Browse Catapults
CASE STUDY

Making the next generation of immersive content a reality

Digital Catapult, in partnership with immersive media company Hammerhead Interactive Limited and Microsoft Mixed Reality Capture Studio, launched DimensionTM, a state-of-the-art volumetric and 3D capture studio for the next generation of immersive content.

£80.5bn
UK media sector’s forecast worth by 2023
100+
new high value jobs created
£1.5m
invested by the Digital Catapult
£8.5m
invested by Gateshead City Council

We are thrilled to partner with Digital Catapult and Hammerhead to create Dimension Studio, which is the first studio to license our Mixed Reality Capture Technology and take it to a global scale

Steve Sullivan General Manager
Microsoft Mixed Reality Capture Studios

Europe’s most advanced volumetric and 3D capture studio in London

Dimension, harnesses six years of Microsoft research and are one of only three such studios globally. The UK media sector is forecast to be worth £80.5bn by 2023. Expertise in Digital Catapult identified that in the realm of emerging virtual reality content the lack of video quality, photorealistic 360 degree digital assets inhibited the growth of whole new categories of material.  

Digital Catapult formed the three way partnership, identifying Gateshead’s Hammerhead Interactive as a company capable of taking the technology to market. The Catapult’s expertise helped develop an R&D programme with Microsoft and worked with Hammerhead on the business model that would accommodate both research activities and commercial pipeline in the studio. From early 2017, the three partners worked together to specify and design the volumetric capture studio. Digital Catapult also invested £1.5m in starting up the studio, including determining its South West London location. Since the launch of DimensionTM over 100 new high value jobs have been created in production companies, retailers and broadcasters to exploit the technology.

In Gateshead, the City Council recognising the importance to the local economy of companies like Hammerhead and invested £8m in the creation of a brand new purpose built performance capture studio and adjacent office refurbishment. Proto, opened in early 2018, is the first digital production facility of its kind in Europe.In 2019, Hammerhead signed an agreement with Nikon to create two mobile volumetric capture studios based on the strength of Dimension’s performance.

Immersive performance capture room