AJ Wedding: Reinventing the Stage (Literally) One Pixel at a Time

When AJ Wedding, CEO of Orbital Studios, looks at Hollywood's current turbulence - fractured distribution, shifting audience habits, and rapid-fire technological change - he doesn't see decline. "I've seen Hollywood reinvent itself many times," he says. "Yes, it's scary, but it's a reinvention point, and we're busier than we've ever been."

From a high school student making stop-motion films instead of book reports, to one of the most respected operators of virtual production studios in Hollywood, AJ's journey has been shaped by a single drive: turning ambitious creative visions into reality, faster and more affordably, without compromising quality.

Finding virtual production's weak link

"When I started learning VFX, it was because my ideas were always bigger than my budget," AJ recalls. "Then we put visual effects on set, and that was the biggest change since blue screen. I knew I wanted to be part of it."

But behind the excitement of early virtual production were serious limitations, and AJ spotted them quickly. "LED was never meant to have a camera pointed at it," he says. "There were scan lines, moiré patterns, lens restrictions… and the panels just weren't designed for filmmaking."

Instead of accepting those flaws as part of the medium, AJ worked directly with a manufacturer to design multiple new LED panel configurations, literally improving the tech one pixel at a time. The goal was simple but ambitious: increase on-camera fidelity, eliminate artifacts, and give filmmakers freedom in lens choice and lighting. "They were willing to listen, test, and iterate," AJ explains, "and that became Orbital's ethos-put tech in filmmakers' hands, find what's wrong, fix it."

That philosophy now extends far beyond LEDs. "We've applied the same approach to every piece of technology we use, even down to the computers and storage, making sure it's built around the creative process, not just the hardware spec sheet."

Risk reduction as a creative superpower

AJ sees virtual production as more than a technical tool; it's fundamentally a way to lower creative risk. "You get to that 3D mode so much faster. Scan a physical set, drop it into Unreal, and you're blocking scenes in hours, not weeks. You can change camera angles, adjust lighting, even rebuild a location before you ever shoot a frame."

The "wow" moments happen when directors see the possibilities first-hand.
"One director, who'd never used green screen and wanted nothing to do with it, stepped onto our stage. Within five minutes, he was like a kid in a candy store: moving buildings, changing environments, manufacturing moments in real time. You can tell them about it all day, but they have to experience it to get it."

Some wow moments come from solving problems that traditional production can't. "We had a series planning a huge scene in downtown LA, which involved closing streets and dealing with two-day permit limits. We suggested scanning the environment, using Gaussian splats, and shooting close-ups on stage. They loved the idea but were afraid to take the leap. So, we did it anyway, at our own cost, just to prove it. When they didn't get all the shots they needed, we showed them what we'd captured. The reaction? Pure disbelief and the knowledge that next time, they won't hesitate."

AI in the artist's hands

While Orbital's name is synonymous with virtual production, AJ is equally focused on how AI fits into the creative pipeline-always with the artist at the centre. "Our Head of AI, Wilder Herms, was one of the first to see where it could help us. Commercials are a perfect use case, with their tight deadlines and fast turnarounds. If an agency already has AI concept art, we can jump straight to 3D faster." The goal is to accelerate, not replace. "You can see the difference when an artist operates AI versus someone off the street. The artist stays in the centre, with AI just removing the grunt work. That's where the magic is."

In the near term, AJ sees AI's biggest disruption in visual effects. "So much of the painstaking, repetitive work is becoming automated. It might reduce some jobs, but it gives artists more control and cuts down the back-and-forth, which means shorter post schedules and greater efficiency."

Longer term, he believes AI will expand creative possibilities for independent filmmakers. "If we can make something look like $100M for $10M with virtual production, what happens when you add AI to that? You'll see a Spielberg of AI come along and blow people's minds, and it might be someone working outside the studio system."

Why overkill matters

On a virtual stage, reliability isn't optional; it's survival. "If the tech goes down for five minutes, that can cost a production $30,000 or more," AJ says. "We design for overkill. Always."

That philosophy extends to Orbital's entire infrastructure, powered by Dell Technologies. "Our PowerScale storage eliminated one of our biggest headaches-syncing changes across all render nodes. Before, if a client wanted a red car added to a scene, it took 30 to 45 minutes, and you'd better hope it was during lunch. Now, it's instant across the whole system. For commercials, that's huge."

Dell's systems also raised the creative ceiling. "In our latest hardware upgrade, frame rates on a test scene went up 30%. That means we can run higher-fidelity environments without compromising flexibility on the day of production. It's the difference between having to bake lighting in advance and being able to adjust it live, which, creatively, is massive."

Educating Hollywood

AJ sees part of Orbital's mission as teaching filmmakers how to use the tools.
"From the beginning, we've had to educate Hollywood. You can't just rent the gear; you need the right people integrated from day one. Virtual production is a department that should take part in the planning process from the start for maximum quality and efficiency."

He also warns against assuming bigger is better. "Some studios built massive LED volumes, but most productions don't need that. We often build 30-foot walls, or even 10-by-20-foot setups. Smaller is cheaper, and if you think through your shots, you still can achieve incredible results without bathing in LEDs."

Final takeaways for filmmakers

AJ's advice is simple: "Don't build it, call us. Think process, not just tech. You probably need less than you think, and smaller, smarter setups will give you more bang for your buck. Orbital has the capability to be mobile, building to the exact needs of each project, and removing it at wrap."

And whether it's an LED pixel or a line of AI code, he's clear on one principle: technology should empower, not replace, the creative voice. "When technology empowers the filmmaker, that's when the magic happens."

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