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 Dimension^TM 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.