Virtual Production: Tampa Studio Builds LED Stage Amid Pandemic Closures

Tim Moore calculated that his company, Diamond View Studios, had only four months of operating money left when the pandemic hit in March 2020. The collapse of professional sports and the cancellation of commercial shoots left the expanded operation with full facilities and staff but almost no revenue. Moore closed several locations, including the Miami office, and faced a choice: wait for traditional work to resume or invest the remaining runway into new technology.

The company had built its reputation on conventional video production, starting with Moore’s work at the University of South Florida and expanding through clients like the Atlanta Braves. Before the crisis, the team produced roughly 150 videos per season for sponsors and national brands. However, travel restrictions made location shoots risky and difficult. Moore looked to the virtual production methods used in television, specifically the large LED screens employed for The Mandalorian, as a way to create digital environments without transporting crews across the globe.

Moore rented vacant space at Tampa’s University Mall. He assigned a crew accustomed to cameras and editing to build an LED stage from scratch. The team purchased modules, cabinets, and power supplies, then connected the components while learning the equipment on the fly. The process was unrefined. The space required darkening and sound treatment, and electrical issues caused smoke during setup. Every dollar spent on the installation reduced the cash reserves needed to keep the doors open.

Mercedes-Benz provided the first major test for the new capability. The automaker needed an advertisement for its S-Class sedan featuring locations across five continents. International travel bans made traditional filming impossible. Instead, the company transported the prototype car to Tampa. The vehicle arrived with flat tires and nonfunctioning lights, conditions that did not matter since the car would remain stationary during the shoot. The LED wall displayed changing landscapes, casting real light and reflections onto the car’s polished bodywork.

Mercedes executives watched the production remotely via Zoom. They observed the prototype appear to travel through different environments without moving. Moore recalled the executives reacting with surprise, asking the crew to switch the scenery from a beach to mountains to demonstrate the technology. The successful shoot led to inquiries from Jack Daniel’s, which wanted to film reflective glass bottles against electronic scenery. NBC’s Today show also featured the Tampa studio before the 2021 Super Bowl, showing a correspondent standing in a snowy landscape created in Florida.

Inquiries began arriving from India, Australia, and Malta. Callers initially assumed they wanted to commission productions or rent stage time. In reality, they wanted to know if Diamond View could build similar installations for their own facilities. The team that assembled the experimental stage at the University Mall had established a new service line for the company.

Diamond View Studios continues to operate from the three-story brick building in Tampa that the partners admired in their early years. The studio now offers both traditional video production and virtual production services. The shift from a 300-square-foot office to a high-tech LED facility marks the evolution of the business founded by Moore and Jon Davila.

The company’s next steps involve managing demand for LED stage construction from international clients. Moore and his team are coordinating the technical requirements for these new builds while continuing to support existing customers in the automotive and spirits industries. The transition from a small independent shop to a provider of global virtual production technology is now complete.