House of the DragonLarge-scale hybrid virtual production on Leavesden's new V Stage

House of the Dragon was the first production to use Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden's new V Stage, pairing a large wraparound LED volume with realtime previs, in-camera environment work, and hybrid LED / bluescreen methods for demanding dragon, flight, and large ensemble sequences.

Quick Facts

Leavesden announced the series in August 2022 as filming extensively on the lot.
The show used four sound stages, the backlot, and the new virtual production V Stage.
ASC reported the V Stage had upwards of 2,600 LED panels in a 7,100 square foot wraparound environment.
Matt Smith, Milly Alcock, and Paddy Considine are among the cast highlighted by Leavesden.

VP Workflow

The Dragonstone bridge sequence used the V Stage as a more feasible solution than returning to the original practical location.
Dragon-riding scenes were staged extensively on the volume.
For wide shots, the LED environment could shift into bluescreen behavior; for close-ups, sky plates were used as in-camera composites.

Production Scale

Leavesden states the series filmed extensively at the studio using V Stage, four sound stages, and the backlot. The ASC feature adds that the LED volume accelerated iteration once the team climbed the learning curve, with the workflow becoming far faster over time.

Video

Official Trailer