High-tech video production firm donates $750K of equipment to university

Vū Technologies, a Tampa-based virtual production studio for makers of film, video and advertisements, has donated a LED screen and 4K LED processor, with a total value of $750,000, to the University of Tampa.

The gift comes on the heels of the company’s donation of $500,000 worth of equipment last year to the University of South Florida.

Vū’s cutting-edge technology, according to a news release, allows video and filmmakers to shoot photo-realistic virtual environments in a studio instead of having to travel on location, which results in significant cost and time savings. The company characterizes the donations as workforce development initiatives that will help its future recruitment efforts.

“Vū stands at the forefront of the future of filmmaking, and like any emerging technology, our number one challenge is building out the workforce and ensuring we find individuals to fill these highly skilled and high-paying positions,” Vū Technologies CEO Tim Moore states in the release. “We are thrilled to partner with The University of Tampa as we develop a talent pipeline of graduates who will become leaders in the next generation of filmmaking.”

Last month, Vū announced that it had raised $17 million in seed funding, which will help fuel its expansion efforts. The firm has already opened satellite locations in Las Vegas and Nashville.

Gregg Perkins, an associate professor in UT’s Department of Film, Animation and New Media, says the donation “marks a milestone for our program.”

He adds, via the release, “We are now able to train the workforce of tomorrow on a technology that is the future of the film and entertainment industry. Additionally, the ability to have students intern and work on professional shoots at Vū Studio gives them a competitive advantage once they graduate.”