The Proof Shed
The Shed is part mocap volume, part LED wall, part creative workshop — and entirely dedicated to helping filmmakers design, test, and shoot shots that would otherwise be too tricky or too expensive,
before they're too late to fix.
It’s where we combine SFX, VFX, and old-fashioned onset cunning to figure things out early, build things that move, and make the impossible possible.
What You Can Do in The Shed
Block complex sequences with the camera and actors, physically and virtually
Record their performances in 2D & 3D space for playback and further scene building
Quickly turn real people and their costumes into performable avatars with our Reference9 camera system
Virtually and physically test & plan free-hand and motion control moves with a digital twin of your principal camera
Use the LED wall to view your virtual scene, or use it to capture traditional physical shots
Bring digitised locations into the space to plan, plot and rehearse
Recreate special shots that cannot be shot on location
Produce sequences which will yield better results without the time constraints of the main unit
Create a narrative edit quickly, in the moment, with the flexibility to change it at any time after capture
We can handle both the early chaos and the final polish. You can treat The Shed as a test stage, a problem-solving tool, or a full-blown process stage — and yes, you can shoot actual, useable material here.
FAQ
Q: What is The Proof Shed?
It’s our R&D bunker for shot-making. A part-time laboratory, part-time scrapyard of ideas, full-time home for preposterous invention. Built by people who’ve actually lit rigs on fire (on purpose), composited smoke with string, and know when to let the camera do the talking.
Q: So it’s an R&D stage?
Yes — but with hammers. We’ve built a space where you can test, rehearse, build, shoot, and refine. If it works, shoot it. If it doesn't, fail here (quietly) - we'll fix it, and make something better.
Q: Is it all digital?
No chance. We come from special effects — bangs, rigs, hydraulics, atmosphere, real-world problem-solving. Over the years we folded in visual effects, virtual tools, motion control, and now AI. The result? A belief that the best illusion is nearly always a blend of techniques. If you're after pure CG or pure analogue, great. But this is where they meet, shake hands, and sometimes argue.
Q: Who is it for?
Directors, DOPs, art depts, VFX supes, creature creators, chaos merchants. Anyone serious about making the shot better by thinking before the panic. Also welcome: people who like experimenting with cardboard cities and photogrammetry in the same afternoon.
Q: What's in The Shed?
Mocap. An LED wall. Cameras, tools, odd robotic bits, a spaceship on a workbench. Cables. Real objects you can light. Virtual ones you can move in real-time. And a few old-school practical rigs, because you never know when you’ll need a smoke machine duct-taped to a coffee grinder.
Q: Is this a tech lab?
Not quite. We’ve got the tech, but it's not the star — you are. AI helps. Real-world textures help more. This is a human-led environment with machine assistance, not a showroom for the future. Unless the future’s got better clamps.
Q: Can I shoot finals here?
Yes. We’re not just playing. If the shot works, roll camera. The Shed is big enough, kitted enough, and flexible enough to capture plates, scenes, stunts, and experiments that don’t feel like tests — they feel like work getting done.
Q: Can I just come and look around?
Of course. It makes a lot more sense once you've seen it. Just don’t trip over the crab rig, it’s having a rough day.
Why We Built It
After years of being handed the problem after the shoot (with no time, no money, and one camera angle), we thought:
The Shed isn’t a showroom. It’s a working invention space for real-world production. It sounds like somewhere you’d find a pneumatic crab rig next to a MoCo system, and someone building clouds out of clingfilm while a VFX supervisor argues with a toaster. And, honestly, that’s not far off.
It’s where we help directors, DOPs, and creatives prototype their ideas — and sometimes even shoot them.
Want In?
We didn’t build this space because we wanted a gimmick. We built it because the industry's changing, and waiting for someone else to solve it felt like a waste of time. This is where we think shots should begin — with imagination, tools in hand, and the freedom to get it wrong before it’s too late.
If that sounds like your kind of thinking, come by.
We’ll show you round, put the kettle on, and maybe spark something brilliant.
