Virtual Production Grows: ILM Expands StageCraft, LED Volumes Get Cheaper
Shooting against massive LED screens instead of greenscreen is no longer a blockbuster-only privilege: the market is accelerating and panels are getting cheaper.
The virtual production market is valued at approximately $3.67 billion in 2026, up from $3.16 billion the year before, with the LED volume segment growing at more than 30% annually. The drivers are falling panel prices and the emergence of purpose-built, ready-to-use stages.
ILM Builds Its Fifth Volume
Industrial Light & Magic has announced an expansion of StageCraft: a new facility in Vancouver spanning more than 20,000 square feet will become one of the largest LED volumes in North America and the studio's fifth permanent stage — joining three in Los Angeles and one at Pinewood near London.
What This Means for Production
An LED volume delivers real light and reflections from the virtual environment directly on set, cuts travel costs, and moves part of post-production into the moment of capture. For mid-range budgets, it is becoming a genuinely attainable tool rather than technology reserved exclusively for productions like The Mandalorian.
