Terra Datum: mapping the computational intensity of virtual production

Project partners: Northumbria University, Advanced Media Production, Target 3D

XR Network+ has supported a successful collaboration between Dr. Paul Dolan at Northumbria University, Digital Catapult and the Advanced Media Production at PROTO, to investigate how to make Virtual Production (VP) more sustainable by measuring the computational intensity and energy cost of key production methods. The team also developed an ambitious artwork, Terra Datum, which used live energy consumption data to animate photogrammetry scans of Advanced Media Production (AMP) studio at Proto in Gateshead, UK.

In order to successfully achieve their objectives, the project initially focused on establishing a replicable technical set up for monitoring energy usage. The set up is relatively low cost, and was documented throughout in order to allow other studios to adopt similar energy monitoring practices. Results indicated that AMP at Proto uses far less offsite computation than expected, and can operate many studio functions with limited or no internet access. 

This data was then gathered to feed into a large-scale artwork, Terra Datum. The artwork was intended to poetically display energy consumption in a way that brought energy and the digital image together in a direct relationship. The resulting piece is site specific, and capable of being displayed in different nearby locations. It was shown to the public at the Advanced Media Production Proto location in May 2025.

The team went on to outline a set of policy recommendations to augment existing carbon calculators and sustainability toolkits (such as Albert, or Green Production Guide’s PEACH), providing specific considerations for on and off-site data computation. The recommendations emphasise the sustainability benefits of on site, local data computation amidst the rapid growth of data centres for AI and image rendering worldwide. 

This collaboration is one of seven projects supported by the Embedded R&D (round two) funding call, with grants of up to £60,000 awarded to researchers at UK universities to explore the transfer of knowledge between academia and industry in areas aligned with Virtual Production. The projects took place over a six month period, commencing from September 2024.

Categories: Film, Research, Technology, TV