22 June,2024 09:44 AM IST | Mumbai | Junisha Dama
The lab also offers tech solutions such as robotic arms that provide cleaner shots during brand shoots
Picture this: You are dining in Mumbai, but it's snowing all around you. It's one of the many ideas that can be executed at Pixelab by Warehouse 47. One of Mumbai's oldest studios has decided to zoom into the future. Except their time travel machine is a high-tech content lab-cum-event space.
Sitting inside the first floor of Worli's Famous Studio, an art deco staircase leads you to a big black door. On the other side is a room lit with strobe lighting and another flight of stairs lit by lasers leads us to Xylo, a friendly alien who explains what the newly opened Pixelab by Warehouse 47 is all about. Xylo is an AI who tells space jokes but also explains what is projection-mapping and what services Pixelab offers, among other things.
The lab's entrance is a portal to the future, with strobe lighting and motion sensor detectors anticipating every move. It's one of the many tech services that the company hopes to offer for live events. As you walk further into the space, LED walls pulsate, transforming the surroundings into a canvas of light and colour. And, through 3D projection-mapping we are transported to alternate realities. But who is this all for? "Say there is an independent creator working alone, with our tech we can help them take their storytelling to the next level. We are also keen to offer brands turnkey solutions - shooting, studio space, production, and execution.
We can do all this fully in-house," says Anant Roongta, partner, Warehouse 47, and managing director, Famous Studio. Roongta elaborates that Pixelab is not just an event space. It's a high-tech content lab, co-working space, and even has a small theatre for private screenings.
The possibilities here are endless. Pixelab offers a symphony of interactive experiences. Some of the other features include thread laser lighting capsules and motion sensor LED gaming, generative AI capabilities, AR (Augmented Reality), VR (Virtual Reality), and XR (Extended Reality) technologies. Thus making Warehouse 47 a creative culture hub under Famous Studios. The studio has partnered with Green Rain Studios who have helped to bring in the immersive experience technology. Roongta says, "We can offer all our service vehicles pan-India. But we are also looking at launching curated IPs, which will be ticketed events. You can use all this tech to create a unique experience. For example, it could be a pop-up speakeasy with projection-mapping or a pop-up nightclub. Our main benefit is that we have a space, which is hard to come by in Mumbai."
As the studio already has visual effects artists, motion control experts, sound engineers, and colourists, the idea is to also collaborate with creators. Building on the legacy of Famous Studios, Pixelab hopes to "eventually incubate ideas or fund them", says Roongta, as they already work with several creators. For visitors, Pixelab hopes to curate interesting experiences soon. And, they will be peppered with tech that allows you to be in the midst of alternate realities or simply indulge in LED gaming.
