Virtual Production in Education: Bridging Innovation and Accessibility
Virtual Production (VP) is reshaping the film and creative industries by enabling real-time visualization and on-set integration of digital assets, fostering collaboration and sustainability in media creation. While VP adoption has accelerated in professional contexts, its integration into education remains limited due to high technology costs and the need for interdisciplinary expertise.
The Virtual Production Studio Network (VPSN) project addresses this gap through research-led development of scalable VP studio models tailored for educational institutions. The project involved collaborative case studies across partner universities, surveys with educators and students, and technical analyses of existing VP workflows. The resulting report outlines a practical framework for implementing VP facilities in academic settings, with a focus on cost-effective infrastructure, curriculum alignment, and cross-disciplinary collaboration between film, art, and technology departments.
The qualitative research included more than 15 in-depth interviews with educational professionals specializing in virtual production—a notable achievement given the current scarcity of such experts. As VP remains a relatively new and rapidly evolving technology, there is a limited workforce with established experience in both its technical and pedagogical aspects. This made it particularly valuable to gather insights from those actively working to integrate VP into academic programs, as their perspectives help illuminate the challenges, needs, and opportunities in shaping future-ready education.
This research highlights the urgent need to adapt educational practices to emerging technologies and provides a replicable model for institutions worldwide. Embedding VP in creative education not only democratizes access to cutting-edge tools but also equips the next generation with the skills required for a sustainable, innovation-driven media landscape.
Challenges and Opportunities in Educational Integration
Through mixed-methods research, it became clear that educational institutions face significant financial constraints in implementing VP training. Limited budgets and a lack of “train-the-trainer” programs hinder the development of VP expertise among educators. These gaps point to a broader need to understand the current limitations and barriers in both education and industry—and to identify strategies for overcoming them.
Critical areas for development include:
- Curriculum Design: Creating flexible curricula that can adapt to rapid technological advancements in VP, including the integration of emerging tools such as generative AI, XR, motion capture, digital humans, and real-time engine updates.
- Pedagogical Approaches: Exploring learning models and design thinking strategies suited to VP; updating teaching methods for both in-person and online delivery; clarifying roles within the VP pipeline; and emphasizing both technical and soft skills.
- Cross-Sector Collaboration: Establishing collaborative practices between industry and academia to align shared needs, support knowledge exchange, and refine educational practices based on real-world demands.
- Diversity and Inclusion: Promoting diversity within VP teams by actively supporting participation from professionals and students across different backgrounds, disciplines, and skill sets

Keywords: Education, Virtual Production studio, new technologies, sustainability, trainer the trainer.