Tyler Perry Studios is moving into real-time filmmaking. The Atlanta campus has agreed to a multi-year partnership to convert an existing soundstage into a virtual-production facility, a step studio executives say will modernize workflows and make the location more competitive for feature films, series and commercial shoots.
The deal pairs Tyler Perry Studios with virtual-production firm Synapse. Under the agreement, a stage on the studio’s 365-acre lot will be retrofitted with an LED volume, advanced camera-tracking systems and real-time 3D rendering tools such as Unreal Engine. The new space is slated to enter service by late 2026.
Studio renderings show immersive digital backdrops that can stand in for indoor sets or outdoor exteriors, letting productions film complex locations without building full physical sets or waiting on favorable weather. The facility will be pitched for a wide range of uses — from feature films and episodic series to commercials, music videos, live streams and interactive projects — and will be open to outside productions.
Synapse already operates virtual-production infrastructure at LA Center Studios and says its toolset relies on AI-supported workflows for look development, rapid iteration of digital assets, and environment capture. The company is also expanding into other U.S. markets, with a New York facility planned.
Tyler Perry’s team frames the move as cautious and workforce-focused. While virtual production can reduce certain on-set costs and speed schedules, studio leaders emphasize crews will remain central to the process and that the new stage is intended to preserve local jobs rather than replace them.
- Location: 365-acre Tyler Perry Studios campus, Atlanta
- Technology: LED volume, camera tracking, real-time 3D engines (e.g., Unreal Engine), AI-assisted asset tools
- Availability: Third-party bookings planned
- Target markets: Feature films, television, commercials, music videos, livestreams, immersive and digital media
- Operational target: By the end of 2026
The announcement arrives as Atlanta seeks to regain production momentum after a period of slower activity. Studio officials say the virtual stage will offer creative flexibility while shortening build times and reducing weather-related delays — factors that can make a location more attractive to producers weighing where to shoot.
There are trade-offs. Adopting in-camera visual effects and LED volumes changes crew composition and requires new technical skills. Studio and Synapse representatives stress that training and job continuity are priorities as the industry adapts to these tools.
Industry partners point to recent projects that have used Synapse’s services, including work on Artists Equity’s The Rip and The Accountant 2. Supporters argue the new capability could strengthen Atlanta’s position in the market by combining Perry’s existing infrastructure with modern virtual-production techniques.
After pausing a previously planned large-scale expansion last year amid industry debate over emerging AI technologies, Perry has shifted focus toward targeted technical upgrades and other development projects in the city. The Synapse partnership is presented as a measured step that balances innovation with concern for the local production workforce.
For Atlanta filmmakers, the new stage could mean fewer logistical headaches and more options for creative staging. For crews, the change will likely accelerate the need for cross-training in LED-volume operations and real-time workflows — a transition the studio says it intends to support.
Executives at both companies describe the collaboration as strategic: it brings established infrastructure together with real-time production tools at a time when studios and producers are increasingly looking for ways to control costs and timelines without sacrificing production value. If the stage meets its timeline, it will be among several new virtual-production resources cropping up across major U.S. production hubs, altering how and where screens are made.
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