Viridian FX, XR Stories and the University of York: Thirteen years of collaboration

A thirteen-year partnership between XR Stories, the University of York and Viridian FX is fostering creativity in academia and industry.

York-based Viridian FX is one of the leading visual effects houses in the North of England. The company works on feature films and series for all the major studios including Netflix, HBO, Apple TV, and Paramount. In 2022 they contributed 250 visual effects shots to HBO’s House of Dragon, the prequel to Game of Thrones.

Founded by five University of York graduates from the Department of Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media, Viridian FX started life as Green Screen Productions in 2011. In the same year, the team delivered an experimental 90-minute green-screen film for Universal Pictures – The Knife That Killed Me – with all post-production work taking place at the University of York. 

Based on the best-selling novel by Anthony McGowan, The Knife That Killed Me received critical acclaim for its distinctive visual style and unconventional use of green-screen and visual effects technologies. 

In 2019, Viridian joined forces with XR Stories, virtual reality experts Retinize, and researchers at the University of York to create a short Cinematic Virtual Reality (CVR or 360º) film promo. The research and development (R&D) project enabled participating team members to gain a greater understanding of the relationship between existing film production and postproduction techniques, and CVR.  

In 2020, a collaboration between the University of York, Viridian FX and York Mediale responded to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project produced a prototype hybrid event, Absent Sitters, that explored new ways for musicians to reach audiences and premiered to a global online audience as part of the York Mediale festival. 

In 2023, XR Stories partnered with Viridian FX to host a free Virtual Production (VP) workshop at the Aesthetica Short Film Festival. Attendees learnt about the creative opportunities of cutting-edge VP technologies and delved into core VP concepts and tools.

In 2024, Viridian FX was appointed to help adapt the XR Stories immersive technology lab for Virtual Production. The project brought together industry R&D with technical expertise at XR Stories to ensure that the lab’s new LED wall and VP provision were set up for optimum creative usage and real-time production. 

Located within five minutes’ walk of each other in York city centre, XR Stories and Viridian FX continue to work together today. As long-term supporters of York’s creative and digital agenda, both partners are committed to driving creativity in the city and region. 

Kit Monkman, Director, Viridian FX comments: “Industry R&D is fast-paced and constantly evolving. It’s really important that we set aside time to develop and innovate so that we’re always pushing the boundaries and getting the best out of technology. XR Stories’ unique lab space and technical expertise enable us to experiment and bring those innovations to life.”

Damian Murphy, Director, XR Stories and XR Network+ says: “Our collaboration with Viridian FX delivers benefits that reverberate beyond the partnership. XR Stories provides infrastructure and academic expertise that enables Viridian FX to undertake essential research and development. In return, Viridian FX provides technical input and insights into industry challenges and opportunities. This informs and enhances our activities supporting researchers, SMEs and individuals working in digital and creative technologies.”

In 2025, a production by Viridian FX will feature at the launch of the new CoSTAR LiveLab facility at Production Park in Wakefield. The team is working with XR Stories to test and develop their work.

Published on 9 December 2024