The Proposed Kootenay Centre for Virtual Production
What if filmmakers in Nelson could place performers inside a mountain landscape, a historic heritage town, a distant planet—or an entirely imagined world—without leaving the studio?
That is the vision behind the proposed Kootenay Centre for Virtual Production, a new film, digital-media and creative-technology hub being developed for Nelson, British Columbia.
Led by Kootenay Film Services and the Kootenay Film Studio Society, the initiative is intended to give filmmakers, artists, students, businesses and community creators access to production technology that is transforming how stories are made and shared.
What Is Virtual Production?
Virtual production combines live performers, physical sets and digitally created environments in real time.
At the centre of the proposed facility would be a professional 30-by-16-foot LED Volume Wall, supported by camera tracking, cinema cameras, specialized lighting, real-time rendering and Unreal Engine technology.
Instead of filming actors against a traditional green screen, virtual production places them in front of a large LED environment that responds to the movement and perspective of the camera. The background, reflections and lighting can all appear naturally in the recorded image.
A filmmaker could move from a winter mountain pass to a summer forest—or from present-day Nelson to a world that exists only in the imagination—without relocating an entire cast and crew.
Theatre, dance, and performance can create an immersive environment for their audiences. Filmmakers can use a ‘plate shot’ backdrop of the Valhalla Mountain range for example, or old growth forest, rivers and lakes, farms and ranches, or urban settings, with actor-action in the foreground. Museums can take their exhibits and produce archival images and content to help create an environment for engaging storytelling. The entire world of the Kootenays can become an interactive background to raise the production value of a performance. And all this media content can be uploaded, distributed, and streamed to audiences everywhere.
Why Build It in the Kootenays?
The Kootenays already offer extraordinary filming locations, experienced creative people and communities with a strong independent spirit.
What the region has lacked is dedicated production infrastructure capable of supporting larger, longer and more technically advanced projects.
The proposed Centre would help close that gap.
By combining the Kootenays’ remarkable natural locations with virtual-production technology, we can make the region more competitive, extend the production season and create new reasons for filmmakers to work here.
Productions generate activity far beyond the set. They hire local crew, book accommodations, purchase food and supplies, rent vehicles and equipment, and work with tradespeople and other regional businesses.
The Centre is therefore envisioned as more than a studio. It would be a piece of long-term regional infrastructure—supporting creative employment, workforce development, local businesses and economic diversification.
A Home at Mary Hall
The proposed location is Mary Hall at Selkirk College’s Tenth Avenue Campus in Nelson.
Its large, open gymnasium provides the height and floor space needed for an LED Volume Wall, cameras, lighting and production activity. Much of the equipment would be installed on mobile systems, allowing the hall to continue accommodating existing college and community uses when filming is not taking place.
The City of Nelson, which owns the facility, is supporting the initiative. Selkirk College has also been supportive of exploring Mary Hall as the Centre’s home.
The final lease, funding and operating agreements remain to be completed before the project can proceed.
More Than Film & Television
Although virtual production is increasingly used in film and television, its creative possibilities extend much further.
The Centre is envisioned as a shared regional resource serving:
- Film, television and documentary production
- Commercials and content for local businesses
- Digital-media and interactive storytelling
- Theatre, dance, music and live performance
- Education, workshops and workforce training
- Indigenous and community storytelling
- Independent artists and emerging creators
- Virtual locations and immersive cultural experiences
A theatre company could perform against an evolving digital backdrop. A dance production could combine live movement with an immersive environment. A regional business could create high-quality advertising without travelling to Vancouver. Students could gain hands-on experience with technology that is becoming increasingly important across the screen and digital-media industries.
The Centre could also support the development of original Kootenay stories—including documentaries, unscripted television projects and immersive works inspired by the people, landscapes and history of this region.
Training People for the Next Generation of Production
Technology alone does not create a sustainable industry. People do.
An important part of the Centre’s mandate would be training regional residents in skills such as LED Volume operation, Unreal Engine, camera tracking, virtual cinematography, digital-environment creation, calibration and emerging AI-assisted production workflows.
This would help local filmmakers and students participate in a rapidly evolving industry while giving visiting productions access to a stronger regional workforce.
The long-term goal is to build skills that remain in the Kootenays—creating opportunities for young people, established professionals and creative entrepreneurs to develop their careers without having to leave the region.
Where the Project Stands
The Kootenay Centre for Virtual Production is currently in the development and funding stage.
Technical planning, equipment research, supplier quotations and funding applications are underway. The project has received encouraging support from municipal, educational, industry and community stakeholders, but funding has not yet been secured.
That distinction is important: this is an ambitious proposal, not yet a completed facility.
At the same time, the progress made so far demonstrates growing recognition that the Kootenays are ready for the next stage of creative-industry development.
A Regional Vision
The Kootenays do not need to become another Vancouver. But the BC Film Industry has noticed the Kootenay Region as a cinematic treasure to be discovered.
We have an opportunity to build something suited to this region: a collaborative production centre bringing together film, technology, education, arts, culture, business and community storytelling.
Our landscapes have always inspired filmmakers.
Now we have an opportunity to create the infrastructure that allows more stories to be produced here—and enables more Kootenay creators to tell stories of their own.
The proposed Kootenay Centre for Virtual Production is about building that future, together.
Interested in supporting, partnering with or learning more about the project? Contact Kootenay Film Services and follow our progress as the Centre moves through development and funding.