"Realistic 3D" SK Telecom Launches Mixed Reality Production Studio 'Jump Studio'

An SK Telecom official is conducting motion capture inside Jump Studio. Jump Studio is capable of shooting up to 60 frames per second in 360 degrees using 106 cameras.

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Cho] "I summon game characters onto my desk and play with them." "I analyze a professional golfer's swing posture by rotating it 360 degrees." A world that transcends virtual and reality is coming with Mixed Reality technology.

SK Telecom announced that it will operate the mixed reality production studio 'Jump Studio' starting from the 29th. This is the result of the first-ever 'super collaboration' in Asia with Microsoft (MS) to strengthen 5G services. Mixed Reality technology refers to a technology that combines the technical advantages of AR and VR to realistically implement virtual images within real spaces. The global mixed reality market size is expected to reach 2.101 trillion KRW in 2022.

Jump Studio's mixed reality content is evaluated as a culmination of both companies' immersive media technologies. Using MS's volumetric video capture technology, dynamic human movements are realized as hologram videos, and with SK Telecom's T Real platform's spatial recognition and rendering technology, content where holograms and real spaces naturally blend was completed.

Mixed Reality Production Process

SK Telecom plans to operate a dedicated production team of about 20 professionals in directing, filming, computer processing, and graphics at Jump Studio on a regular basis. With 106 cameras installed in the studio, it is possible to shoot 360 degrees at up to 60 frames per second, enabling the creation of high-definition 3D holograms that move naturally like real objects.

Additionally, by automating a significant portion of the manual processes in existing 3D modeling work through AI, cloud, 3D processing, and rendering technologies, the cost and time for content production have been drastically reduced. For example, when producing 3 minutes of mixed reality content, the traditional method typically required several hundred million KRW and 3 to 4 months of production time, but at Jump Studio, it can be completed in 1 to 2 weeks at less than half the cost.

Jump Studio automatically compresses video data, which amounts to 600GB for 1 minute of shooting in the studio, to about 300MB suitable for mobile streaming, and supports video formats (MPEG4) that are highly compatible with existing media production systems. This can be seen as a foundation that significantly increases immersive media content.

Mixed Reality Content

MS, which SK Telecom has super collaborated with, is already attracting global attention by applying mixed reality content in various fields such as entertainment, movies, and games. In particular, SK Telecom explains that the fields where moving 3D holograms can be utilized are limitless. Medical staff can study treatment methods by viewing patients as holograms, or famous living figures can be made into holograms and permanently preserved in museums.

SK Telecom plans to steadily secure mixed reality content to greatly expand the attractions of Jump AR/VR services. It also plans to supply mixed reality content by partnering with B2B customers to create idols as 3D holograms for performances and advertisements or to produce characters in games and movies.

Jeon Jin-soo, head of SK Telecom's 5GX Service Business Division, emphasized, "We will expand mixed reality content through Jump Studio to open the era of immersive media popularization," adding, "Our goal is to make Jump Studio the representative content hub of Asia."

Steve Sullivan, head of MS Mixed Reality Studio business, said, "We are pleased to introduce Jump Studio, the first in Asia to apply Microsoft's volumetric video technology in collaboration with SK Telecom," and added, "I believe that Jump Studio, which integrates SK Telecom's technological capabilities, will have a great impact worldwide beyond Korea."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.