02-07-2025 - Technology, News
Sony-Powered ‘Virtual Production Institute’ wins prestigious Lumiere Award
By: SonyCine Team
On Friday, the Advanced Imaging Society (AIS) announced the winners of the 2025 Lumiere Awards, which recognizes outstanding creative and technical achievements in its 15th annual celebration. The awards honor the artists, engineers, and innovators whose work continues to push the boundaries of storytelling and cinematic technology.
This year, AIS recognized Texas A&M's Virtual Production Institute with the Governor's Award for Education, Technology, and Innovation for advancing virtual production education and supporting workforce development through cutting-edge technology and industry collaboration.
The institute, part of the College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts, was honored alongside innovators including Sphere Entertainment, F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix and films including "Dune: Part Two," "Wicked" and "The Wild Robot." Texas A&M is the only university among this year's award winners.
"Advances in visual storytelling have always been driven by the vision of creatives, the brilliance of technologists and a skilled and knowledgeable workforce to marry the two together," said Tim McLaughlin, dean of the College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts. "At Texas A&M University, we're extremely proud of this recognition from the Advanced Imaging Society for the work we began three decades ago in Visualization, and that we are continuing with the Virtual Production Institute — to be a key contributor to the art, science and industry of imaging."
In November, Texas A&M announced that they had partnered with Sony Electronics to implement state-of-the-art technology to develop VPI's four virtual production stages across the state. The institute employs Sony technology, including the BURANO and VENICE 2 digital cinema cameras and the latest generation VERONA Crystal LED, a modular display ideally suited to demanding virtual production applications. The VERONA offers extraordinary black levels, low reflection, high brightness, wide color gamut, and high refresh rate, which allow content creators to compose immersive and realistic visual experiences on any scale.
Learn more about how the Virtual Production Institute is leveraging this technology to teach future generations advanced skills.
The Virtual Production Institute is based on Texas A&M's main campus in Bryan-College Station with an extension at Texas A&M-Fort Worth. With funding support from the 88th Texas Legislature for faculty, staff and equipment, the institute will reach beyond entertainment and into workforce training and simulation for first responders, health care, the military, manufacturing, product and architectural design, digital twin environments and live performances.
David Parrish, director of the College of Performance, Visualization, and Fine Arts at Texas A&M-Fort Worth, said working with Sony Electronics will expose Texas A&M students to innovation within virtual production through top-of-the-line technology in real-time.
"I hope people take away that Texas A&M is at the forefront of this technology and at the forefront of collaboration with industry to prepare the workforce of tomorrow," he said. "We are building on our established relationships with a variety of industries. We are here to establish and nurture additional relationships, to offer the capability for them to collaborate with us, to research with us, and to innovate with us. And to explore what we're building and find new ways to put it to good use."
Two of VPI's virtual production stages are near completion in Fort Worth. The institute is partnering with Synapse Virtual Production to integrate the LED volume stages and support curriculum development; and Sony Electronics to provide state-of-the-art LED technology and digital workflows.
