The Newport Group and Lopesan have joined forces to create the largest audiovisual and technological hub in southern Europe, Dreamland Studios Canarias, which will be based in the municipality of Telde (Gran Canaria), as this is the location chosen by the promoters.
The agreement between the two companies is what makes possible the arrival of an “ambitious” project that aims to “completely change the audiovisual panorama in the islands and which will be launched immediately”, according to a press release.
Dreamland Studios Canarias is being launched after the film industry has experienced “notable growth” in the last decade, as shown by the fact that in 2022 more than 164 productions were developed, which left 224 million euros in the archipelago and allowed the direct hiring of 15,300 jobs, according to data from the Government of the Canary Islands.
Within this framework, Dreamland Studios Canarias will provide an “impressive” infrastructure for production companies so that they can finish their work on the islands, which will generate greater benefits for the islands’ economy.
DREAMLAND STUDIOS CANARIAS
Dreamland Studios Canarias will be located in a space of 100,000 square metres, which will have the largest film set in Europe of 6,000 square metres, an auxiliary film set of 2,500 square metres and a water tank of 1,600 square metres for filming complex deep sea scenes.
It will also have 5,000 square metres to house warehouses for the creation of sets, props and costumes, as well as a 3,500 square metre building for 2D, 3D and special effects production and post-production, with a projection room where the final results of the productions can be tested.
It will also have an R&D&I laboratory, DREAMLAB; the Technological Leisure Theme Park with immersive experiences and a Multidisciplinary Amphitheatre.
As for DREAMLAB, the DreamLab creation laboratory is intended to be a space where virtual and augmented reality works are created, as well as video games including triple A games and the use of artificial intelligence tools. In this case, as an ally, Dreamland Studios Canarias will have the ALISIOS Supercomputer, an equipment that will allow a high quality rendering for the films and that with its power will make it possible to carry out calculation operations at the level of the needs of this industry.
TECHNOLOGICAL THEME AND LEISURE PARK
Another focus of the project is a Technological Theme and Leisure Park, a visitable area, as the digitalisation of images and content created through virtual reality is increasingly being used in the cinema. Dreamland Studios Canarias will provide users with immersive virtual reality experiences in its visitable area of the Technological Theme and Leisure Park, created in DreamLab with its own software.
These experiences range from diving through the seabed of El Hierro to a walk through the Tilos de Moya; paragliding from Mount Teide to land in the Orotava Valley or parachuting over the island of Gran Canaria flying over the Roque Nublo. For the development of these experiences, qualified jobs will be created, such as camera operators and 3D and virtual reality developers, image and sound engineers, among others.
These experiences, tested first-hand by visitors, will be marketed worldwide with the Canary Islands seal of approval, with the aim of becoming a world reference in tourism for immersive, holographic, technological and cinematographic virtual reality experiences.
By having its own software and even hardware to develop virtual or augmented reality experiences, the leisure area will be one of the “most advanced” at international level, even ahead of those existing in the Madame Tussoud in the USA, the Guiyang centre in China or the premises that the video game company Bandai Namco has in Tokyo.
Experiences with virtual reality glasses can be accompanied by other devices, such as gloves or special suits, which allow greater interaction with the environment, as well as the perception of different stimuli that intensify the sensation of reality, wind tunnels or mechanical arms.
SHOWS
Dreamland Studios Canarias will also have the most cutting-edge technology for the creation of content and design for holographic shows in the Multidisciplinary Amphitheatre, with seating for 500 people, where it will be possible to enjoy presentations of the films shot at Dreamland Studios Canarias.
This space will also host film festivals and product presentations using holograms or even concerts with a show of holographic images in movement and to the rhythm of the music.
It will also host the museum of the future using the most modern virtual reality techniques and will recreate various activities from the point of view of knowledge that will allow you to visit the pyramids of Egypt in a hyper-realistic experience, see how the pharaohs are mummified, visit the Painted Caves of Gáldar or set foot on Mars.
JOB OFFERINGS
The Dreamland Studios Canarias project stresses that it will drive change in the economy of the islands, as it points out that there are currently more than 72,000 professionals working in the digital sector throughout Spain.
Within this framework, training will be one of the “great pillars”, as students will be able to learn through a training proposal with the “most modern” technological supports. Thus, the training offer will include, among other actions, Artistic Design of Video Games, Programming and advanced development of Video Games, Development of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Applications, Design and development of Artificial Intelligence solutions, CGI and Audiovisual Post-production, 2D and 3D Animation applied to audiovisual content.
Dreamland Studios Canarias will also have a recycling and continuous training, which they understand to be “fundamental in an industry in constant” evolution.
All of this will seek to exert an “important tractor effect” on the other sectors of the Canary Islands economy, as transport, tourism, hotels, catering, security, maintenance, services such as costume design, personal trainers, directors, scriptwriters, cameramen, musicians, production managers and assistants, directors, lighting technicians, sound engineers, post-production and mixing assistants, decorators, translators, among others, “will see an increase in their activity”.
