"I came expecting to learn new Virtual Production workflows. I didn’t expect to leave thinking so deeply about communication, collaboration, and how people actually work together across creative and technical environments."
This feeling seemed to resonate across the first VPSN 2.0 Train the Trainer workshop at Breda University of Applied Sciences, where educators, creatives, researchers, and industry professionals from across Europe gathered to explore the future of Virtual Production education.
In late May 2026, partners from The Animation Workshop, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Howest University of Applied Sciences, and Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences came together at Breda University of Applied Sciences for an intensive four-day workshop as part of the Virtual Production Studio Network 2 project.
But this was never intended to be just another technical training session.
Building on the Foundations of VPSN
VPSN 2.0 builds upon the lessons, materials, and experiences developed during the original Virtual Production Studio Network initiative, continuing the project’s wider mission of helping educational institutions integrate Virtual Production into modern teaching environments and training pipelines.
As Virtual Production technologies evolve rapidly across film, animation, games, broadcast, and immersive media, the project recognises that education must evolve alongside them. That means understanding not only the tools themselves, but also the collaborative structures, workflows, and human skills needed to work effectively in increasingly hybrid production environments.
The Train the Trainer model sits at the centre of this approach.
By equipping educators and trainers with both technical knowledge and practical teaching experience, the programme creates a ripple effect that extends beyond the workshop itself, allowing participants to return to their own institutions with new ideas, methods, and approaches that can directly benefit future students.
A Week of Constant Experimentation
Across the four days, participants explored a wide range of Virtual Production approaches, workflows, and technologies.
Sessions included:
- Building and working within virtual environments in Unreal Engine
- AI-assisted workflows with ASSIMILATE
- Exploration of Gaussian splatting techniques
- Collaborative production exercises
- A live-action location shoot inside a restaurant kitchen
- Discussions around production structures and teaching methodologies
No two days looked the same.
The workshop intentionally embraced the interdisciplinary and fast-changing nature of Virtual Production itself, encouraging participants to move between technical experimentation, creative collaboration, and critical reflection throughout the week.
The Most Valuable Lessons Were Not Always Technical
While the workshop delivered significant technical learning opportunities, one of the strongest themes to emerge was the importance of soft skills within Virtual Production environments.
Throughout the week, participants repeatedly reflected on how communication styles, cultural differences, language barriers, educational structures, and varying studio approaches influenced the way teams collaborated.
Even among experienced professionals, these conversations became some of the most impactful parts of the workshop.
The reality is that Virtual Production does not operate in isolated departments. It requires people from different disciplines, technical backgrounds, and creative perspectives to work closely together, often under pressure and across rapidly changing workflows.
That makes communication, adaptability, collaborative problem-solving, and interpersonal understanding just as important as technical proficiency.
For many attendees, this became one of the defining takeaways of the week.
Continuing the Research on Virtual Production Education
Alongside the practical training, the workshop also included a strong research component led by Howest University of Applied Sciences.
Participants completed pre-workshop surveys, on-site feedback sessions, and post-workshop evaluations, all of which will contribute toward a wider publication planned for release later this summer.
The research aims to better understand how educators and professionals experience collaborative VP training environments, what challenges emerge during interdisciplinary learning, and which skills are becoming increasingly essential for future-ready education.
Early insights already suggest that the future of Virtual Production training will rely heavily on balancing technical expertise with human-centred collaboration and adaptability.
Looking Ahead
This workshop marks only the beginning of upcoming activities within VPSN 2.0.
In October, many of the participating institutions will return to Breda, this time alongside their students, to continue testing and applying the approaches explored during the Train the Trainer programme.
The insights gathered throughout this process will continue informing future VPSN educational resources, workshops, research publications, and collaborative activities across the wider network.
What became clear throughout the week is that the future of Virtual Production education is not only about technology.
It is about creating learning environments where technical knowledge, creativity, communication, and collaboration can develop together.
And across Europe, that future is already taking shape.
Photos courtesy of Breda University of Applied Sciences
