical barriers without compromising creative ambition. By bringing together careful preparation, close collaboration and a flexible virtual production workflow, the Hindsight team were able to focus their time where it mattered most: on performance, storytelling and creating a cinematic experience for the audience.