PIER59 Studios Leads By Evolving Virtual Production

NEW YORK, Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- PIER59 Studios today announced a major evolution of its Virtual Production infrastructure with the integration of the latest RX III render nodes from Disguise, advancing its real-time 3D, in-camera production model to meet the growing demand for reliability, cost-saving, efficiency, and scale.

PIER59 Studios pioneered the integration of real-world locations into a fully controlled Virtual Production environment, bringing locations from anywhere in the world, in any season and at any time of day into our Studios in the heart of Manhattan.

With this infrastructure upgrade, productions gain an even more sustainable, travel-free way of working, reducing logistical complexity while increasing predictability across the entire production process. The evolution strengthens PIER59 Studios' ability to deliver high-end Virtual Production that is not only creatively flexible, but measurably more efficient—shortening timelines, controlling costs, and increasing certainty from preproduction through final capture.

Virtual Production That Delivers Higher Quality and Production Savings

At PIER59 Studios, Virtual Production becomes an economic advantage, not just a creative one. The RX III platform enables productions to consolidate locations, minimize company moves, and eliminate many of the variables that traditionally drive overruns, travel, freight, weather delays, and extended schedules.

With the RX III upgrade, PIER59 Studios enables productions to:

• Replace multiple locations with a single, controlled environment
• Shorten shooting schedules through faster setup and real-time iteration
• Reduce reshoots by capturing final-quality imagery in camera
• Maintain visual and technical consistency across days and deliverables

The result is a production model that saves time and budget while increasing predictability, an essential advantage for brands, agencies, and studios operating under tighter timelines and greater delivery complexity.

Built for Reliability Under Pressure

As Virtual Production becomes central to commercial, film, and episodic workflows, reliability is no longer optional. RX III is engineered for sustained performance, supporting higher resolutions, longer takes, complex camera movement, and demanding real-time environments without interruption.

For productions operating under fixed budgets and immovable deadlines, that reliability is the difference between contingency planning and confidence, allowing teams to work decisively, knowing the system will hold up under scrutiny across shots, scenes, and days.

"Updating our systems with some of the most advanced GPUs available is critical to maintaining both performance and creative trust on set," said Lorenzo Ferrante, Head of Virtual Production and Creative at PIER59 Studios. "It ensures our Unreal Engine pipeline and LED stages remain among the most advanced in Manhattan. We continue to invest so Virtual Production remains a powerful, practical tool in the hands of filmmakers."

From Creative Intent to Capture, Without Delay

On set, the impact is immediate. Environments respond in real time. Camera movement remains locked. Perspective, scale, and lighting stay consistent across takes.

Creative decisions that once required post-production are now finalized during capture, reducing downstream costs, accelerating delivery, and preserving creative momentum. Directors, cinematographers, and producers can focus on storytelling and performance, not technical workarounds.

Virtual Production Supervisor Jim Rider added, "The RX III render nodes are a significant step forward for our real-time workflows. Optimization will always matter, but the rendering power of these systems allows us to work at higher quality and higher frame rates without pushing limits. That headroom translates directly into smoother shoots and more confident decision-making on set."

Integrated Into a Production-First Ecosystem

The RX III servers are fully integrated into PIER59 Studios' Virtual Production ecosystem, working seamlessly with the studio's LED volumes, camera tracking systems, and real-time Unreal Engine pipeline. This tightly aligned infrastructure ensures that technology supports production goals quietly and reliably, without slowing the pace of execution.

"The value of Virtual Production isn't just what you can do, it's how efficiently and confidently you can do it," said PIER59 Studios. "RX III allows productions to move faster, lock decisions earlier, and deliver without the uncertainty that traditionally drives time and budget overruns."

Leading the Industry by Evolving

For three decades, PIER59 Studios has led the industry by evolving, selectively adopting new technology tools, workflows, and creative expectations ahead of the curve. From film to digital, from motion to real-time environments, each transition has been guided by a clear priority: build infrastructure that supports the realities of production today while anticipating what comes next.

"PIER59 Studios was never about a single medium," says Federico Pignatelli della Leonessa, Founder and President. "It was about creating an environment where artists and storytellers could evolve, from film to digital, from motion to virtual worlds, and where emerging tools like AI expand creative possibility rather than replace it."

The integration of RX III technology from Disguise is the latest step in that evolution, strengthening PIER59 Studios' ability to deliver Virtual Production that is creative, dependable, and economically sound.

30 Years In — Focused on What Comes Next

The RX III evolution arrives during PIER59 Studios' 30th year, marking three decades of continuous progress. Since 1995, the studio has remained committed to one guiding principle: invest early, integrate deeply, and build production environments that remove obstacles rather than create them.

Thirty years on, that focus remains unchanged. The future of production demands speed, reliability, and smarter economics, and PIER59 Studios continues to evolve, so its clients don't have to.

For access to interviews or on-site tours, please contact:

PIER59 Studios
[email protected]
https://pier59studios.com
59 Chelsea Piers 2nd floor
New York, New York 10011

SOURCE PIER59 Studios