WKWSCI Launches New Extended Reality (XR) Studio to Power the Future of Media Learning

_{From left to right: Prof. Jon Wilson, Dean of COHASS; Prof. Jack Qiu, Chair of WKWSCI; Choong Chyi Kei, CEO of AUX Media Group; and Prof. May Lwin, Associate Provost (Faculty Affairs), NTU}

The Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI) has launched its new Extended Reality (XR) Studio, a cutting-edge facility that prepares students for the next era of media creation. 

XR combines virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technologies to create immersive worlds where physical and digital elements blend seamlessly. The studio features a ROE GhostFrame 6m by 3.5m LED wall and floor, Komodo Red cameras, Mo-Sys tracking, and a Disguise Media Server and Rendering Machine. These tools allow filmmakers to shoot scenes where lighting, backgrounds, and even sunsets can change instantly, without the need for a green screen.  

Beyond the technology, the XR Studio is transforming how students learn. In modules such as Narration in Fiction Film, students continue to study the fundamentals of storytelling like continuity, camera coverage, and blocking, while learning to stage and shoot scenes in a virtual environment.  

They gain hands-on experience in virtual production workflows, from script planning and pre-visualisation to lighting, camera calibration, and colour management. Students also explore how lenses and LED panels interact, and how to design lighting that enhances mood and performance in XR settings.  

By working on short projects in the studio, students learn to think critically about when and how to use XR, balancing creativity, technology, and storytelling. 

“The XR studio lets our students experiment, create, and tell stories in new ways, while building the skills the industry increasingly demands,” says Dr Kym Campbell, Senior Lecturer, WKWSCI and Vice Chair, Asia Pacific International Association of Cinema and Media Schools. 

By integrating XR into its curriculum, WKWSCI is future-proofing media education and ensuring its graduates are ready to lead in the fast-changing world of virtual production and digital storytelling.