The soundstages at 7800 Beverly Boulevard have hosted everything from 'The Price Is Right' to 'All in the Family.' Now, they are being retrofitted for the era of digital backlots. Television City announced a partnership with Orbital Studios today to install a state-of-the-art virtual production LED volume on the historic lot.

It is a strategic pivot. As major productions increasingly flee Los Angeles for tax-friendly jurisdictions in Georgia, Canada, or Europe, the goal here is simple: stop the bleeding. By offering a high-end virtual production environment in the heart of the Fairfax District, the studio hopes to convince producers that they don’t need to leave town to capture the world.

Why the Timing Matters

The economics of television production have shifted. Studios are under immense pressure to cut costs, and the traditional model of on-location shooting is expensive. Travel, logistics, and weather delays eat into budgets. Virtual production, which uses massive LED screens to project real-time, photorealistic environments behind actors, offers a way to bypass those hurdles.

Orbital Studios brings a track record that includes Netflix’s 'Nemesis' and the FX series 'The Drop: A Snowfall Saga.' For 'Nemesis,' the team famously used digital scans to recreate downtown Los Angeles, allowing the production to film complex sequences without the logistical nightmare of city permits and street closures. That is the promise: efficiency.

The Legacy vs. The Future

There is a palpable tension between the lot’s history and its new tech. A.J. Wedding, the founder and CEO of Orbital Studios, acknowledged the weight of the space. These stages are hallowed ground in the industry. He wants to honor that. But he is also betting that the best way to preserve a legacy is to ensure it remains a site of active creation.

"We’re bringing the latest in virtual production technology and the most talented virtual art and AI artists inside spaces that helped define American television," Wedding said in a statement. It is a marriage of old-school studio infrastructure and modern, compute-heavy workflows. The facility will cater to projects of all sizes, from indie features to massive docuseries like the recent 'World War II with Tom Hanks.'

Keeping the Crew in L.A.

This is not just about technology. It is about labor. When a production moves to another state, the local crew loses out. By keeping the work in the Fairfax District, Television City is positioning itself as a hub for the local workforce that has seen its opportunities dwindle as runaway production becomes the industry standard.

Key Takeaways

  • Strategic Location: The new LED volume is located at 7800 Beverly Boulevard, keeping high-tech production jobs within the Los Angeles city limits.
  • Proven Tech: Orbital Studios brings experience from major projects like 'Justified: City Primeval' and 'Nemesis,' focusing on digital environment recreation.
  • Economic Hedge: The partnership aims to combat the industry trend of relocating productions to other states and countries by lowering the cost of filming complex scenes.

What Comes Next

The facility is expected to be fully operational for incoming productions by the fourth quarter of this year. The real test will arrive in January, when the pilot season cycle begins in earnest. By then, we will know if the industry's appetite for virtual production is enough to keep the lights on at one of Hollywood's most storied lots.